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Sleep Tracking: a Systematic Review of the Research Using Commercially Available Technology

  • Sleep and Technology (J Van den Bulck, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Sleep Medicine Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To systematically review the available research studies that characterize the benefits, uncertainty, or weaknesses of commercially available sleep-tracking technology.

Recent Findings

Sleep is a vital component of health and well-being. Research shows that tracking sleep using commercially available sleep-tracking technology (e.g., wearable or smartphone-based) is increasingly popular in the general population.

Methods

Systematic literature searches were conducted using PubMed/Medline, Embase (Ovid) the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL, and Web of Science Plus (which included results from BIOSIS Citation Index, InSpec, and Food, Science and Technology Abstracts) (n = 842).

Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Three independent reviewers reviewed eligible articles that administered a commercially available sleep tracker to participants and reported on sleep parameters as captured by the tracker, including either sleep duration or quality. Eligible articles had to include sleep data from users for > = 4 nights.

Summary

Seven articles met criteria for review. A wearable sleep tracker (e.g., wrist-based) was utilized to track sleep in five of the seven studies, a smartphone-based sleep tracker app was used to record sleep in two of the seven studies. Studies in this review may be characterized in several broad categories, including studies that examined: (1) sleep before and after a clinical procedure (e.g., surgery) (two studies); (2) sleep and a health-related outcome (e.g., asthma symptoms (two studies); (3) the relationship between sleep tracker data and self-reported sleep (one study); and (4) sleep tracker data before and after major political events (one study). Among the studies examining sleep tracker data and health-related outcomes, sleep tracker data was associated with health outcomes, including asthma symptoms, blood pressure, and mood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, 180 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Rebecca Robbins, Azizi Seixas, Lillian Walton Masters, Nicholas Chanko, Fatoumata Diaby, Dorice Vieira & Girardin Jean-Louis

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  1. Rebecca Robbins
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  2. Azizi Seixas
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Correspondence to Rebecca Robbins.

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Conflict of Interest

Rebecca Robbins, Azizi Seixas, Lillian Walton Masters, Nicholas Chanko, Fatou Diaby, Dorice Vieira, and Girardin Jean-Louis each declare no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sleep and Technology

Appendix

Appendix

Search Strategies for the current review

(sleep tracker OR sleep trackers OR sleep tracking OR mobile phone OR mobile phones OR mobile apps OR mobile technology OR mobile technologies OR mobile device OR mobile devices OR iWatch OR Fitbit OR jawbone OR wearable devices) AND (sleep OR polysomnography) AND (behavior OR behaviors OR behaviour OR behaviours OR self management OR monitor OR monitoring)

(sleep tracker OR sleep trackers OR sleep tracking) AND (sleep OR polysomnography) AND (behavior OR behaviors OR behaviour OR behaviours OR self management OR monitor OR monitoring OR well being)

(sleep OR polysomnography) AND (tracker OR trackers OR tracking) AND (device OR devices OR technology OR mobile) AND (behavior OR behaviors OR behaviour OR behaviours OR self management OR monitor OR monitoring)

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Robbins, R., Seixas, A., Walton Masters, L. et al. Sleep Tracking: a Systematic Review of the Research Using Commercially Available Technology. Curr Sleep Medicine Rep 5, 156–163 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-019-00150-1

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