CAN A SMART RING IMPROVE SLEEP? INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF A 4-WEEK OURA RING TRIAL ON SLEEP DURATION AND QUALITY

This study evaluated the effects of a smart ring on sleep and cardiovascular health in middle-aged adults. Twenty-six individuals (57.7% female; age [Mean±SD]: 49.2±5.2 years) were given an Oura Ring and full access to its associated smartphone application for 4 weeks. Changes in objective sleep outcomes (duration, latency, efficiency), subjective sleep quality, arterial stiffness, and heart rate variability (HRV) were evaluated over the duration of the study. There were no significant changes in sleep duration (p=0.427), latency (p=0.739), efficiency (p=0.990), or quality (p=0.923) across the 4 weeks. Additionally, there were no significant changes in arterial stiffness (p=0.691) or HRV (p=0.438). These results suggest that in middle-aged adults, the standalone use of an Oura Ring for 4 weeks is not enough to elicit changes in sleep and subsequent changes in cardiovascular health. Future research should evaluate Oura Rings in conjunction with other intervention strategies to improve sleep and overall health.