Technology-Related Stress Disorder, Or Orthosomnia, Could Be Disrupting My Sleep Patterns
Orthosomnia, a relatively new sleep disorder, is affecting high-achieving and anxious individuals who closely monitor their sleep patterns using smartwatches, mobile apps, or wearable rings. This condition, coined by combining 'ortho' (meaning correcting) and 'somnia' (meaning sleep), is characterized by an obsession with achieving 'perfect' sleep, often fueled by the use of sleep-tracking devices and apps.
Orthosomnia negatively affects sleep quality and mental health. The obsession leads to sleep performance anxiety, which disrupts rest, and may result in fatigue, irritability, concentration problems, and feeling unrefreshed despite sufficient sleep.
Key effects on sleep quality include difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep due to stress around sleep data, over-focusing on sleep tracker scores rather than actual rest, forced or prolonged time in bed aimed at improving scores, and sleep fragmentation caused or worsened by anxiety about sleep performance.
On the mental health front, orthosomnia leads to elevated overall anxiety levels related to sleep, stress and frustration when sleep tracker data appears poor even if one feels rested, increased sleep-related worry and obsession, which can perpetuate insomnia symptoms, and potential development of sleep performance anxiety and dependence on data rather than internal cues.
Treatment recommendations emphasize reducing time spent monitoring sleep trackers, focusing more on subjective feelings of restfulness, maintaining flexible sleep routines, and practicing relaxation or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) if anxiety persists.
Shifting the mindset from chasing perfect sleep to getting enough rest that feels good can support overall health. A low-cortisol bedroom that is digitally undressed can contribute to sound slumber. Calming rituals such as deep breathing or mindfulness before sleep time can help manage orthosomnia.
Ditching the phone alarm and setting the wake-up call on an alarm clock, like the Sunrise Clock from Lexon, can help create a better sleep environment. A soft, plush, padded silk mask, like the one from Drowsy Sleep Co, can help one drift off into sleep without digital distractions.
People who suffer from orthosomnia may go to great lengths to perfect every single part of their sleep routine. However, it's important to remember that relying too heavily on sleep trackers can cause confusion and increase the sense that something may be wrong.
In conclusion, while sleep trackers can provide valuable insights into sleep patterns, they should not be the sole source of information about one's sleep health. Maintaining a balance and focusing on how one feels, rather than just data from sleep trackers, can help manage orthosomnia effectively.
- The trend of relying on sleep-tracking devices and apps for achieving 'perfect' sleep has led to a new sleep disorder called Orthosomnia, affecting individuals who closely monitor their sleep patterns.
- Shifting from a focus on achieving perfect sleep to getting enough rest that feels good can support overall health and wellness.
- To create a better sleep environment, one can switch the phone alarm to an alarm clock, such as the Sunrise Clock from Lexon, and use a soft, plush, padded silk mask from Drowsy Sleep Co to help drift off without digital distractions.
- Calming rituals like deep breathing and mindfulness before sleep time can help manage Orthosomnia.
- A low-cortisol bedroom, digitally undressed, can contribute to sound slumber.
- Continual focus on sleep tracker scores and sleep data can lead to sleep performance anxiety, elevated overall anxiety levels related to sleep, increased sleep-related worry and obsession, and potential development of dependence on data rather than internal cues.
