Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan from Oak Tree Mobility told us that “there’s a form of insomnia that has risen… called ‘orthosomia’, a term for the obsession with getting a good night’s sleep.”

It might affect type-A people and perfectionists more than others, she suggested, and could paradoxically make existing sleep problems worse.

She added, “Alongside the strategies and supplements for getting better sleep that are flooding the market, trackers have joined the sleep bandwagon. Trackers can (up to a point) be helpful, but I think they’re driving an unhelpful obsession.”

I have to confess that even though I know the importance of “clock blocking” and avoiding as much worry as I can at night, I’ve become obsessed with my own smart watch.

But after a little bit of skin irritation and frankly forgetting to put it back on my wrist after a previous charge, I accidentally ended up following Dr Ramalkhan’s advice: I haven’t been wearing the fitness tracker that logs my sleep for a week.

And honestly, I’ve already been impressed by how much more rested I feel.

If trackers help you, that’s all the evidence you need to keep using them.

But as sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic, told Which?, they might make those with existing poor sleep (like me) panic more about their poor “performance”.

This stress forms a vicious cycle, ironically keeping worriers up at night.

This happened to me most nights. I would anxiously tell my partner I’d only had four to six hours last night, and spend the rest of the day battling fatigue and panic in equal, exhausting turns.

I’d avoid naps for fear of ruining my sleep cycle, then feel too awake, and too anxious at being awake, to fall asleep at night.

But by day two of not using a tracker, I noticed I wasn’t thinking about my sleep as much – since then, I’ve woken up far more refreshed.

This included nights I think my watch would have told me constituted a “bad” sleep. The less I knew about the supposed quality of my sleep – which some say trackers may not measure as accurately as experts like – the better I felt.

Perhaps it might be as Dr Ramlahkhan said: “With sleep trackers, unless you’re having your data measured in a lab, you need to take it all with a pinch of salt.

“Your tracker may say you didn’t get good sleep, but maybe you feel great. Check in with yourself before you check your data.”

Again, everyone’s different. But, per Dr Ramlahkhan, “An important thing is not to get too obsessed with the numbers, and take a break from tracking if you find yourself in that position.”

She also said many of us might be looking at the data from trackers with overly short sight, thereby accidentally misunderstanding their insights.

“Once you’ve been wearing it for a while (at least 6 months to a year), only then can you start to look at the trends,” she revealed.

“For example, if you change some elements of your life such as cutting back on caffeine, exercising more, and drinking less alcohol, then it can be helpful to see this reflected on the tracker.”

But if you think your tracker might be harming your sleep more than it helps, and if the data causes you more worry than curiosity, it might be time to put yours to bed.

Though I’ve had insomnia for years, I’ve managed to find some tools to help me stay asleep at night.

“Clock-blocking”, getting out of bed when I can’t get back to sleep, and even enjoying a morning stroll have all helped me recover from my 3am wake-ups.

So, too, does my Bluetooth eye mask, which allows me to play “white noise” as I slumber.

But speaking to HuffPost UK, sleep expert Dr Deborah Lee from Doctor Fox (who’s paired with Bed Factory Direct) said it shouldn’t be the only sound in my arsenal.

“Certain types of background noise, also known as coloured noise, can actually improve sleep quality, reduce overnight disturbances and also help you fall asleep quicker,” she told us.

One of those is “pink noise”, which the doctor revealed is best for deep sleep and even memories.

I’ll admit I’d never heard of the noise until Dr Lee told me about it.

But it turns out it’s a pretty technical term: pink noise, also known as 1/f noise, fractional noise, or fractal noise, contains all audible frequencies.

Though white noise offers the same range, pink noise decreases the intensity of sound at a rate of three decibels per octave.

Basically, that means “pink noise is a slightly deeper version of white noise,” Dr Lee said.

“An example of pink noise would be rustling leaves or ocean waves – some sounds that people find extremely relaxing.”

The doctor added: “Pink noise has been shown to enhance deep sleep, but also improve memory.”

A 2020 paper found that participants who listened to an increasingly quiet pink noise machine while falling asleep not only nodded off faster, but slept deeper.

Research from 2022 also suggested that older adults who fell asleep saw an increase in slow wave sleep, linked to memory consolidation.

You can find pink noise playlists or even buy a pink noise machine (though they’re harder to find than white noise options).

“Everyone’s brain responds differently to sounds,” Dr Lee said. “However, what is clear is that the right kind of noise, when used consistently, can make a huge difference in not just getting to sleep, but staying asleep too.

“It’s worth playing around with different sounds to find the right sound for you, as not everyone will have the same response.”

Here’s what happened to me last night: I went to bed at 10pm, for a 6:30am wake-up and finally got to sleep at midnight.

Then, I woke up again at 1am and panicked until 3am about the next morning.

If you’re interested, I didn’t end up making that early work-out. But if I’d considered leaving my bed rather than simply stressing about the next day, some experts think I might have stood a chance.

Speaking to healthcare provider John’s Hopkins, sleep expert Dr Luis F. Buenaver said that staying in bed when you can’t sleep isn’t just likely to keep you up longer ― it can ruin your kips in the future too.

It “will lead your brain and body to associate your bed with wakefulness instead of with sleep”, Dr Buenaver said.

That can have a longer-term effect on your ability to nod off once your head hits the pillow, so he says you should get up after around 20 minutes of sleeplessness.

“Sit in a comfortable chair in another room,” he advised. “Read a book, with just enough lights on so that you can see the print comfortably.”

Don’t do any work or pay any bills in that time, and if you start stressing about those or other issues, try distracting yourself with music or audiobooks.

You should only go back to bed when you’re feeling drowsy.

“It can be difficult leaving a warm, comfortable bed after waking up in the middle of the night,” the sleep expert said.

“But think of this step as an investment in better sleep — if not tonight then tomorrow night and in the future.”

I’m definitely guilty of scrolling mindlessly through TikTok after my 3am jolts awake, but sleep expert Dr Jeff Rogers told Bustle that’s the worst thing I can possibly do.

“The blue light from your phone mimics daylight and suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone which regulates your sleep-wake cycle,” he shared with the publication.

And while you might want to try switching rooms after 20 minutes, Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioural scientist at Rand Corps, told CNN that clock-watching is generally a bad idea.

“Clock watching becomes habitual, and that habitual response of frustration and anxiety also causes a stress response in the body,” she said.

“You look at the clock… and immediately might grit your teeth. You think of all the demands… how awful it is going to be when you’re sleep-deprived,” she added.

If that sounds like you, Dr Buenaver says it’s fine to guess when your 20 minutes have passed.