"Wearable Data Could Replace a Trip to the Sleep Lab"

By Deluxe Sleep · Published on 28 July 2026

"Wearable Data Could Replace a Trip to the Sleep Lab"

Note: This article originally appeared as an interview in the Galaxus magazine. Author Martin Jungfer is Head of Content there, responsible for all editorial contributions. We are showing the interview here because it is of interest to our customers on the topic of sleep – the views expressed in it are not our own, but those of the expert interviewed.

If you sleep poorly, you are not alone with the problem. Sleep researcher Dr. Albrecht Vorster says that up to 30 percent of all people suffer from sleep disorders. And he is convinced that wearables can play an important role in diagnosis.

There are few people who come across as so well-rested in an interview – and that despite the fact that they deal with sleep professionally and scientifically. Or is Dr. Albrecht Vorster perhaps so fit precisely because he knows how important good sleep is?

The interviewer talks with the head of the Swiss Sleep House Bern at the Inselspital university hospital in Bern. Vorster, born in Cologne in 1985, studied biology and philosophy and earned his doctorate at the University of Tübingen. He is a book author and a multiple science slam winner.

After an hour of conversation with him, many insights remain.

1. Good sleep can be a challenge for some people.

Vorster says that although he is frequently asked about sleep quality, the answer is often actually not very revealing. He himself sleeps fairly normally, but around a third of the population is affected by sleep disorders. The majority suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that, left untreated, can lead to serious consequences such as high blood pressure or depression.

2. Wearables are a possible solution.

Today, wearables – smart watches on the wrist, for example, but also the smartphone – collect numerous pieces of data about the person using them. These vital-sign measurements are good, but in his view there is an even better means of detecting possible sleep apnea: questionnaires, on paper or online. The questions there cover, for example, age, weight, and sex. That said, apps that analyze data from smartphones can indeed also provide useful information. To do so, the apps use the smartphone's sensors. They record snoring or pauses in breathing, while the watch on the wrist then contributes data on pulse and heart rate.

3. Technical innovation is no longer found only in the sleep lab.

Beyond the now very common smartwatches and the smartphone next to the bed, Vorster sees further diagnostic devices that can help collect valuable data. These include, for example, rings that measure blood oxygen levels on the finger. Or sensors built under or even into mattresses. T-shirts that record an ECG while being worn already exist too. All of this offers possibilities for monitoring a person's sleep similar to what, until a few years ago, was only possible in a sleep lab. The challenge these days is less about aggregating data and much more about interpreting it correctly. This definitely requires medical expertise.

4. Doctors could gain more time to listen.

Despite the technological advances, clinical sleep labs remain indispensable for treating severe sleep disorders. Vorster emphasizes, however, the relief that wearables can bring to diagnosis. Thanks to technical support, doctors have more time to listen. After all, a doctor is at their most valuable when they are thinking. But that requires time.

5. There are even wellness products for good sleep.

For Vorster, gadgets such as light alarm clocks and daylight lamps are a different category of technology on the subject of sleep. These are not medical devices, nor ones with a direct medical benefit. But they too can improve sleep. Lamps that mimic natural light conditions help with waking up and falling asleep. Anyone using daylight lamps to top up on vitamin D, especially in winter, should know that most devices are not suitable for this. In any case, it is important to sit close enough to the light source, and the light should come from diagonally above.

Wearables and questionnaires can therefore be a helpful first indication. For persistent sleep problems, we recommend having this checked by a doctor – and anyone who would like to improve their sleep environment is welcome at our showroom in Bischofszell for a consultation on mattresses and bed systems.

Source: This article is based on a piece from the BICO sleep blog (bico.ch), which originally appeared as an interview in the Galaxus magazine. Author Martin Jungfer is Head of Content there, responsible for all editorial contributions. The views expressed are those of Dr. Albrecht Vorster, head of the Swiss Sleep House Bern at the Inselspital university hospital Bern, and not those of Deluxe Sleep.