Why your sleep tracker is making you tired.
Orthosomnia - When Your Search for the "Perfect Night" Keeps You Awake
In the era of "biohacking," we have turned sleep into a competitive sport. We have devices on our wrists and rings on our fingers, waking up to data that tells us how we, previously, just felt.
But there is a growing clinical phenomenon emerging from this new data-obsession and it’s called orthosomnia.
From the Greek orthos (straight/correct) and somnia (sleep), orthosomnia is the perfectionist pursuit of the ideal sleep score.
The Feedback Loop of Anxiety
Research suggests that when we become overly fixated on "Deep Sleep" percentages or "Recovery Scores," we trigger the body's sympathetic nervous system. By worrying about the data, we elevate cortisol levels, making the physiological state of rest nearly impossible to achieve.
"Orthosomnia reminds us that the body is not an algorithm. You cannot force relaxation through data points."
Finding the Middle Ground
At MUUN, we believe in technology as a servant, not a master. To avoid the orthosomnia trap, consider these shifts:
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The "Blind" Test: Try waking up and subjectively rating your energy from 1-10 before checking your app.
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Data Sabbaticals: Take one week a month to sleep "analog."
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Process over Outcome: Focus on your evening ritual - the lighting, the scent, the silence-rather than the numerical result.
True rest isn't found in a 100% sleep score; it’s found in the moment you stop trying to measure it.