Sleep Health. 2026 Aug 21:S2352-7218(26)00156-7. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2026.07.004. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Public use and perceptions of sleep-focused technologies continue to be largely unknown in the United States and other countries. This study sought to provide population-based estimates of sleep tracker use and privacy concerns, as well as confidence in sleep-focused technologies, broadly, to improve sleep.
METHODS: A random, probability-based sample of 1009 U.S. adults and 1000 South Korean adults were collected through national surveys. Surveys collected demographic characteristics, sleep health characteristics, use and privacy concerns around sleep tracking technologies, and perceptions of sleep-focused technologies broadly. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated to test demographic differences within countries.
RESULTS: Majorities in both the U.S. (86.1%) and South Korea (91.2%) did not use sleep tracking technologies, with some demographic differences in use. A majority of Americans expressed concerns about misuse of collected data from sleep tracking devices (61.7%), while also having skepticism regarding the potential benefits of technology to support sleep health (65%). A majority of South Koreans had little to no concern about sleep tracking device data misuse (59.2%) and perceived potential benefits from sleep-focused technologies (59.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: More efforts to build public trust in sleep-focused technology are needed across populations. As sleep tracking and related technologies grow more prominent, U.S. and South Korean adults may benefit from greater education on the strengths and limitations of various forms of sleep technology to support empirically guided perspectives and behaviors towards good sleep health.
PMID:42629241 | DOI:10.1016/j.sleh.2026.07.004
