Orthosomnia: How Tracking Sleep Can Lead To Insomnia  

Sleep is an important human biological process that has a direct impact on overall health, mental performance, and emotional stability. With the advent of wearables and mobile apps that are accountable for monitoring one’s sleep-state pattern and increasing awareness, most individuals have become over-stressed about their night’s sleep. For some people, however, this super-awareness was considered a paradoxical problem: orthosomnia. Orthosomnia coined from the Greek “ortho” (correct) and “somnia” (sleep), refers to sleep disturbance from excessive preoccupation with attaining the perfect state of sleep. 

Orthosomnia is a contemporary phenomenon that has taken root in this modern world, given the respectability of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and mobile apps that promise to help users monitor and improve their sleep quality. Quite ironically, analysis of sleep results in the blossoming of anxiety which makes the very quality of sleep itself pretty much difficult and, hence, insomnias appear. 

The Rise of Sleep Tracking Device 

Sleep monitoring technology has changed the way individuals understand their sleep health. Fitbit, Apple Watch, Oura Ring, and mobile apps claim to monitor sleep duration, cycles (REM, deep sleep, light sleep), and even night disturbances. People utilize these devices in the expectation of improving their sleep hygiene, but not all benefit from this activity. 

For others, these trackers create a psychological dependence upon data, leading them to obsess over achieving the “perfect” night of sleep. This obsession can lead to counterintuitive behaviors like excessive concern over sleep scores, strict bedtime rituals, and even lifestyle changes based on inaccurate data interpretations. 

The Psychological Mechanism Behind Orthosomnia 

Orthosomnia is strongly related to performance anxiety, which is a mental state in which one becomes excessively anxious about one’s capacity to bring about a particular result. The result, in this instance, is sleep itself. Sleep, though, is an involuntary physiological process and cannot be compelled; the more effort one spends on sleeping well, the more difficult it tends to get. 

• Hyperarousal: When individuals are sleep monitored, their brains will remain in an abnormally high state of alertness. Hyperarousal activates the sympathetic nervous system to increase heart rate and stress chemicals, making it difficult to relax and sleep normally.
• Misinterpretation of Data: Sleep trackers never are 100% accurate and usually use movement and heart rate to estimate what stage of sleep they are in. Normal sleep shifts may be confused by consumers as issues, unduly concerning and bringing to mind sleeping issues. 
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Once an individual knows that they are not sleeping well because they have a low sleep score, they tend to feel more tired during the day, thus supporting the notion that they have a sleep disorder. The negative feedback cycle aggravates the condition and makes it increasingly difficult even to sleep well.

Signs And Symptoms of Orthosomnia 

Patients with orthosomnia might have a wide range of symptoms comparable to classic insomnia, including: 

• Struggling to fall asleep even when one feels exhausted 
• Frequent wake-ups throughout the night 
• Unrefreshing sleep upon waking 
• Greater sleep anxiety 
• Obsessive checking of sleep-tracking reports 
• Changing daily habits according to sleep scores 
• Trying unnecessary sleep aids or supplements 

These symptoms usually result in long-term sleep deprivation and further affect both mental and physical health. 

How Orthosomnia Makes Sleep Worse 

Orthosomnia forms a hyperawareness and stress cycle that affects sleep quality directly. Once people get preoccupied with their sleep metrics, they might become more anxious, and thus fall asleep, and remaining asleep is compromised. This heightened arousal keeps the body from shifting to restorative stages of sleep naturally.

Read More: Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief and Emotional Balance

Also, orthosomniacs change their sleep pattern unnecessarily based on the wrong information from trackers. For instance, if they are informed by their sleep tracker that they got insufficient deep sleep, they will go to bed earlier than usual or take too much sleeping medication, disrupting their natural circadian rhythm. These behaviors will turn into chronic sleep disorders and all-around sleep quality deterioration with time. 

The Paradox of Sleep Monitoring 

The paradox of sleep tracking is that the more people attempt to control their sleep, the more it slips away from them. In comparison to other conscious-driven behaviors, like exercising or dieting, sleep is a process that functions below the threshold of consciousness and optimizes best when left alone. Continuous monitoring of the sleeping data tends to create a culture of performance, a direct contradiction of sleep’s receptive nature. 

Furthermore, it is still unclear how accurate consumer sleep trackers are. Researchers have found that although they can provide an estimate of sleep duration, they do poorly in accurately determining sleep stages. Such inaccuracies can give false impressions to users that they have bad sleep when they actually could be sleeping well. 

Managing And Preventing Orthosomnia 

To negate the ill effects of orthosomnia, one must choose a healthy sleep equilibrium approach. Here are some useful strategies: 

1. Minimize Sleep Tracker Dependence: Use sleep tracking devices only for occasional checks instead of monitoring them daily. Keep in mind that sleep tracker results are an approximation, not a factual reading. 
2. Develop a Relaxed Sleep Mindset: Pay attention to how you feel instead of trusting sleep scores exclusively. Accept that occasional nights of bad sleeping are the norm and do not represent a long term problem. 
3. Practice Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits: Keep your sleep schedule consistent. Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual (e.g., reading, meditation, calm breathing). Exclude screens and stimulating substances (e.g., nicotine, caffeine) at night. 
4. Counteract Anxiety and Perfectionism: Apply mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) tactics to reduce sleeping anxiety. Internalize the communication to yourself that sleep cannot be summoned; instead, it emerges naturally when your body relaxes. 
5. Seek Professional Help When Needed: If sleep anxiety is persistent, seek a sleep specialist or therapist to discuss. Treatment options such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). 

Conclusion 

Orthosomnia is a recently identified sleep disorder fueled by the growing dependence on sleep monitoring technology. Although the devices are useful in tracking sleep, excessive use leads to undue stress and interferes with sleep. Being aware of the psychological factors behind orthosomnia and taking up a more natural sleeping habit can liberate people from this paradox. By minimizing reliance on information, adopting a natural sleeping cycle, and doing away with anxiety-ridden behaviors, one can revert to a wholesome and healthy sleeping relationship. In the end, the most effective approach to mending sleep is not obsessive tracking but promoting a serene and harmonious way of living.

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