Smartwatches like Garmin and Apple now have impressive sleep tracking abilities – and two new studies from these two companies show that wearables can also give us fascinating insights into our collective turning a blind eye. Short answer? Most of us could definitely sleep better.
New data from Garmin Sleep Rating Study (opens in a new tab) and a component of “healthy sleep”. Apple Heart and Movement Study (opens in a new tab) tracked participants’ eye-closing at two different times in 2022. The overall conclusion from both studies is that approximately 70% of us do not meet the recommended amount or quality of sleep.
Both studies use different metrics, with Garmin relying on the Sleep Score feature found in many smartwatches, while Apple is focusing on duration and sleep duration due to Apple Watch’s current sleep tracking limitations. However, this does mean that the research also provides some interesting complementary insights.
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For example, data from Garmin – taken from the last three months of 2022 – shows that 69% of its participants only achieved a sleep rating that was rated as “poor” or “average”.
This score is based not only on how long you slept, but also on heart rate variability, breathing and body movements, among other things. While Garmin watches are not among the best sleep trackers, this gives their data a bit more nuance than the Apple Watch.
Apple research conducted among Apple Watch users using the Apple Research app (opens in a new tab) between February and June 2022 showed that 68.8% of participants did not sleep the recommended seven hours a night. The average sleep time was just six hours and 27 minutes.
Perhaps the most interesting aspects of both studies are the geographic and age differences they found for sleep. According to data from Garmin, the countries with the worst sleep scores are (by some margin) Japan and, to a lesser extent, the United States. Garmin fans in the Netherlands, on the other hand, would top the podium at the Sleep Olympics if such a competition existed.
Apple’s more US-centric data includes variances between different states. According to his findings, residents of Washington, South Dakota and Idaho had the highest percentage of people getting the recommended amount of sleep, while residents of Hawaii, Mississippi and West Virginia fared the worst.
Of course, many factors could have skewed this data, including the type of work and the age of the participants, but the clearer insight from the Garmin study was that our sleep quality declines in a linear fashion with age. The “Sleep Rating by Age” chart (above) shows why you may not feel as rested after a night of fun as you did when you were younger.
Another interesting insight from the Apple study, especially when it comes to understanding how to improve sleep quality, is the “sleep volatility” data. They compared the health outcomes of people who regularly start their sleep with those who start their sleep at very different times of the evening over the course of a month.
His findings agree with the recent one Harvard study (opens in a new tab) which showed that in older adults, those who have variable sleep patterns are more likely to have a higher BMI (body mass index), sleep less overall, and are more likely to show symptoms of depression. That’s why sticking to a consistent sleep-wake schedule is one of the (many) tips for improving your sleep offered in our special Sleep Week 2023 guide. But what else can you do to improve your turning a blind eye?
How to speed up sleep mode
When it comes to sleep, many factors can be beyond our control – shift work, having a young family, or living during a pandemic, for example, can understandably impact our ability to get on a regular sleep schedule. But both the Apple study and our collection of Sleep Week 2023 articles highlight the many things we can control to improve our turning a blind eye.
The Apple Heart & Movement study states that “while it’s not always possible to maintain a consistent sleep schedule or duration (7-9 hours), what matters, as with exercise, is long-term.” It recommends “taking steps to be more aware of your sleep patterns and figuring out what works best for you,” including (naturally) using the sleep tracking features of smartwatches like the Apple Watch.
While we don’t consider the Apple Watch to be one of the best sleep monitors out there, our sleep week guide agrees with one of the Apple study’s findings that establishing a consistent routine is key. Some of our other tips include avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, avoiding vigorous exercise right before bed, using a good sleeping app to help you relax, or using earplugs to block out noise.
To celebrate Sleep Awareness Week, we also spoke to experts about how to improve your sleep cycles, why you should use the 15-minute rule, and the best nap tactics. And while using technology to improve sleep may seem counterintuitive, it can certainly help if done the right way.
For example, one TechRadar contributor shared how Fitbit’s sleep tracking features changed his sleep for the better, while elsewhere we’ve rounded up the best sleep podcasts to help you fall asleep faster (spoiler alert: Sleep With Me and Nothing Much Happens are our current two).
While new research from Garmin and Apple may not be comprehensive or conclusive enough to provide deep insights into our sleep patterns, it is a useful springboard for finding new ways to improve half-closed eyes and increase the number of naps.