The Quantified Night: The Efficacy of Sleep Tracking

Every morning, millions of people wake up and check a score—hours slept, sleep stages, recovery, readiness—trusting a smartwatch or ring to tell them how well they rested. But as sleep-tracking technology becomes a daily ritual, an important question emerges: are these devices improving our health, or changing the way we think about sleep itself? In this episode, we explore the science behind wearable sleep trackers, tracing what they measure accurately, where their limitations begin, and why experts still see value in the data they provide. From the rise of objective health metrics to the growing phenomenon of orthosomnia—where the pursuit of perfect sleep becomes a source of anxiety—we examine the complex relationship between technology, behavior, and well-being. The story reveals a modern paradox: in our quest to quantify every night’s rest, the most meaningful measure of good sleep may still be the simplest one—how we feel when we wake up.https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/05/29/should-you-use-a-sleep-tracker