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In A Nutshell
Nearly half of adults surveyed had used a sleep app, but only 15% said it actually improved their sleep.
A notable share of users reported feeling more anxious and worried about their sleep after using a tracker, not less.
People with insomnia were significantly more likely to experience negative effects from sleep apps, including heightened worry and the feeling that something was wrong with their sleep.
Younger adults reported the strongest reactions overall, both positive and negative, and were far more likely to feel stressed by what the data showed.
Strapping on a smartwatch before bed sounds like a smart way to take charge of sleep health. Track the data, identify the patterns, sleep better. That’s the pitch. But a new study suggests that for a growing number of people, obsessing over those nightly readouts is becoming its own sleep problem, so the people who need rest the most may also be the most vulnerable to its downsides.
Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway surveyed more than 1,000 adults about their sleep app habits and found that a meaningful share of users said the apps left them more anxious about sleep, not less. For people already dealing with insomnia, those negative effects were even more pronounced. And despite nearly half of all adults in the study having used a sleep tracker at some point, only about 15% said it actually helped them sleep better.
Sleep-tracking apps and wearables, including devices like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and the Oura Ring, have exploded in popularity over the past decade. They use built-in sensors to measure movement, heart rate, and other signals, then translate that data into reports on sleep duration, stages, and overall sleep scores. That sounds useful in theory. But the new research, published in Frontiers in Psychology , raises a pointed question: for some users, is all that data doing more harm than good?
When Sleep Apps Become a Source of Stress
There’s a term for what happens when sleep tracking goes sideways: orthosomnia, defined as “excessive preoccupation with sleep.” Rather than drifting off, some users find themselves fixating on last night’s score, dreading a low reading, or treating normal variations in sleep data as signs that something is wrong. A wellness tool becomes a source of dread.
About 18% of sleep app users in the study said the apps made them more worried about their sleep. Another 14% said using one made them feel as though something was wrong with their sleep, a concern that may or may not have been warranted. Only 2.3% said their sleep actually got worse, but the anxiety toll was clearly broader.
Younger adults felt it most. About 23% of users between 18 and 35 said apps made them stressed about sleep, compared to just 2.4% of those 66 and older. Researchers found younger adults were more likely to report both positive and negative reactions to sleep data. One possible explanation is that younger users engage more closely with app feedback, though the study did not directly test this.
A new study finds sleep tracking apps can fuel anxiety and worry, especially in people who already have trouble sleeping. (© Point of view – stock.adobe.com)
The Insomnia Trap: Sleep Apps May Backfire for Those Who Need Help Most
For people with insomnia, the picture gets more troubling. People with chronic sleep difficulties already tend to be hypervigilant about rest, cataloging restless nights and bracing for another bad one. A nightly report flagging poor sleep efficiency or irregular sleep stages may reinforce exactly those patterns, potentially feeding anxiety rather than easing it.
In the study, people with insomnia reported significantly higher levels of negative effects from sleep app use than people without it. They were more likely to say apps made them feel something was wrong with their sleep and more likely to report heightened worry. The paper states that “it may be wise to caution patients with sleep problems about such use.” While some deeper statistical analyses found the link between insomnia and specific negative effects wasn’t definitive at every level, the overall pattern was consistent enough to warrant attention from doctors and patients alike.
That finding carries some irony. People with insomnia are among the most motivated to find a solution to their sleep struggles, and consumer sleep tech markets heavily to exactly that audience. Yet those users appear most vulnerable to the anxiety the data can trigger.
Sleep Apps Are Popular, But Their Benefits Are Modest
Of the study’s 1,002 participants, 46% reported having used a sleep app at some point, with smartwatches being by far the most common device. Women used them more than men, and usage dropped sharply with age: roughly 57% of adults under 50 had tried one, versus just 18% of those 66 and older.
Among users, the most frequently cited upside was learning something new about their sleep patterns, reported by about 48%. Another 43% said they found the apps genuinely useful. But only 15% said their sleep actually improved. There’s a real gap between “this was informative” and “this helped me rest.”
Part of the shortfall may come down to what these apps are designed to do. Consumer sleep trackers are not built to replace clinical sleep testing, which can measure sleep far more precisely. This means devices can sometimes flag normal nighttime variations as potential problems, nudging users to stress over data points that carry no real medical weight.
Sleep apps may well have a place for curious, generally healthy adults who want a rough sense of their sleep patterns. But for anyone already losing sleep over their sleep, the data may be the last thing they need.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a single observational study conducted in Norway and reflects self-reported data from participants. The findings show associations, not cause-and-effect relationships. Readers experiencing chronic sleep problems or insomnia should consult a qualified healthcare provider rather than relying on consumer sleep technology for diagnosis or treatment.
Paper Notes
Limitations
The study was conducted in Norway using an online survey sent to a self-selected web panel rather than a randomly chosen sample, which raises the possibility of selection bias. The response rate was 19.8%, and because participants were told in advance the survey covered sleep and mental health, those with personal experiences in those areas may have been more likely to respond. Insomnia was assessed through a validated questionnaire rather than clinical interviews, meaning some underlying sleep conditions may not have been fully captured. Sleep app use was measured as lifetime use rather than current or sustained use, limiting conclusions about how frequency or duration shapes outcomes. Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot establish whether sleep apps cause negative effects or whether people already prone to sleep anxiety are simply more likely to report them.
Funding and Disclosures
No financial support was received for this research or its publication. Authors declared no commercial or financial conflicts of interest, and stated that generative AI was not used in the creation of the manuscript.
Publication Details
The study, “Sleep in the age of technology: the use of sleep apps and perceived impact on sleep and sleep habits,” was authored by Håkon Lundekvam Berge, Karl Erik Lundekvam, Siri Waage, Bjørn Bjorvatn, Ståle Pallesen, and Ingvild West Saxvig, all affiliated with the University of Bergen, Norway; Waage, Bjorvatn, and Pallesen are also affiliated with the Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders at Haukeland University Hospital. Published March 20, 2026, in Frontiers in Psychology , Volume 17. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1726473.
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