Nowadays, things seem wired in such a way that you can’t escape anxiety or stress. Whether it’s the pandemic, social unrest, local conflicts, and/or financial problems the world we live in seems hell-bent on keeping us on our toes.

As a result, 35.2% of all adults in the U.S. have trouble sleeping the necessary amount to maintain a healthy lifestyle (less than seven hours per night). In time, this can lead to heart diseases, cognitive problems, and other major health issues.

But all is not lost!

You can still recover, as long as you’re aware of bad sleeping patterns and know how to correct them. Awareness can be provided by commercial wearable tech such as rings, smartwatches, and/or fitness trackers.

So, how long does it take to catch up on sleep if your tracker confirms your suspicions of low-quality Zzzs? It all depends on whether your sleep debt is acute or chronic. Plus, you should first check your devices – can you trust their accuracy and reliability?

As it turns out, commercial sleep trackers are not as accurate as we’d like them to be. Still, this doesn’t mean they are useless. Sleep trackers do provide us with some data that we can use as long as we understand how they work.

How Do Sleep Trackers Work?

The actual tracking of your sleep activity is done by two devices: the one you wear (ring, watch, or fitness band) and your phone. The wearable records your sleep patterns and sends the data to the corresponding app on your phone where it’s analyzed and turned into a nice-looking graph.

However, if you compare the results of commercial sleep trackers to the results of an electroencephalogram (EEG), the differences are staggering. This happens because the EEG records your actual brain activity while the commercial tracker uses actigraphy – which is a technology that measures movement.

In short, the device you wear can sense your movements during a period of time you tell it you’ll be asleep (most apps require you to set a sleep schedule before you can use it for sleep tracking). So, even if you’re not sleeping and just stay still, the device will consider it a period of deep sleep.

In a nutshell, commercial sleep trackers are not accurate. However, you can use them to your advantage even if the data is not reliable.

How to Use Your Sleep Tracker

Even though sleep trackers are not very accurate, lack of sleep and poor quality sleep are still a reality for many people around the world. So why not use the data and features provided by these devices to your advantage?

For instance, when you set your daily sleep schedule, you can also automatically put your phone and other devices in Do Not Disturb mode. This way, your slumber won’t be interrupted by app notifications, late emails, or even work colleagues who don’t understand other people have different sleep schedules.

Moreover, if your tracker says your main activity while sleeping is tossing and turning, you may want to discuss this with your doctor. You shouldn’t move too much during deep sleep cycles, so if the device picks up activity, you may not be able to rest properly.

Wrap Up

Even though we still have a lot to learn about our slumber, sleep is an important part of our lives. This is why you should do anything in your power to improve its level of quality.

For instance, if the stress piles up, a spa day may help put you in a more relaxed mood. Also, a darker, colder room may promote better sleep quality. There are lots of tips and tricks to help you sleep better, so make sure to try the ones that work for you.