Internet of things for sleep tracking: wearables vs. nonwearables

Sleep is a very significant biological function for the human being and is important to have a physical balance and a proper regime for a decent quality of life. It is very important to monitor sleep and quality of sleep, especially to older adults because they spend more time in bed compared to younger adults. Insufficient sleep for older adults might cause depression, attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, and experience more nighttime falls. The current sleep assessments and evaluation methods are troublesome, expensive, and time-consuming. Thus, the healthcare community is seeking inexpensive and mobile devices that can support a long-term data collection and be accessible to most of the people. This is where a massive use of Internet of Things devices (wearables, low-energy sensors, beacons, apps) is playing a major shift in the quality of life of the population. This paper presents a summary of the current nonintrusive sleep tracking technologies (these include but not limited to consumer sleep trackers e.g., wearables such as bracelets; smart-watches, Mobile Apps and non-wearables such as sleep-tracking mats that can be placed under a bed mattress) and their suitability for the elderly.