"Do You Have Orthosomnia?" - Anna Medaris Miller
In a 2017 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, researchers introduced the term “orthosomnia” to describe a phenomenon when people were overly focused on getting what their sleep trackers indicated as the right amount of sleep. Sleep is essential for health and well-being. It is linked to weight loss and maintenance, better mood, a strong immune system, productivity and more. Yet the National Sleep Foundation reports that only 10 percent of American adults prioritize sleep over other aspects of their lives like work, fitness and hobbies. However, trends suggest people are focusing more on their sleep. Books focusing on sleep and meditation apps are ubiquitous. Sleep-promoting candles, teas, and soaps have also become popular wellness purchases. “The tools are promising in that they raise awareness about the importance of sleep and engage patients in their health outside of the doctor’s office,” says Dr. Neomi Shah, MD, associate professor of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “They’re accessible, relatively inexpensive and they provide some real-time data for patients and provider”
— Neomi A. Shah, MD, Associate Professor, Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai