Research from Monash University reveals that smartphone applications are not the best tool to assess sleep problems in children, as reported by Medical Xpress.
Dr Sarah Biggs, in conjunction with the Melbourne Children’s Sleep Centre, undertook a study of 80 children who attended the centre over a period of six months.
“We asked the children to wear a Jawbone UP and an actiwatch, a device commonly used by sleep experts to assess sleep and wake patterns over time, during a diagnostic sleep study at the Centre.”
At the same time, a smartphone, with a sleep application activated (MotionX 24/7), was also placed underneath the bottom bedsheet, near the child’s shoulder, for the entire night.
“The results of our study showed that the smartphone application did not accurately assess sleep, substantially overestimating the amount of time the child was asleep and underestimating the number of awakenings during the night,” said Dr Biggs.
