Do sleep-tracking apps work?

Obsessing over sleep metrics leads to worse sleep quality

Over one-third of Americans have used wearable technology to track their sleep, and the anxiety over having perfect sleep data, or orthosomnia, has made getting a good night's sleep more difficult. Experts agree that most devices cannot correctly assess sleep details, making the data unreliable.

Activity trackers promise to improve health by forcing us to examine the facts

Explore how modern fitness culture, rooted in capitalist ideals of productivity and control, shapes our perception of health and self-worth. The author blends cultural criticism with personal insight to examine the contradictions of the wellness industry, the rise of wearable tech, and what it means to "optimize" a body.

Do wearables help those with chronic disease?

The integration of wearable technology in healthcare has promised significant benefits for chronic disease management, yet the actual impact remains underexplored. This systematic review published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research...

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Sleep training: risks and benefits

Sleep training, which can range from implementing a nighttime routine to letting your baby cry it out, is controversial, but does it work? While dozens of studies have found sleep interventions to be effective, it appears that many of these studies...

Genetics play a role in the reliability of the body's biological clocks

Growing evidence suggests genetics influence when, how long, and how well one sleeps, meaning insomnia may have a genetic component. While exact insomnia biomarkers have yet to be determined, some genes, including those related to psychiatric disorders, have been implicated.

There is a best way to wake up—but not a best time

Sleep and circadian rhythm researchers say that waking up at a consistent time each day—even on weekends—and viewing morning sunlight are the best ways to keep body functions running at their peak. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Hotels around the world now offer packages focused especially on sleep

A Belmond Hotel in London, for example, has partnered with a meditation and holistic coach to create a service called the Sleep Concierge, which includes meditation recordings, a pillow menu, and the option of a weighted blanket, among other customized options. Medical experts believe that hotel experiences such as this one can be beneficial to those lacking sleep, provided certain provisions (such as an on-call medical professional) are also provided.

The evidence for the best sleep positions

For a behavior so crucial to human health, sleep positions are reportedly understudied by researchers. This article summarizes some of the more recent studies, taking into account the various forms of problems encountered during sleep: neck and back pain, snoring, acid reflux, and facial skin damage. Most studies point to side-sleeping as the most optimal, with sleeping on one's front as the least helpful. Read the piece to see which position is best for you.

Artificial lighting and modern practices like working late are linked with sleep shifts

An analysis of five adults participating in a German reality program that tasked them with living in a Stone-Age-like settlement for 2.5 months, provided some insights into how modern conditions may have shifted our circadian rhythms. The participants slept about 90 minutes more under these conditions, and went to bed earlier and rose earlier, raising questions about how circadian rhythms, sleep, and sleep quality are affected by modern lifestyles.

Privacy advocates warn menstrual cycle apps could put women at legal risk in certain states

Smartphone apps that women may use to track their menstrual cycle and identify times of peak ovulation are not covered by data privacy laws. Included data could potentially be used against women during prosecution in states with abortion restrictions.

Using fitness wearables to track muscle wasting in astronauts

All that exercising, and astronauts still are likely to lose a large amount of muscle mass while in microgravity. Astronauts can lose up to 20 percent of their muscle in as little as five days in space. Currently, tracking muscle loss means waiting until astronauts land to remeasure their muscle density post-trip. This article explains a NASA-backed fitness wearable that may be able to track muscle atrophy as it happens.

Some employers are using new technology to surveil remote workers

'Bossware' tools help employers make sure their remote workers aren't slacking off on the job, using surveillance technology to monitor employee computer activity and more.

Why do dreamers twitch?

This thought-provoking piece highlights newer research suggesting sleep twitches may not be random dream leftovers, but instead a crucial way our brains map and understand our bodies. From sleeping rat pups to dreaming octopi, this biological mapping system appears universal across animal species.

Harvard and MIT researchers are developing life-saving tattoos

Tattoos aren’t just a fashion statement. Scientists are trying to find life-saving applications for them. Harvard and MIT researchers are developing tattoo inks that react to body chemicals, alerting diabetics to blood sugar fluctuations or athletes to dehydration. Someday, patients may observe their body chemistry with tattoos that change colors.

HRT for menopause may not help with mental health or sleep says a large 2026 analysis

A recent analysis investigating the effects of menopause and HRT use on mental health, cognition, and brain health suggested HRT did little or nothing to aid with mental health and sleep. But the researchers caution that, among other data gaps, they didn't have information on which HRT formulations were used among their nearly 125,000 participants, so results may have varied by drug treatment.

How to read the news on TikTok

There's plenty of news on TikTok, but that doesn't mean it's all reliable. This guide, written by a communication technology professor, breaks down the ways the app's algorithm delivers news. It also covers how users can determine whether or not a story is factual or misleading. Most strikingly, the professor warns readers that if they didn't search for a TikTok video, then "it probably found you."

Alternatives to polygraphs, which correctly identify innocent people only 57% of the time

Lie detector polygraphs have been standard in law enforcement for a century despite being based in unproven science. Researchers are exploring brain-scanning and eye-tracking alternatives, though some suggest there's no reliable lie-detection process at all.

Predictive brain implants raise ethical concerns about patient autonomy after surgery

These devices can accurately forecast neurological events like seizures and suggest or even automatically deliver responses. Their constant monitoring and prescriptive functions may blur the line between patient choice and device influence.

Learn about a new schizophrenia healthcare model that's making a difference

Schizophrenia used to be considered a progressive disease that was beyond a patient's ability to manage. This article gives an in-depth look at OnTrackNY, a New York-based program that empowers patients to define the goals of their own treatment for psychotic disorders. At the time of this 2022 article, it consisted of 25 affiliate clinics and hospitals in 14 New York counties, with another seven sites then slated to begin offering services in 2023.

Many dating app users are beginning to suffer from 'dating app burnout'

For younger generations, dating apps have become a primary avenue for creating romantic connections—leaving some users fatigued and contributing to increased feelings of loneliness.

Notch music therapy may filter out some tinnitus frequencies

Researchers in Germany have developed a smartphone app-based therapy for individuals with tinnitus associated with hearing loss. Some people with tinnitus can use this Notch app with their hearing aids to at least partially block sound frequencies matching their tinnitus pitch—turning down the volume of their tinnitus.

Watch how a mixed reality app transforms a space into a haunted house

"Hauntify" incorporates a user's physical surroundings into the gameplay. Available via the Meta Quest app store, the software utilizes the mixed reality device's cameras and sensors to map a user's environment, from which evil spirits that must be repelled appear to emerge suddenly.

Scientists seeking gut insights are attaching flatulence sensors to volunteers' underwear

This fart-tracking device detects gas generated in the gut, providing insights about gut microbial activity. The underwear sensors measure a component of what is technically called flatus—digestive system gas.

Why atoms are used to keep track of time and define the meaning of a second

Small variations in the production of human-made devices, such as mechanical watches and pendulums, make them unreliable for the ultraprecise timekeeping required by modern technology, including financial transaction timestamping and GPS. Because atoms obey fundamental laws of nature and never wear out, their light emissions when energized provide a consistent timekeeping signal.

Tiny solar-powered tags can now track monarch butterflies across North America

Monarch tracking began in 1935, utilizing low-tech methods to gain a better understanding of migration patterns as monarchs travel to central Mexico during the winter. Each tag weighs 60 milligrams and can be tracked via an app to provide insights into butterfly life cycles.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

Watch how algorithms can be designed to train themselves and self-improve without human input, to the point where the optimized code is too complex for programmers to understand.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

Explore an interactive map built from more than 100,000 survey responses on where people find joy in their lives

Some researchers have labeled nomophobia, the fear of being without your phone, as 'the phobia of the 21st century.'

Astronauts have repaired genetic damage in space using CRISPR—a molecular tool that can make precise changes to DNA and is used in single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses.

Recent research found that the brain doesn't seem to massively rewire following amputation—upending earlier beliefs about the cause of phantom limb pain.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Track the location of the Voyager probes, currently between 13 and 15 billion miles away from Earth.

'Saturday Night Fever,' the 1977 film that introduced disco to the mainstream, was based on a fabricated magazine story.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.