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The rise of the sleep data nerds: ‘The harder you try, the harder it is to sleep’

he first thing Annie and her partner do when they wake up in the morning is ask each other how well they slept. “And I literally say, ‘I’m not sure yet, let me check,’” – and Annie, a chief people and safety officer, reaches for her smartwatch.

Annie started monitoring because she worried she wasn’t getting enough good-quality sleep. Now she’s a self-confessed sleep data “nerd”, mining her sleep data for insights into her general health and wellbeing, using it to inform lifestyle decisions and even occasionally to guide how much she aims to accomplish in a day.

Sleep monitoring is a boom industry, mirroring what devices and apps such as Fitbits and Strava have done for physical activity. Market reports vary on the value of this industry, but it is clearly lucrative and growing rapidly. A quick search reveals a wide range of devices – rings, headbands, watches and other wrist-worn devices, under-mattress devices and bedside devices – all suggesting their use will unlock such quality sleep as to make Rip Van Winkle jealous.

An estimated 40% of Australians are not getting enough good quality sleep, and one in 10 experience chronic insomnia. “We do know there are a lot of people who do worry about their sleep and whether they’re getting enough sleep, particularly if they’re not meeting some of the recommended sleep duration guidelines,” says Dr Hannah Scott, a senior research fellow in sleep psychology at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide, and co-inventor of a wearable device that tracks and treats chronic insomnia

Scott sees the rise in the use of sleep trackers as generally good news. “They’ve certainly improved awareness around the importance of sleep and around healthy sleep patterns so overall, I’d say they’ve probably had a positive effect.” But there’s a downside. “If you try harder to exercise, you’ll become fitter, but we have the opposite problem with sleep actually; that the harder you try, the harder it is to actually obtain sleep,” Scott says. “We can be creating some problems over people becoming too obsessive about trying to optimise it.” There’s even a term for it: orthosomnia, which describes an unhealthy preoccupation with sleep-tracking data.

The most accurate picture of sleep health is derived from what’s called polysomnography, which requires a person to spend the night in a sleep laboratory with their head and body covered with electrodes that monitor and measure brain wave activity, eye movement, breathing, heart rate, muscle movement and blood oxygen levels. That provides a wealth of information such as time spent in different stages of sleep, how many times someone wakes up and how long it takes them to fall asleep, says Prof Christopher Gordon, professor of sleep health at Macquarie University in Sydney.

“Wearables – and that’s lumping a lot of different devices in one word – but generally they’re not that accurate at being able to tell how long you took to fall asleep and how long you’re awake and asleep overnight, and that’s because it’s not measuring brainwave activity,” he says. That brainwave activity is used to determine time spent in different stages of sleep: stage one, two and three of non-REM sleep and REM sleep

What wearables can detect and measure – in varying combinations and with varying degrees of accuracy – is heart rate, temperature, movement and blood oxygen levels, which are then fed into algorithms that determine whether the picture painted by that data is of someone sleeping soundly or restlessly awake. “It could be a device that’s specifically measuring movement only, and it’s looking at algorithms that say if your arms are moving a lot you’re awake, if it’s not moving a lot it’s sleep,” Gordon says. But “that has very little agreement with what happens in your brain in terms of the qualitative aspect of sleep”.

The other challenge is that there isn’t a clear understanding of exactly what good sleep looks like, says Associate Prof Jen Walsh, director of the Centre for Sleep Science at the University of Western Australia in Perth. “It’s an area that’s debated within our profession,” she says. There’s sleep quantity – simply the amount of time spent asleep – and sleep quality, which is more complex and takes into account time spent in different stages of sleep, whether sleep is broken, how often and for how long. “Sleep quantity is quite easy to define and calculate, whereas sleep quality is somewhat harder,” she says. Current guidelines suggest adults should aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep a night but there isn’t such clear advice on what type of sleep – how much of each stage – is optimum.

Sleep quality is also highly subjective and sometimes doesn’t match what even the most accurate lab-based monitoring says, according to Dr Maya Schenker, a postdoctoral researcher on trauma and sleep at the University of Melbourne. “If we feel like we slept very badly, it doesn’t matter what the watch is telling me,” she says. Even in people with chronic insomnia, sleep often looks a lot better on the polysomnography than what they subjectively report.

Rachel says her sleep-monitoring ring has helped her to understand some of the factors that help her get a better night’s sleep. “If I do pilates in the evening, I seem to mostly sleep better,” the Canberra-based public servant says. And Annie has noticed that if she has a glass of wine at any time in the evening, her heart rate during sleep is about 10% higher.

This is where most experts see the usefulness of sleep trackers in a consumer setting: helping people understand how their lifestyle habits and behaviour affect their sleep, and making changes to improve it.

“A lot of people are interested in changing their sleep habits, but it’s hard to find a place to start,” says Dr Vanessa Hill, a sleep scientist at the Appleton Institute at CQ University in Adelaide, who also consults for Samsung Health. Data alone isn’t generally enough to change behaviour, but “if your watch can send you a notification where it’s like, ‘hey, yesterday, you went on a walk at this time and it improved your sleep’, or ‘yesterday you stopped drinking caffeine around this time’ or whatever, and that helps you fall asleep faster”, that can motivate people to change, she says, “I think that’s the best potential that these kinds of trackers can have.”

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Hill uses a smartwatch and a ring to monitor her sleep, and says she does check her sleep scores – particularly her heart rate during sleep, which she says may predict oncoming illness – as soon as she wakes up. “I look at what they’ve been overnight, because if I am getting sick or getting a cold or something like that, my heart rate variability will actually tell me before I feel any symptoms myself,” she says. “If, for whatever reason, I have really bad heart rate variability one night, I’m just like, I need to take it easy today, something’s up with my body.”

Many experts stress that consumer sleep trackers are not diagnostic tools and have some important limits. “If you train an algorithm on a set population that is healthy, you’re not going to necessarily pick up the same signal out of a population with, say, peripheral vascular disease with reduced blood flow into the fingers,” says Dr Donald Lee, a respiratory at sleep physician at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. Sleep habits also change over the lifespan, which may not be reflected by the algorithms used.

However sleep trackers do provide an opportunity to encourage healthier sleep habits, Lee says. “If we can engage people to … go to bed with a purpose, to turn out the light and go to sleep and improve their sleep habits by engaging in the conversation, it’s a good thing for the health trackers to be doing.”

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Health

Cervical Cancer: Why Vaccination and Screening Can Save Lives

Cervical cancer is a malignant disease that develops in the cervix, the lower portion of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It occurs when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix begin to grow uncontrollably. Unlike many other cancers, cervical cancer develops slowly, often over many years, progressing from precancerous cellular changes to invasive disease. This long development period makes cervical cancer one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when appropriate screening and preventive measures are in place.

Globally, cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern. It is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide,after breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. Each year, hundreds of thousands of new cases are diagnosed, and the disease causes a substantial number of cancer-related deaths. The global burden is disproportionately higher in low- and middle-income countries, where limited access to healthcare services, screening programs, and vaccination contributes to late diagnosis and poor outcomes. 

The primary cause of cervical cancer is persistent infection with high-risk types of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a very common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is a DNA virus which is spread by skin to skin contact. There are over 100 subtypes, most of which do not cause significant disease in humans. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are linked to HPV, with the majority of diagnoses being linked to HPV types 16 and 18 – to name a few .  While most HPV infections resolve on their own without causing harm, long term infection with high risk strains can lead to abnormal cellular changes in the cervix that may progress to cancer if left untreated.

Several factors increase the risk of developing cervical cancer. These include smoking, which weakens the immune system’s ability to clear HPV infections; a weakened immune system due to conditions such as HIV; long-term use of oral contraceptives; early onset of sexual activity; multiple pregnancies; and limited access to regular screening. Socioeconomic factors and lack of awareness also play a role in delayed diagnosis.

In its early stages, cervical cancer often causes no noticeable symptoms, which is why regular screening is crucial. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding (such as bleeding between periods, after sexual intercourse, or after menopause), unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, or pain during intercourse. These symptoms are not exclusive to cervical cancer but should always prompt medical evaluation.

Cervical cancer is highly preventable through a combination of HPV vaccination and regular screening. The HPV vaccine is most effective when administered before exposure to the virus, typically between the ages of 9 and 14. Usually only 2 doses of the vaccine are required at this age, but if over the age of 15, 3 doses are needed. It provides strong protection against the HPV types most likely to cause cervical cancer. Many countries have incorporated the vaccine into their national immunisation programs as a key cancer prevention strategy. 

Screening methods such as the Pap smear and HPV testing can detect precancerous changes long before cancer develops. Regular screening allows healthcare providers to treat abnormal cells early, preventing progression to invasive cancer. When cervical cancer is detected at an early stage, treatment success rates are very high. Regular cervical screening decreases the risk of death from cervical cancer by 75%.

Compared to global figures, the incidence of cervical cancer in the United Arab Emirates is relatively low, reflecting the country’s strong healthcare infrastructure and growing emphasis on preventive medicine. However, cervical cancer remains a notable health issue. It is among the top five most common cancers affecting women in the UAE.

Despite the availability of advanced healthcare services, studies and health reports indicate that screening uptake among women in the UAE remains suboptimal. Cultural factors, lack of awareness, fear, and misconceptions about screening procedures can discourage women from undergoing routine Pap smears. As a result, some cases are diagnosed at later stages, when treatment becomes more complex.

The UAE has taken significant steps to reduce the burden of cervical cancer. HPV vaccination was introduced into the national immunisation program in 2018, initially targeting adolescent girls and later expanding to include boys. This reflects a long-term commitment to reducing HPV transmission and protecting future generations.

In addition, national and emirate level health authorities regularly conduct awareness campaigns, particularly during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, to educate women about risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of screening. Public and private healthcare facilities across the country offer Pap smear and HPV testing services, often at subsidised rates or as part of routine health check-ups.

Conclusion

Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease with well established methods for early detection and effective treatment. While the global burden remains high, especially in developing regions, countries like the UAE have made notable progress through vaccination, screening programs, and public health initiatives. Continued efforts to increase awareness, improve screening participation, and promote HPV vaccination are essential to further reduce incidence and mortality. With sustained commitment, cervical cancer has the potential to become a rare disease in the UAE, safeguarding the health and well being of women across the nation.

By Dr Dalia Aziz, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecologist at NMC Royal Hospital, DIP & NMC Royal Medical Centre, The Palm

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Health

Countries With the Most Years in Poor Health

Many people are living longer—but not necessarily healthier—lives.

This visualization ranks countries by the number of years their citizens can expect to live in poor health, calculated as the gap between average life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy.

Skip to the second-last section for a full explanation of what health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) is, and why it matters.

HALE data (for the year 2021) is sourced from the World Bank, via Our World in Data. Average life expectancy is from 2025 estimates UN World Population Prospects.

Together they reveal how disease, disability, and chronic conditions shape the quality—not just the quantity—of our lives.

The Difference Between Living Longer and Living Healthier

Oil wealth appears genuinely toxic to health outcomes.

Nearly every Middle Eastern petrostate (Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait) appears in this worst-performers list.

Bahrain (17.4 years), Oman (17.3), Qatar (16.5), and the UAE (15.9) all post sizable gaps despite having robust health-care budgets.

The lifestyle changes that come with sudden wealth, like sedentary living, processed foods, air conditioning replacing physical activity, seem to create a specific pattern of prolonged morbidity.

The U.S. makes the top 10 as well, the only G7 economy to do. Americans are projected to spend 15.7 of 79.6 expected years in poor health.

Also worth noting is the average life expectancy at birth for all of these aforementioned countries is fairly high. Which means these countries are good at keeping people alive with advanced medical technology.

But they may be failing at keeping them healthy, as if they’ve optimized for extending life rather than living well.

Life Expectancies in Low-Income Countries

s everal sub-Saharan African nations, including Eswatini, Botswana, and Namibia, also record gaps above 14 years.

Unlike the richer Gulf countries, they face this burden alongside much shorter life expectancies, meaning fewer total healthy years.

Latin American countries such as Peru and Brazil post similar gaps, reflecting both higher infant mortalities and higher disease burdens.

These patterns highlight a central challenge for global health: boosting not only how long people live, but how long they live well.

What is HALE (Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy)?

HALE measures how many years a person can expect to live in good health, defined as free from disabling illness or injury.

HALE matters because it fundamentally reframes what we mean by a “successful” life and healthcare system.

Traditional life expectancy tells us how long people live, but HALE tells us how long they live well.

Those “unhealthy years” are extraordinarily expensive. The U.S. healthcare system’s poor HALE performance means they’re essentially running a massive, costly life-support operation for millions of people.

Countries with better HALE ratios spend less on healthcare while achieving better outcomes because they’re preventing problems rather than managing chronic decline.

Source: Ranked

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Health

With Exceptional Leadership, Saudi German Health Opens 2026 by Shaping the Future of Healthcare in the UAE

Influential healthcare leadership unites to launch a new year of transformation, collaboration, and human-centred care

Dubai – 16 January 2026

Saudi German Health opened 2026 with a strong statement of leadership by hosting the Multidimensional Community Health Conference in Dubai, reaffirming its role in shaping the future of healthcare across the United Arab Emirates. Held at the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, the high-level gathering brought together senior decision-makers from regulatory bodies, healthcare operations, and the insurance sector to align on a shared vision for the year ahead.

More than a conventional conference, the event functioned as a strategic forum where leaders moved beyond institutional silos to explore how healthcare delivery can become more integrated, accessible, and personal for patients and families across the UAE.

A Philosophy in Action: Caring Like Family

Rooted in Saudi German Health’s long-standing philosophy, Caring Like Family, discussions throughout the day placed human experience at the centre of healthcare transformation, emphasizing trust, empathy, and continuity of care.

Opening the event, Dr. Ahmed Eissa, Group CEO of Saudi German Health in the UAE, underscored that innovation in healthcare must translate into meaningful outcomes for people.

“At Saudi German Health, we believe that clinical excellence is inseparable from human compassion. This gathering is not just about sharing data or expertise; it is about aligning our efforts to build a healthcare system that is stronger, more transparent, and easier to navigate for every family in the UAE. When we work as one ecosystem, we ensure that the future of medicine remains human at its core.”

Connecting Data, Insurance, and Patient Care

As the UAE advances toward value-based healthcare, the conference examined the evolution of digital health infrastructure, operational efficiency, and modern insurance models that support patient-centred outcomes.

Providing a clinical and operational perspective, Dr. Ahmed Barakat, Hospital Director of Saudi German Hospital Dubai, highlighted how integrated systems directly enhance the patient journey.

“Integrated care is about making complexity invisible to the patient,” said Dr. Barakat. “When data flows seamlessly and teams collaborate across disciplines, efficiency improves—but more importantly, patients experience smoother, safer, and more reassuring care at every stage of their journey.”

Discussions also addressed insurance modernization, emphasizing how data-driven decision-making is strengthening transparency and collaboration between providers and payers.

Setting the Healthcare Roadmap for 2026

With the UAE progressing toward a fully integrated, digitally enabled healthcare model, the conference served as a timely checkpoint for shaping priorities in 2026. Key themes included expanding national digital health platforms to give clinicians a comprehensive view of patient history, optimizing payment and operational systems to reduce fragmentation, and shifting focus toward prevention, wellness, and patient empowerment.

By convening leading healthcare voices at the start of the year, Saudi German Health set a clear direction for the months ahead—one defined by collaboration, innovation, and a deeply human approach to care.

For more information, please visit:

🔗 www.saudigermanhealth.com

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