Wearable tech & sleep: Can your smart device help during pregnancy?

Pregnancy often turns a good night’s sleep into an elusive dream. Between physical discomfort, hormonal shifts, and anticipatory thoughts about motherhood, many expectant mothers find themselves tossing and turning. But could the fitness tracker on your wrist be part of the solution?

The rise of pregnancy tracking through wearables

Wearable technology has evolved beyond simple step counting. Today’s smartwatches and fitness trackers can monitor complex physiological patterns that correlate with hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, including heart rate, movement patterns, sleep habits, and temperature changes.

The potential is remarkable – Apple’s Wearable Behavior Model has achieved an impressive 92% accuracy in detecting pregnancy using behavioral data from iPhones and Apple Watches. This model was trained on over 2.5 billion hours of wearable data from more than 162,000 participants, including data from 430 pregnancies, according to research from BigR.io.

This advancement is particularly significant considering that over 2 million women of childbearing age live in maternal care deserts with limited obstetric access, as reported by Scripps Research. For these women, wearable technology might offer vital health insights when traditional care is harder to access.

Sleep tracking during pregnancy: What metrics matter

When it comes to sleep during pregnancy, wearable devices capture several important metrics that can provide valuable insights into your changing sleep patterns.

Sleep duration and interruptions are perhaps the most straightforward measurements, tracking total sleep time and how often you wake during the night. Many pregnant women experience increased nighttime awakenings, and tracking this pattern can help identify triggers or trends.

Sleep phase monitoring is equally valuable, as devices track light, deep, and REM sleep cycles. During pregnancy, the distribution of these phases often shifts, with many women experiencing less deep sleep as pregnancy progresses.

Heart rate variations throughout the night can indicate stress or discomfort that might be disrupting sleep quality, while movement pattern tracking records restlessness and position changes that become more frequent as pregnancy advances. Some advanced devices even track respiratory rates, potentially revealing sleep-disordered breathing that can develop during pregnancy.

These metrics are especially valuable during pregnancy when sleep patterns undergo significant changes. Research published in the National Library of Medicine shows that sleep metrics display significant differences from pre-pregnancy baselines during pregnancy and can continue to show changes up to 18 months postpartum.

How accurate are wearables for sleep tracking?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine now recognizes wearables as a valid method to measure sleep patterns in healthy adults. Studies show that devices like Fitbit demonstrate higher sensitivity and specificity in identifying sleep epochs compared to regular wrist actigraphy when measured against polysomnography (the gold standard in sleep measurement).

However, accuracy varies between devices and individual circumstances. During pregnancy, several factors might affect the accuracy of your wearable’s measurements. Changes in circulation and blood volume can impact heart rate readings, while pregnancy-related skin sensitivity changes might alter the contact quality between the sensor and your skin.

Physical positioning challenges become more pronounced as pregnancy progresses, potentially affecting how the device sits on your body. Swelling, a common pregnancy symptom, might also affect how the device fits, potentially compromising data quality if adjustments aren’t made.

Safety considerations for pregnant women

Many expectant mothers wonder about the safety of wearing electronic devices continuously. While research hasn’t indicated significant risks from properly certified devices, several precautions are worth considering.

Regarding EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure, keeping devices updated ensures they operate at optimal efficiency, which typically means using less power and generating lower electromagnetic emissions. It’s also wise to remove devices periodically to allow skin to breathe, especially if you’re experiencing increased sensitivity common during pregnancy.

Proper fit becomes increasingly important as your body changes. Adjust bands as needed to accommodate pregnancy-related swelling, ensuring the device is neither too tight nor too loose. Finally, monitor your relationship with tracking itself – if checking your stats induces anxiety rather than insight, consider taking breaks from constant monitoring.

Combining wearable insights with effective sleep strategies

Wearable data becomes most valuable when paired with actionable strategies that respond to the patterns you observe. Start by identifying recurring patterns in your sleep data – perhaps you notice more disrupted sleep after certain activities or foods, or maybe your deep sleep is consistently better when you maintain specific evening routines.

Sound journeys and guided relaxation can be particularly effective for pregnancy-related sleep challenges. Beginning.com offers specialized sleep apps with science-backed approaches designed specifically for pregnancy. These 3D sound experiences can help calm an active mind and ease the physical discomfort that often disrupts sleep.

Your wearable data might also reveal opportunities to adapt your sleep hygiene practices. For instance, if your data shows frequent nighttime awakenings, you might experiment with room temperature, lighting, or bedding to create more favorable sleep conditions.

Position optimization becomes increasingly important as pregnancy progresses. Your movement data can help identify which sleeping positions provide the most restful sleep, allowing you to arrange pillows and supports strategically for maximum comfort.

The future of pregnancy wearables

The wearable pregnancy devices market is growing rapidly, projected to reach $121,090.7 million by 2035 (a 15.9% CAGR from $27,687 million in 2025), according to Future Market Insights. Heart-rate monitoring devices currently hold the largest market share, reflecting their importance in tracking maternal health.

Beyond sleep tracking, these devices show promise for detecting potential complications before they become serious. Research published in JMIR Formative Research indicates that wearable usage patterns might even serve as digital biomarkers for conditions like postpartum depression, with women experiencing PPD exhibiting different device wear patterns compared to those without PPD.

Making wearables work for your pregnancy sleep journey

To get the most from your wearable device during pregnancy, consider establishing a baseline by starting to track before significant sleep changes occur if possible. This provides a point of comparison as your pregnancy progresses and sleep patterns evolve.

Rather than focusing on daily fluctuations, which can vary widely during pregnancy, look for trends over weeks. These broader patterns provide more actionable insights than nightly variations, which might be influenced by temporary factors like what you ate or daily stress levels.

Don’t keep your insights to yourself – share data with healthcare providers during prenatal appointments. Your sleep metrics can inform conversations about pregnancy health and help your provider identify potential concerns earlier.

For maximum benefit, complement technology with tried-and-true relaxation techniques. Beginning.com’s 3D sound journeys are designed specifically for pregnancy sleep challenges and can enhance the insights gained from your wearable.

Finally, practice digital boundaries by setting specific times to review your data rather than checking constantly. Obsessing over metrics can sometimes create anxiety that counteracts the benefits of tracking.

Remember that while wearable technology offers valuable insights, the most important measure of good sleep is how you feel. By combining objective metrics with subjective experience and evidence-based relaxation techniques, you can develop a comprehensive approach to improving sleep quality throughout your pregnancy journey.

What sleep challenges are you facing in your pregnancy? Exploring specialized support tools designed for expectant mothers might be your next step toward better rest.