73% of Insomnia Patients Report Higher Stress from Sleep Tracking

By VirentaNews Staff — May 13, 2026

More than 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep issues, and a growing number are turning to smartwatches and sleep-tracking apps to gain control over their rest. However, a 2024 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reveals a troubling paradox: for people with insomnia, obsessively monitoring sleep metrics may actually worsen their condition. Researchers found that 73% of participants with insomnia reported heightened anxiety when using sleep-tracking devices, often fixating on numerical data like sleep efficiency and REM cycles. This fixation can lead to a condition dubbed ‘orthosomnia’—an unhealthy obsession with achieving perfect sleep as defined by technology, rather than by how one feels. As wearable health tech becomes ubiquitous, evidence suggests that for vulnerable individuals, the quest for optimal sleep may be undermining it.

The Allure and Danger of Sleep Quantification

Sleep-tracking apps and wearable devices have surged in popularity, with the global market expected to exceed $40 billion by 2030. These tools promise insights into sleep stages, heart rate variability, and wake times, empowering users to ‘optimize’ their rest. For individuals with mild sleep disturbances or those seeking general wellness improvements, such data can be motivating. However, for those already struggling with insomnia—a condition characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, often accompanied by significant distress—the constant feedback loop of imperfect scores can deepen psychological strain. Insomnia is not merely a physiological issue but a disorder heavily influenced by cognitive arousal and anxiety. When patients interpret their device’s low sleep efficiency score as a personal failure, it reinforces negative thought patterns, creating a vicious cycle where the fear of poor sleep becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What the Research Reveals

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and published in Sleep Medicine Reviews, analyzed 120 adults diagnosed with chronic insomnia who used commercial sleep trackers for at least four weeks. Participants reported increased nighttime awakenings, longer sleep latency, and greater pre-sleep anxiety directly linked to reviewing their sleep data. Some individuals admitted to checking their devices mid-sleep or immediately upon waking, reinforcing hypervigilance around sleep performance. Notably, many participants began distrusting their subjective sleep experience—if the device said they were awake, they believed it, even if they felt rested. This phenomenon, known as ‘data-driven sleep misperception,’ undermines the body’s natural ability to self-assess restfulness and can erode confidence in one’s sleep capacity.

Psychological Mechanisms at Play

The adverse effects stem from how sleep tracking interacts with the cognitive features of insomnia. People with insomnia often exhibit ‘sleep effort’—an excessive attempt to control sleep, which paradoxically inhibits it. Sleep trackers intensify this effort by providing real-time metrics that invite judgment and correction. Dr. Allison Harvey, a clinical psychologist at UC Berkeley specializing in sleep disorders, explains that ‘when individuals with insomnia treat sleep like a performance metric, they increase cognitive arousal, which is the enemy of sleep onset.’ Additionally, the concept of ‘behavioral conditioning’ comes into play: repeatedly associating the bedroom with data analysis, stress, and disappointment can turn the sleep environment into a trigger for anxiety. Over time, this can lead to conditioned arousal, a hallmark of chronic insomnia. The irony is that a tool marketed as a solution may be reinforcing the very mechanisms that sustain the disorder.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Not all users are equally vulnerable. The study identified key risk factors: individuals with perfectionistic tendencies, high health anxiety, or a history of obsessive-compulsive traits were more likely to develop orthosomnia. Younger adults, who are more likely to adopt wearable tech and place high value on productivity metrics, were also overrepresented in the affected cohort. Moreover, people already undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) may find that sleep trackers counteract therapeutic progress. CBT-I emphasizes reducing sleep effort and reassociating the bed with rest, not performance. When patients bring detailed sleep data to therapy sessions, clinicians report spending valuable time debunking inaccurate device readings rather than addressing core cognitive distortions. As a result, some sleep specialists now recommend a ‘digital detox’ from sleep tracking as part of treatment.

Expert Perspectives

Opinions among sleep specialists are divided. Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, a sleep medicine expert at Keck School of Medicine, argues that ‘when used mindfully, sleep trackers can help identify patterns and motivate behavioral change.’ He advocates for patient education on data interpretation. In contrast, Dr. Colleen Carney, director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory at Ryerson University, warns that ‘for insomnia patients, these devices are often more harmful than helpful.’ She emphasizes that sleep quality should be measured by how a person functions during the day, not by algorithm-generated scores. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has issued cautionary guidance, stating that consumer sleep devices are not diagnostic tools and should not replace clinical evaluation.

Looking ahead, researchers call for better regulation of sleep-tracking algorithms and clearer labeling for at-risk populations. Some tech companies are exploring ‘anxiety-sensitive’ modes that suppress detailed feedback for users showing signs of sleep-related distress. Meanwhile, clinicians stress the need for personalized approaches: while data may empower some, it may disable others. The key may lie in knowing when to look at the numbers—and when to put the device down.

Source: Healthline