Considerations for the Use of Commercial Wearables to Assess Sleep and Rest-Activity Rhythms

Use of wearables, which can be considered as devices worn on the body that capture dimensions of health, are common in research. Wearables are useful as they can be employed in a number of environments for a variety of populations and can record over short or long time periods. Recent advancements in technology have significantly improved the accuracy of sensors and the algorithms used to interpret their data. Commercial wearables, such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and smart rings have seen parallel advancements. Perhaps the most common application of wearables in research is for the assessment of sleep and rest-activity rhythms as most wearables include accelerometers, a sensor commonly used to infer sleep and activity from movement patterns. Commercial wearables are appealing for use in research due to their widespread use in the general population, real-time data syncing capabilities, affordability, and their user-friendly, consumer-oriented design and interfaces. There are, however, several important factors to consider when selecting a commercial wearable for use in research. These include device specifications (durability, price, unique features, etc.), data accessibility, and participant factors. Keeping these considerations in mind can assist in the collection of high-quality data that can ultimately be used to improve population outcomes. The purpose of this methodological review is to describe considerations for the use of commercially available wearables in research for the purposes of assessing sleep and rest-activity patterns.