Nearly one in three adults in the UK experiences symptoms of insomnia. On average, adults in the UK get about 7.6 hours of sleep per night. In recent years, the popularity of gadgets designed to track and improve sleep has surged. However, this growing focus on achieving perfect sleep has given rise to a new issue: orthosomnia.

Smartwatches, fitness trackers, and more advanced gadgets like connected sleep masks or mattress sensors track sleep patterns and stages, such as REM and deep sleep. According to The Guardian in October 2024, the sleep monitor industry was valued at 270 million pounds annually, reflecting the growing fascination with these detailed sleep metrics.

What is orthosomnia? Why do we think we need 8 hours of sleep? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here :

Why do our bodies need to sleep?

Should you sleep with socks on?

How do I know if I sleepwalk?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices