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Temporal changes in sleep parameters and body mass index after using a sleep-tracking app with gamification
Masao Iwagami1, Jaehoon Seol2, Masashi Yanagisawa3
1International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Department of Digital Health, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Sleep Health
|April 13, 2025
Summary
A new sleep-tracking game app improved sleep duration and quality for some users. These sleep improvements were linked to a decrease in participants' body mass index (BMI).
Area of Science:
- Digital Health and Sleep Science
- Behavioral Medicine and Health Technology
Background:
- Sleep quality significantly impacts overall health and well-being.
- Mobile health applications offer novel approaches to monitor and improve sleep patterns.
- The relationship between sleep improvement and body mass index (BMI) warrants further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a sleep-tracking game application in enhancing sleep parameters.
- To determine if improvements in sleep are associated with changes in body mass index (BMI).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 2063 Japanese participants using the Pokémon Sleep and Asken apps for at least 90 days.
- Assessment of changes in total sleep time, sleep latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, and bedtime.
- Correlation analysis between sleep parameter improvements and changes in body mass index (BMI).
Main Results:
- Average total sleep time increased by approximately 0.8 hours (from 5.5 to 6.3 hours) over 90 days.
- Improvements in total sleep time, sleep latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, and bedtime were observed in 45.3%, 18.1%, 24.4%, and 21.3% of participants, respectively.
- A trend towards faster BMI decrease was noted in participants with improved total sleep time, sleep latency, and bedtime.
Conclusions:
- The utilization of a sleep-tracking game application can lead to improvements in various sleep parameters for a subset of users.
- Observed sleep improvements were associated with a reduction in body mass index (BMI).
- This study highlights the potential of gamified digital health tools in promoting better sleep and weight management.
