Sleep trackers causing 'orthosomnia' anxiety in obsessive users, doctors warn

Sleep tracking devices and apps have surged in popularity, with millions now wearing gadgets that monitor their nightly sleep patterns and produce scores rating their rest. But doctors are raising concerns about a new phenomenon: orthosomnia — an obsessive preoccupation with achieving optimal sleep scores that paradoxically leads to worse sleep.

The term orthosomnia, derived from the Greek word for correct or straight and the Latin for sleep, describes patients who become so fixated on their wearable device's sleep data that their anxiety about achieving a high score disrupts their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Sleep specialists say they are seeing a growing number of patients who report consulting their sleep app before getting out of bed, feeling depressed when their score is low, and modifying their lifestyle excessively based on app recommendations that may not reflect their true sleep needs.

"The irony is that the very tools designed to improve sleep can become the cause of sleep anxiety," said one sleep medicine physician. "The score becomes a source of stress rather than a helpful guide."

Experts advise that wearable sleep trackers are not as accurate as clinical sleep studies and their algorithms vary widely. They recommend users treat the data as a general guide rather than a precise measurement, and to seek professional advice if sleep concerns are affecting daily life.