Meanwhile,
Can we trust your connected:
Essential
- Connected watches allow you to follow your sleep at home today, but their precision remains lower than that of the methods used in the laboratory. Similarly,
- These sensors consider rather well the total duration of sleep. Moreover, but struggle to distinguish the different stages of sleep, according to an expert. Consequently,
- Useful for following general trends, they do not replace a medical consultation or good sleep habits. Moreover,
Intelligent watches, connected rings and other devices capable of analyzing our sleep has gained popularity in recent years. Similarly, They promise a detailed report on our sleep phases and the quality of our nights. Consequently, But to what extent are they reliable? Therefore, “Surfing is practiced in the ocean, planes fly in the sky, and sleep can we trust your connected is happening in the brain. In addition, So how do you measure it from the wrist or finger?”questions Professor Dean J. Meunier, of the Central Queensland University in Australia, in an article published in The Conversation.

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What sleep sensors measure
When we sleep, we cross several sleep phases, generally classified as light sleep, slow wave sleep (better known as deep sleep), and paradoxical sleep (also called REM for Rapid Eye Movement or rapid eye movement), conducive to dreams.

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The scientific reference in terms of sleep measurement remains polysomnography (PSG), a technique practiced in the laboratory which measures eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate and brain activity. This method, although very precise, remains impractical for daily use: “Specifies? Absolutely. Practical? Like two left shoes”, quips the specialist. “This is where the convenience of portable sleep sensors comes in.”
Since the 1990s, researchers have been using activa to follow sleep outside the can we trust your connected laboratory. These sensors. carried on the wrist like a watch, detect the movements: if the user moves, he is awake; If it is motionless, he sleeps. Simple, but imperfect. The addition of photoplethysmography (PPG), technology using green LEDs to follow the blood flow, has improved precision. “PhotoPlethysmography is a key engine of the explosion of health tracking via connected objects”note Dean J. Meunier.
What reliability of connected watches?
To verify the reliability of sleep sensors, researchers compared them to PSG in the laboratory, through various studies. A 2022 search has shown that most trackers correctly identify more than 90 % of sleep episodes. On the other hand, they struggle to detect the watch episodes, with an accuracy rate varying from 26 % to 73 %. For the various sleep stages, precision is between 53 % and 60 %, even can we trust your connected if some more recent models are doing better.
Most modern sensors offer a good estimate of the total sleep time, according to the expert. Data on sleep phases are sometimes less reliable, but not essential to improve the quality of rest. “If you like to follow your sleep, make sure your device has been validated independently”he warns.
But beware: in case of persistent sleep disorders, it is better to consult a doctor. And for everyone. the basic recommendations remain the same: avoid screens before sleeping, maintain regular schedules, and create an environment conducive to sleep. “In the end, it is first of all your behavior that will improve your sleep”concludes Professor Meunier.
Further reading: Demoustication and prevention operations carried out after the report of a case of chikungunya in the Gard – This bread is “the worst for the body” – Eight fruit juices that can only be tasted in Amazonia – Two French French people favorable to partial remuneration of doctors for prevention | The doctor’s daily life | Health & Society – a major advance thanks to a blood test.
