0188 Monitoring Sleep, Missing the Mark: Public Use and Perceptions of Sleep-Tracking Tools from National Sleep Foundation Research

Abstract Introduction Understanding perceptions of sleep technologies is important as usage grows. Attitudes may vary widely, especially between adults using sleep trackers for themselves versus parents using trackers for their children. Consumer beliefs and behaviors can affect usage rates among the general population and remain under explored in the literature—particularly for children. This is important because sleep measurement can be tied to decisions and practices in the household. This study sought to explore current rates of sleep tracker use for adults and children and associated attitudes. Methods National Sleep Foundation surveyed a random, nationally representative sample of 2,145 U.S. adults and 926 parents, oversampled for Black and Hispanic adults. The survey assessed current/past/future usage of electronic devices or apps to track adults’ and children’s sleep, privacy concerns about user data, and confidence in sleep tech and apps, broadly, to improve sleep. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Results Twenty percent of adults currently use sleep-tracking technology for themselves. Among current nonusers, 16% reported previous use of sleep trackers and 27% reported being likely to adopt such technology in the future. However, 54% of adults expressed concerns about data privacy when using sleep trackers and more than half (52%) lack confidence in technology and apps to improve sleep. In comparison, only 8% of parents currently use sleep-tracking devices for their children. Among current nonusers, 8% reported previously using sleep trackers for their children and only 11% reported being likely to consider future use. Fifty percent of parents expressed concerns about potential intrusions into their child’s privacy. The majority of parents (73%) are skeptical about the ability of sleep technology and apps to improve their child’s sleep. Conclusion Adults report modest but likely increasing use rates of sleep-tracking technologies for themselves, with lower trends for their children. Concerns about data privacy for sleep trackers and skepticism regarding the potential of technology and apps, generally, to improve sleep represent opportunities for increased awareness and education. Our findings underscore the need for greater transparency about data privacy and usage, evidence-based validation for technologies, and trusted independent third-party recognition for meeting important benchmarks. Support (if any)