Sleep is one of the pillars of health, but is one of the most neglected aspects, with 30% of people on average not getting seven to nine hours per day, the recommended range (Scott et al., 2024). This number is aggravated in university student populations, with sleep disturbances and suboptimal sleep length leading to impaired academic performance, reduced mental well-being and increased health risk (Hershner & Chervin, 2014). Wearable technology that track sleep have been shown to improve sleep quality, yet there is a dearth of research looking at this in this population, where wearable device use is high (Berryhill et al., 2020). Understanding the impact of these devices on behaviour and clinical outcomes is necessary to guide recommendations for both students and healthcare professionals.
This study aims to evaluate the effect of wearable technology on objective sleep metrics and subjective sleep quality in university students. We hypothesise that access to data-based feedback will improve sleep frequency, total sleep time, and enhance sleep hygiene compared with students who do not receive wearable feedback. We further hypothesise that a section of students may experience sleep-related anxiety in response to tracking, due to the readily available data.
The objectives are:
(1) to compare objective sleep metrics (sleep duration, regularity) between students using wearables and a control group;
(2) to assess changes in self-reported sleep hygiene and sleep quality;
(3) to explore behavioural responses to wearable feedback.
The study is expected to establish whether wearable technology improves, has no effect on, or worsens sleep behaviours in university students, filling a gap in the literature to guide clinical recommendations and student wellbeing interventions.