Your sleep tracker might be giving you insomnia

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Democracy Dies in Darkness

Sleep trackers can be helpful, but relying too much on the data and not listening to body cues can make you anxious about what the night will bring.

Illustration of a sheep sticking tongue out and dressed in pajamas against a background of a night sky, clouds and a pillow

(Washington Post illustration; iStock)

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You wake up to your 7 a.m. alarm feeling relatively refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. But when you check your smartwatch, you’re surprised to see a low sleep score staring back at you.

You start trying to remember the night before. Did you toss and turn more than you thought? Why is your watch telling you that you’re exhausted when you feel fine? When your head hits the pillow that night, you lie wide awake worrying about getting a good night’s sleep until the wee hours of the morning.

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