Is It Safe to Wear Smartwatch While Sleeping (Shocking Answer!)

Do you ever wear your smartwatch or fitness tracker to bed?

Me too! 🙋‍♂️

With all the health tracking features like steps counter and sleep monitoring, more and more people are wearing smartwatches 24/7. 

But is it safe to wear smartwatch while sleeping?

The short answer is yes, it is generally safe to wear a smartwatch while sleeping. Smartwatches are designed to be worn continuously, including overnight for sleep tracking. The materials used in most smartwatch bands and bodies are hypoallergenic and non-toxic, making them safe for prolonged skin contact.

In this post, I have shared the potential benefits and risks of wearing a smartwatch while sleeping so you can decide if sleeping with your watch is right for you.

Potential Benefits of Wearing Your Smartwatch at Night

Wearing your smartwatch while you sleep can provide some useful perks. 

Here are some of the key advantages:

• Sleep Tracking — Many smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Fitbit track your sleep stages, movement, and heart rate while you sleep. This gives you insights into how well you’re actually resting at night. The sleep data can help you adjust your evening routine for better shuteye.

• Silent Alarms — Smartwatches can wake you up gently with vibrations rather than a blaring alarm clock. This is handy if you share the bed with someone and don’t want to disrupt them in the morning. The result? You wake up refreshed while your partner keeps snoozing.

• Emergency Alerts — Some types of smartwatches have an SOS feature that lets you call for help in an emergency by holding down a button. If you ever fall out of bed and can’t get up, this could literally be a lifesaver. The Apple Watch even detects falls automatically.

• Fitness Tracking — Your smartwatch keeps counting your steps, calories burned, and other activities even as you sleep. So you get credit for any nighttime tossing and turning. This provides a complete 24/7 picture of your fitness.

• Reminders to Move — If you’ve been idle for too long, your watch can give you a gentle nudge to get up and walk around. This motivation is beneficial day and night.

• Accessibility — Smartwatch features like fall detection are especially useful for elderly, disabled, or accident-prone users who need to monitor their safety at all times.

Also Read — How Long Does It Take to Charge a Smartwatch (The Truth)

Potential Risks of Wearing Your Smartwatch at Night

Just as there are potential benefits of wearing your smartwatch at night, there are a few potential risks as well. Knowing these risks is important so that you can utilize your smartwatch properly.

Let’s check out these risks one by one:

• Discomfort — The watch face and strap pushing against your wrist all night long can cause skin irritation. Tight straps can also reduce circulation or get tangled in sheets. 

• Disturbance — Smartwatches ping you with alerts, notifications, and reminders that could disrupt your sleep cycles. Temporary mood killers if you’re drifting off only to be jolted awake by a buzz.

• Inaccurate Data — Heart rate tracking and sleep stage data aren’t always completely precise. You might make decisions based on faulty info.

• Radiation Concerns — Being close to tech devices night after night with your head mere inches away could have unknown long-term effects. The jury’s still out on how much EMF radiation is too much.

• Dependency — For some wearers, looking at their sleep stats becomes a habit verging on obsession. They develop an unhealthy dependency on the data.

• Safety Hazards — Faulty batteries could overheat and cause skin burns. In very rare cases, smartwatches have exploded or caught fire, especially when charging overnight.

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7 Smartwatch Tips for Safe and Comfortable Use

If you want to wear your smartwatch overnight, here are some tips to do it safely and comfortably:

1. Loosen The Strap — Make sure your watch band isn’t cinched on too tight before bed. This prevents restricted circulation or irritation.

2. Activate Do Not Disturb — Use the DND settings and theater mode on your watch to mute notifications while you sleep. Uninterrupted rest is best.

3. Charge Away From Bed — Plug in your watch in another room to avoid overheating or malfunction risks close to your body as you sleep.

4. Clean Regularly — Frequently wash the watch strap and your wrist to prevent skin irritation and bacteria buildup when worn 24/7.

5. Use a Soft, Breathable Band Material — Silicone, nylon, or fabric bands tend to be more gentle on the skin overnight versus metal or leather bands that can get sweaty.

6. Take “Tech Detox” Nights — Give yourself occasional smartwatch-free nights to reduce dependency and allow the wrist a break.

7. Turn Off Sleep Tracking — If you find yourself obsessing over sleep data, disable the tracking for more peace of mind.

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Concluding Note

Wearing a smartwatch overnight has some potential upsides like sleep-tracking insights and silent alarms. But the risks like skin irritation, inaccurate data, and privacy concerns should also be considered. 

Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal choice that involves weighing your specific needs and comfort levels.

In general, it is generally safe to wear a smartwatch while sleeping, as long as you take a few sensible precautions. 

Smartwatches are designed for continuous wear, and the materials are hypoallergenic and non-toxic. So you can certainly wear your smartwatch overnight to track your sleep patterns, steps, and other health data.