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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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NMC Royal Hospital, Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Successfully Treats Lifelong Complications from Childhood Surgery

Advanced Reconstructive Surgery Helps Patient Regain Normal Urinary Function After Years of Complications

Abu Dhabi, UAE – A specialist urology team at NMC Royal Hospital, Mohammed Bin Zayed City, led by Dr. Rami Labib, Urologist, has successfully helped a 30-year-old patient regain normal urinary function after years of complications linked to a surgery he underwent as a child.

For many years, the patient experienced difficulty urinating and persistent urine leakage through small openings along the penis. The condition significantly affected his daily life, causing discomfort, embarrassment and a loss of confidence.

The complications were related to hypospadias, a condition present at birth in which the opening of the urethra is not located at the tip of the penis. While hypospadias is commonly corrected during childhood and most patients achieve excellent long-term results, a small number may develop complications later in life that require further treatment.

After a detailed assessment, Dr. Labib identified narrowing of the urethra, known as a urethral stricture, along with abnormal passages that were causing urinary leakage. Imaging tests confirmed the diagnosis and helped the team plan the most appropriate treatment.

To restore normal function, Dr. Labib performed a highly specialised reconstructive procedure known as a buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty. The surgery used a small piece of tissue taken from the inside of the patient’s cheek to rebuild the damaged section of the urethra and close the abnormal openings responsible for the leakage.

Commenting on the case, Dr. Rami Labib said:

“Patients who experience complications years after hypospadias repair often face significant physical and emotional challenges. Every case is different and requires careful planning to achieve the best outcome. Modern reconstructive techniques allow us to restore normal urinary function and help patients return to their daily lives with greater comfort and confidence.”

The operation was completed successfully, and the patient made a good recovery. During follow-up visits, he reported being able to urinate normally without any leakage and described a substantial improvement in his overall quality of life.

Expressing his gratitude, the patient said:

“After years of struggling with urinary problems following multiple surgeries, I can finally urinate normally again without any leakage. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Rami and the entire medical team for restoring my confidence and giving me my life back.”

Dr. Labib noted that advances in reconstructive urology continue to improve outcomes for patients with even the most complex conditions. With expert assessment, personalised treatment plans, and modern surgical techniques, many patients can achieve long-lasting relief and return to everyday activities with confidence.

About NMC Royal Hospital

NMC Royal Hospital is one of Abu Dhabi’s leading tertiary healthcare institutions, providing comprehensive medical and surgical services through highly specialised clinical teams and advanced technology. The hospital offers expertise across a wide range of specialties, including reconstructive urology, with a commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centred care.

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Fakeeh University Hospital Brings New Hope to Patients with Complex Brain Conditions Through Advanced MRI-Guided Laser Neurosurgery

Russian teenager with high-risk brainstem tumour successfully undergoes minimally invasive laser treatment in Dubai

Dubai, UAE – June 2026 – Fakeeh University Hospital has successfully performed an advanced MRI-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) procedure on a 15-year-old patient from Russia suffering from a brainstem glioma, one of the most challenging and high-risk brain tumours encountered in neurosurgery.

The young patient travelled to Dubai after conventional oncology treatments failed to halt the progression of the disease. The tumour, located deep within the brainstem, had caused progressive neurological deterioration, including worsening motor deficits and paralysis, significantly affecting his quality of life and presenting a complex therapeutic challenge.

Following extensive multidisciplinary discussions involving neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiology, and rehabilitation specialists, the medical team at Fakeeh University Hospital carefully evaluated all available treatment options. Given the tumour’s location within one of the most delicate regions of the brain, traditional open surgery was associated with exceptionally high risks.

The brainstem controls many of the body’s most vital functions, including movement, breathing, heart rate, and consciousness. Surgical intervention in this area has historically carried substantial risks, including permanent paralysis, respiratory failure, and even cardiac arrest.

To minimize these risks while offering a potential treatment option, the team elected to perform MRI-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), a highly advanced minimally invasive neurosurgical technique increasingly used worldwide for carefully selected patients with deep-seated brain lesions.

The procedure was led by Dr. Tommaso Tufo, Consultant Neurosurgeon – Brain and Spine Surgery at Fakeeh University Hospital, using a stereotactic robotic-assisted approach. Through a small skin incision measuring only a few millimetres, a laser fibre was precisely implanted into the target area using advanced robotic guidance and neuronavigation technology.

The implantation phase lasted just over one hour, after which the patient was transferred to the MRI suite. Under continuous real-time MRI monitoring, laser thermal therapy was delivered over the course of approximately one to two hours, allowing surgeons to visualize the thermal effect in real time and precisely control the treatment zone throughout the procedure.

One of the most significant advantages of MRI-guided laser therapy is its ability to reach deep and difficult-to-access areas of the brain while minimizing disruption to surrounding healthy tissue. Real-time MRI thermal mapping provides exceptional precision, allowing surgeons to perform controlled volumetric reduction of tumours without the need for extensive surgical exposure.

Commenting on the case, Dr. Tommaso Tufo said:

“Brainstem tumours represent some of the most challenging conditions in neurosurgery because of their location within structures that control critical neurological and physiological functions. In this particular case, conventional treatment options had become limited, and traditional open surgery carried considerable risks. MRI-guided laser therapy allowed us to reach the lesion through a minimally invasive approach while maintaining a very high degree of precision and safety.”

He added:

“The successful treatment of this patient demonstrates the potential of modern laser neurosurgery to expand therapeutic options for carefully selected patients who may previously have had very limited alternatives. However, the true significance of this technology extends far beyond a single case.”

While the patient continues to undergo physiotherapy and additional oncological treatment as part of his ongoing care, he tolerated the procedure well and was able to resume mobility following treatment.

Dr. Tufo emphasized that MRI-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy should be viewed within the broader context of modern neurosurgery rather than as a solution limited to rare brainstem tumours.

“Laser neurosurgery represents an important advancement in the treatment of selected brain tumours, drug-resistant epilepsy, radiation necrosis, and other complex intracranial conditions,” he explained. “The technology allows us to treat lesions located deep within the brain through a very small incision while minimizing trauma to surrounding tissue. Both adult and pediatric patients may benefit from this approach when conventional surgery presents excessive risk.”

Historically, many patients with drug-resistant epilepsy required open cranial surgery to access and remove seizure-causing areas of the brain. Today, in selected cases, MRI-guided laser ablation offers a less invasive alternative that combines precision, safety, and shorter recovery times.

For appropriately selected patients, the minimally invasive nature of the procedure may significantly reduce hospitalization and recovery periods, with some individuals able to return home on the same day or within 24 hours. More complex cases, particularly those involving critical brain structures, may require extended monitoring to ensure optimal neurological recovery.

The introduction of advanced MRI-guided laser neurosurgery further strengthens Fakeeh University Hospital’s position as a regional center of excellence for complex neurological and neurosurgical care. By combining advanced imaging, robotic guidance, and minimally invasive techniques, the hospital continues to expand access to innovative treatment options for patients facing some of the most challenging brain conditions.

About Fakeeh University Hospital

Fakeeh University Hospital is a leading academic medical center located in Dubai Silicon Oasis and part of Fakeeh Health. The hospital combines advanced clinical care, medical education, research, innovation, and digital health technologies to deliver world-class healthcare services. Through continuous investment in cutting-edge medical technologies and multidisciplinary expertise, Fakeeh University Hospital remains committed to advancing patient care and improving outcomes across a wide range of complex medical conditions.

For more information, visit: Fakeeh Health – Advancing Healthcare with Excellence

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Paris Hilton Optimizes Home for ADHD

Ever since being diagnosed with ADHD in her twenties, Paris Hilton has chosen to see her neurodiversity as her “superpower.”

“I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without it,” Hilton, 44, tells PEOPLE. The DJ, model, Parívie founder, TV star, author, fashion designer, and founder of the next-gen media company, 11:11, is a champion for neurodiversity and inclusion. It’s why she opened her front doors — literally — for a three-part video series on how she optimized her home and office for herself and team members with ADHD.

In Inclusive by Design, Hilton teams up with experts Sarah Greenberg and Dr. Andrew Kahn from Understood.org, a leading nonprofit that supports people with learning differences, as well as Android and the nonprofit arm of her company, 11:11 Media Impact. The series explains how she made her closet, craft room, and home office workable for herself and members of her 11:11 team, many of whom have neurodiversity. 

Hilton shares with PEOPLE why she’s chosen to be so open about her ADHD journey — and what drives her to be an advocate.

What made you decide to share such an intimate part of your life for this series?  

“I just really wanted to share strategies and different things that I’ve learned from managing my ADHD, both in my personal and professional life, and I really hope by sharing my experiences it can help reduce the stigma of ADHD and make neurodiversity relatable,” Hilton tells PEOPLE.

“I’ve just seen how so many people who think differently feel so alone, so I really wanted to create space and just show how I’m embracing and harnessing my ADHD, and they can, too.”

What can parents of a neurodivergent child do at home to help?

“You come out in the world, there’s just so many distractions and things happening, and it’s a lot on someone,” Hilton says, sharing that a person with neurodivergence will appreciate “a space that makes them feel happy and just able to decompress and feel their best.”

She tells PEOPLE that her own motherhood journey — she shares son Phoenix Barron, 2, and daughter London Marilyn, 23 months, with husband Carter Reum, 44 — has influenced her advocacy.

“Motherhood has given me a whole new purpose and I want my kids to grow up feeling celebrated for who they are. I feel like the only way to do that is to fully embrace myself first so that I can be the best, most authentic mom for them.”

Was there anything that surprised you as being helpful to ADHD as you worked on these spaces? 

“With ADHD there’s something called object permanence, where, like, if you don’t see something, it basically doesn’t exist in your mind. So visual organization is so important.”

So she organized her craft room with clear drawers so she can see what’s inside. And in her closet, the cabinets and drawers that aren’t glass-paneled have labels explaining what’s inside. 

As Hilton explains, she needs to “have it labeled so I can see everything and then my brain will start to remember where each thing is.”

When you redesigned your office, you found a chair that helps people with ADHD. How does a small touch like that make a difference?

“It’s comfortable, it can move around in any position, so you could just be like sitting on it, you could be leaning on it … sometimes with ADHD it’s hard to like just sit still,” she explains. “You just like feel more relaxed, you can focus easier.”

What is the biggest misconception about ADHD?  

“People need to understand the positive parts about it,” she says, adding that many artists, actors, singers, creators, and scientists have been diagnosed with ADHD. “There’s so many brilliant people in the community that I think should be celebrated more, and people need to know because that’s such an inspiration to other kids. I want to continue getting that message out as well, so people can feel celebrated and not feel bad about something that they shouldn’t feel bad about.”

You’ve talked about masking your ADHD when you were younger. Can you explain why masking can be so hard?

“For me growing up, like no one was talking about ADHD,” Hilton says, explaining that when she was in school, “it was so difficult for me to remember things. I would constantly lose my homework get in trouble with the teachers.”

“I just felt like something was wrong with me and I’d just be sad, but then I would just mask or, like, kind of try to act like nothing’s wrong on the inside … I was just going through so many emotions, and after speaking to so many others with ADHD, I can totally understand it now. It’s exhausting having to do that and to feel that way.”

Now, she says, “I’m learning so much and I just wish that I knew all I know now, back when I was a kid growing up in school, but I’m doing this for the little girl in me … now I see it as a superpower, and I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without it. I’m such a creator. I’m constantly thinking of new ideas.”

As Hilton says, “I just want people to understand that you’re not broken. It’s just your brain is wired for something different and something very special, so I just want people to know that. It’s not a weakness. It can actually be a superpower if you can harness it in the right way.” 

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