Expert Demand for Consumer Sleep Technology Features and Wearable Devices: A Case Study

Abstract

Global demand for sleep-tracking wearables, or consumer sleep technologies (CSTs), is steadily increasing. CST marketing campaigns often advertise the scientific merit of devices, but these claims may not align with consensus opinion from sleep research experts. Consensus opinion about CST features has not previously been established in a cohort of sleep researchers. This case study reports the results of the first survey of experts in real-world sleep research and a hypothetical purchase task (HPT) to establish economic valuation for devices with different features by price. Forty-six (N = 46) respondents with an average of 10 ± 6 years’ experience conducting research in real-world settings completed the online survey. Total sleep time was ranked as the most important measure of sleep, followed by objective sleep quality, while sleep architecture/depth and diagnostic information were ranked as least important. A total of 52% of experts preferred wrist-worn devices that could reliably determine sleep episodes as short as 20 min. The economic value was greater for hypothetical devices with a longer battery life. These data set a precedent for determining how scientific merit impacts the potential market value of a CST. This is the first known attempt to establish a consensus opinion or an economic valuation for scientifically desirable CST features and metrics using expert elicitation.