Sleep tracking and orthosomnia: what a 2026 survey found

In a 2026 national survey of 1,280 US adults, 32.4% used digital tools to track their sleep, and 30.9% of those trackers screened positive for orthosomnia risk, about twice the rate in earlier estimates. Orthosomnia is the term for anxiety about sleep scores that can itself disturb sleep. The finding arrives as smart rings and sleep wearables are among the fastest-growing searches in health.

How common is sleep tracking, and how common is orthosomnia?

The data come from an abstract published in the journal SLEEP in 2026. The survey sampled 1,280 adults (mean age 47.4, 47.0% women).

• 415 people (32.4%) reported using digital tools to monitor sleep, described as a continued increase from previous estimates.
• Among trackers, 30.9% scored positive for orthosomnia risk on an adapted two-item measure based on the PHQ-2. The authors say this is roughly double the rate reported in prior estimates.
• Tracking was more common among younger adults, men and higher earners. The most common reason was “to improve sleep” (70.4%).

Two cautions apply. This is a conference abstract, not yet a full peer-reviewed paper, and the two-item measure is a screen for risk, not a diagnosis. It also relies on self-report.

Interest in the devices continues to climb: Glimpse’s trend data (as of January 2026) show Oura Ring searches up 110% year over year, WHOOP up 83%, and “sleep ring” up 48%.

Are sleep trackers accurate enough to trust?

For the basics, largely yes. University of Michigan researcher Daniel Forger told Euronews that algorithms in major brands have become highly accurate at determining when someone is asleep. Stage-level detail, such as exactly how much non-REM versus REM sleep you had, is where in-lab studies still excel.

That distinction matters for how the numbers are used. A nightly score is a noisy snapshot; a pattern across weeks is more informative than any one night. For example, deep sleep varies from night to night for reasons no device can fully explain, and a person’s HRV trend says more than a single reading.

Clinicians quoted in the Euronews piece describe patients who become anxious about their scores, especially when chasing a target amount of REM sleep. Their advice is that a device should help rather than cause stress. The survey suggests a large share of trackers may be at some level of risk for that.

The bottom line

• In 1,280 US adults, 32.4% tracked sleep digitally, and 30.9% of those screened positive for orthosomnia risk, about double earlier estimates.
• The data are from a conference abstract using an adapted two-item screen, so treat the figures as preliminary.
• Wearables appear accurate at detecting sleep versus wake; stage detail is less certain, and trends carry more meaning than nightly scores.