Exploiting Technology in Fatigue Management

Technology is used in today’s society as both a help and a hinderance. We utilise it in all aspects of our lives, and sleep is no different! A 2021 study into the use of electronic devices before bedtime highlighted the impact this has upon sleep quality. So, we should be avoiding screens before bed, but how can we use other forms of technology to monitor and potentially improve our sleep?  

Wearable sleep trackers have gained a lot of traction in recent years. Most devices utilise wrist-based readings of heart rate and movement (through an accelerometer) to gauge sleep/awake periods and estimate sleep stages. Oura have devised a ring that takes this further to include body temperature, blood oxygen levels and breathing rate. The aim of these devices is to build us a picture. They illustrate how much (or how little) we sleep and the quality of that sleep. Granted, these measurements are not always accurate, and the reliability of the data produced is not bulletproof. However, when used over time, they begin to build a representative idea of our sleep hygiene. And most importantly, fatigue.

I have a Garmin Epix 2, which I wear pretty much 24 hours a day, every day. I charge it when I shower, and its battery life spans multiple days. This means that I track my sleep with it every single night. The benefit of that to me? Although the accuracy of the times I’ve slept or the quality of sleep may not be 100%, over months I have generated a trend. The watch also tracks my ‘body battery’ which depletes across a day and restores with rest and sleep. I use my sleep data to inform my fatigue matrix at work before flying. I’ve found that it’s actually pretty accurate. When I’ve made a note of when I’ve gone lights out and then woken up on an alarm, the watch tracks similar timings. If I’ve gone straight to sleep, the watch is sometimes scarily accurate.

This way of using technology helps to monitor my fatigue and inform risk management matrixes when I fly. Although the data is not always accurate, it has its place in my repertoire of methods for monitoring sleep trends and ultimately my health and wellbeing!