How Sleep Trackers Shape What We Think About Sleep

Sleep trackers are now part of everyday health routines, promising better insight and improved rest. But what do these devices actually measure — and how much do they shape how people feel about their sleep?

This episode explores what research shows about the accuracy of consumer sleep trackers, how they compare with clinical sleep measures, and why sleep data doesn’t always match subjective experience. You’ll learn how tracking alone can influence perception, motivation, and worry, even when sleep itself hasn’t changed. The episode also looks at why sleep scores can feel so powerful, and how focusing too closely on nightly numbers can sometimes add stress rather than clarity.

The takeaway: sleep trackers can be useful for noticing patterns, but they’re not definitive judgments of sleep quality. Learning how to interpret the data — without letting it override how you actually feel — is key.

Listen to the episode and read the full evidence in The Evidence Edit.