We all want to be healthier. Sometimes, though, our desire to do the “right thing” can become a little obsessive.
Nearly every day, a client tells me about a new supplement, diet, wearable device, or wellness practice they’ve adopted. My first question is usually, “Who suggested that?” Often the answer is a friend, social media, or our ever-present advisor—Dr. Google.
Many of these strategies aren’t necessarily harmful. Some are even helpful. But they aren’t always the right fit for that person’s unique biology. My role isn’t simply to recommend more interventions. It’s to help people use their time, energy, and resources wisely while finding what truly supports their health.
A little obsession isn’t always a bad thing. We exercise our “self-care muscle” by eating well, moving our bodies, and making time to rest. But like anything else, self-care can become excessive.
When an intense focus on healthy eating becomes unhealthy, we call it orthorexia. Increasingly, I’m seeing a similar pattern with sleep. As wearable technology has become part of everyday life, some people have become so focused on optimizing their sleep data that they’re making sleep worse.
Researchers have given this phenomenon a name: orthosomnia.
Orthosomnia refers to an excessive preoccupation with achieving “perfect” sleep Baron et al., 2017), often driven by wearable devices, sleep apps, and increasingly elaborate sleep routines. The term combines ortho (correct) and somnia (sleep), meaning “correct sleep.” It isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it is becoming an increasingly common pattern in our culture of constant self-tracking and of constant sleep optimization.
Ironically, most people who develop orthosomnia begin with good intentions. They want more energy, better health, sharper thinking, or protection against chronic disease. Those are worthwhile goals. Sleep truly is one of the foundations of health. Poor sleep has been linked to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, depression, impaired cognition, and reduced quality of life.
The problem begins when the pursuit of better sleep becomes a source of stress.
The Quantified Sleep Trap
Many people recognize this experience.
You wake up feeling reasonably rested. Then you glance at your smartwatch.
Your sleep score is 62.
According to your watch, you didn’t get enough deep sleep. Your REM sleep was below average. Your total score isn’t what it should be.
Suddenly, you don’t feel quite as rested anymore.
Your expectation begins shaping your experience.
This is the paradox of orthosomnia.
People often begin making more adjustments. They buy a new mattress. They experiment with supplements. They avoid certain foods. They wear blue-light-blocking glasses. They monitor room temperature, humidity, exercise timing, heart rate variability, breathing exercises, magnesium, melatonin, mouth tape, nasal strips, and more. And they keep trying to fine-tune sleep rather than protect its rhythm. Now there’s nothing inherently wrong with all these methods. I use most of them and recommend them
The problem begins when sleep slowly becomes another project to manage.
But sleep isn’t something we can force.
Unlike exercise or nutrition, sleep depends on biological processes that operate largely outside conscious control. Circadian rhythms, sleep pressure, hormones, genetics, age, medications, stress, illness, and countless physiological factors all influence how we sleep. Regularity helps, but perfect control does not. We can absolutely improve our sleep, but obsessing about it doesn’t help.
The harder some people try to manufacture perfect sleep, the more elusive it becomes.
When Data Replaces Experience
One of the most concerning patterns I see is when my clients begin trusting their devices more than their own bodies.
A client may tell me,
“I actually felt pretty good this morning until I looked at my watch.”
That statement says a great deal.
Consumer sleep trackers are remarkable technologies. They can identify useful patterns over time, help us maintain a consistent bedtime, and increase awareness of behaviors that influence sleep.
But they are not sleep laboratories.
Clinical sleep studies measure brain-wave activity using electroencephalography (EEG). Wearable devices estimate sleep stages using movement, heart rate variability, pulse signals, skin temperature, and proprietary algorithms. They provide estimates, not precise measurements (de Zambotti et al., 2019).
They are often quite good at estimating whether we are asleep or awake, but less accurate at determining exactly how much deep or REM sleep we get.
A single disappointing sleep score is rarely a cause for concern.
Unfortunately, many people interpret normal night-to-night variation as evidence that something is wrong.
The New Science on Sleep Regularity
One of the most important developments in sleep research over the past few years is a shift in focus from how long we sleep to how consistently we sleep (Sletten et al., 2023)
For decades, we asked one primary question:
How many hours did you sleep?
Now researchers are asking another question:
Did you go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day?
A growing body of research suggests that sleep regularity is an independent pillar of good sleep health. Consistent bedtimes and wake times support better cardiovascular health, improved mood, healthier metabolism, better cognitive performance, and lower mortality risk than schedules that vary widely, even when both groups obtain the same total number of hours of sleep (Kalkanis et al., 2025).
People who maintain relatively consistent bedtimes and wake times tend to have better cardiovascular health, improved mood, healthier metabolism, better cognitive performance, and lower mortality risk than people whose schedules vary widely, even when both groups obtain the same total number of hours of sleep. This strengthens the case for consistency.
In other words, consistency matters more than chasing perfect numbers.
That doesn’t mean every night has to be perfect. Life happens. Travel, celebrations, illness, children, dogs and cats, and stressful weeks all disrupt our routines. The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s rhythm, not perfection.
It’s regularity.
When Optimization and “Longevity” Become the Stressor
Orthosomnia reflects something larger than sleep.
We now live in a culture where nearly everything can be measured and optimized.
Technology gives us extraordinary insight into our bodies. Used wisely, these tools can motivate healthier habits. But they can also create the illusion that every biological process should be controlled.
Historically, sleep was something our ancestors trusted their bodies to do on their own rhythm. Increasingly, people manage sleep around that rhythm.
That distinction matters.
Many of the most effective treatments for insomnia focus on reducing sleep anxiety rather than increasing sleep control. As we learn to trust our bodies again and return to a steadier rhythm, sleep often improves naturally.
Finding a Healthier Balance
I’m not suggesting you throw away your smartwatch.
In fact, I appreciate one of my features very much.
Each evening, it gently reminds me when it’s time to start winding down. If I’m absorbed in writing, reading, or a movie, I can easily lose track of time. That simple reminder has helped me maintain a much more consistent bedtime, and I know my sleep has improved as a result.
The data itself, however, is only part of the story.
Your body deserves a voice too.
Ask yourself:
- Do I feel reasonably rested?
- Am I functioning well?
- Do I have energy during the day?
- Is my sleep generally restorative?
Those questions may be just as important as any “quality” score and often more useful when you want to judge your regularity.
One practice I enjoy before bed is six to eight rounds of the 4-7-8 breathing technique. It helps quiet my nervous system and creates a gentle transition from the busyness of the day into sleep.
Simple habits often matter more than complicated ones.
So rather than chasing perfect sleep, focus on a few practices we know make a difference:
- Go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time each day.
- Get morning light for 20 minutes
- Develop a calming bedtime routine.
- Limit evening alcohol and excessive screen time.
- Use wearable devices as guides, not judges.
- Trust your body’s wisdom as much or more than your technology and let the data guide you without overriding your feelings.
Sleep is one of those remarkable biological processes that benefits from both intention and surrender. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is stop trying so hard and start trusting ourselves more.
References
Baron, K. G., Abbott, S., Jao, N., Manalo, N., & Mullen, R. (2017). Orthosomnia: Are some patients taking the quantified self too far? Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 13(2), 351–354. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.6472
de Zambotti, M., Cellini, N., Goldstone, A., Colrain, I. M., & Baker, F. C. (2019). Wearable sleep technology in clinical and research settings. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(7), 1538–1557. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001947
Kalkanis, A., Lenkens, D., Steiropoulos, P., & Testelmans, D. (2025). Sleep regularity as an important component of sleep hygiene: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 84, 102203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2025.102203
Sletten, T. L., Weaver, M. D., Foster, R. G., Gozal, D., Klerman, E. B., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., Roenneberg, T., Takahashi, J. S., Turek, F. W., Vitiello, M. V., Young, M. W., & Czeisler, C. A. (2023). The importance of sleep regularity: A consensus statement of the National Sleep Foundation Sleep Timing and variability Panel. Sleep Health, 9(6), 801–820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.07.016
Header image: Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash
She served as a Fulbright scholar on traditional medicine, a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School, and a National Institutes of Health-funded research scientist in mind/body medicine.
Are You Ready to Advance Your Career?
If you want to advance your career in integrative medicine, explore my courses and certifications.
