{"id":853827,"date":"2026-03-13T12:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=853827"},"modified":"2026-03-13T12:48:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:48:16","slug":"its-difficult-to-improve-what-you-dont-measure-how-tracking-sleep-leads-to-better-sleep-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/853827\/its-difficult-to-improve-what-you-dont-measure-how-tracking-sleep-leads-to-better-sleep-health\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s difficult to improve what you don\u2019t measure: How tracking sleep leads to better sleep health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In a culture that celebrates and rewards intense productivity, sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, it is also the very thing our bodies rely on to function at their best. For many people, tiredness has become so familiar that it no longer feels like a warning sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Discovery\u2019s latest&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discovery.co.za\/assets\/template-resources\/vitality\/sleep-research-paper.pdf?utm_source=BroadMedia&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sleep research<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong>shows just how much sleep affects our long-term wellbeing. Poor or irregular sleep raises the risk of chronic conditions, anxiety and depression symptoms, and even car accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One in two Vitality members have at least one sleep metric out of range, and one in five have two or more, but most people don\u2019t know this unless they\u2019re tracking their sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news? Measuring your sleep is one of the simplest and most effective steps toward improving how you feel, perform, and function every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why measurement matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep isn\u2019t only about how many hours you\u2019re in bed. It\u2019s made up of four key parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Duration<\/strong>\u00a0(how long you sleep)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regularity<\/strong>\u00a0(how consistent your bedtime and wake up times are)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quality<\/strong>\u00a0(how much deep and REM sleep you get)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Timing<\/strong>\u00a0(when you sleep and how well it matches your body\u2019s internal clock)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these four key parts influence everything from your immune function to mood, memory, appetite, and long-term disease risk. Without tracking them, it\u2019s very difficult to know what\u2019s working and what needs attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGood sleep is one of the most powerful forms of preventative healthcare we have,\u201d says Dr Mosima Mabunda, Vitality\u2019s Chief Clinical Officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMeasurement helps people unlock that power. The moment you start tracking your sleep, you begin the journey toward understanding it, improving it, and ultimately protecting your long term health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE |&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discovery.co.za\/vitality\/three-stages-of-sleep?utm_source=BroadMedia&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Understanding the three main stages of sleep<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern wearables can show patterns you wouldn\u2019t notice on your own, such as interrupted sleep, irregular sleep routines, and\/or limited deep sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Discovery\u2019s data shows that improving sleep duration and regularity can lower your risk of early death by 24%. This begins with knowing how you sleep now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Measurement enables precision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology gives you guidance based on the way you sleep, and this is part of why Discovery is adding sleep into Vitality, Personal Health Pathways, and Vitality Drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When your sleep is measured, it becomes easier to make small changes that help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Discovery\u2019s analysis shows that insufficient sleep is associated with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a 65% higher risk of diabetes,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a 41% higher risk of obesity,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a 33% higher risk of coronary heart disease, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a 20% higher risk of depression symptoms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep also helps you stay safe on the road. Enough sleep lowers the chance of a car accident by 32%, and steady sleep times lower it by 36%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE |&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discovery.co.za\/vitality\/sleep-better-naturally?utm_source=BroadMedia&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>8 ways to sleep better naturally<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you pay attention to the way you sleep, you can make small and simple changes that help you feel better each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The rise of personalised sleep technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today\u2019s wearables, from smartwatches to smart rings, have transformed how we understand sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Devices like the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discovery.co.za\/vitality\/new-oura-ring-benefit?utm_source=BroadMedia&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Oura Ring 4<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;track how long you sleep, your sleep stages, your heart rate patterns, your body temperature, and how steady your sleep times are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Oura Ring 4 is part of a growing group of devices that give clear and useful sleep information. These insights support healthy habits, which is a key part of Vitality\u2019s sleep strategy and the upcoming Vitality Sleep Score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aura-Rings.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aura-Rings-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-853828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aura-Rings-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aura-Rings-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aura-Rings-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aura-Rings.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best ways to measure sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Clinical Sleep Study (Polysomnography, PSG)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Measures brain waves, breathing, muscle activity, oxygen levels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best for diagnosing sleep disorders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accurate but expensive and not suitable for daily tracking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Wearable devices (smart rings, watches, fitness bands)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide estimates of sleep duration, regularity, REM and deep sleep<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Suitable for long-term, real-world monitoring<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable habit formation through daily feedback<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Smartphone based sleep tracking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Uses your phone\u2019s built-in sensors to estimate sleep<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Useful as an entry-level option<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Less accurate than dedicated wearables<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As we mark World Sleep Day on March 13<sup>th<\/sup>, this is a good moment to look at the hours that shape your waking life. When you measure your sleep, you understand it better. When you understand it better, you can improve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Better measurement leads to better sleep. Better sleep supports a healthier, happier, longer life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a culture that celebrates and rewards intense productivity, sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":853829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[4883,24991],"class_list":["post-853827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-discovery","tag-world-sleep-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=853827"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":853874,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853827\/revisions\/853874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/853829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=853827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=853827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=853827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}