Actigraphy: Understanding Your Sleep Patterns

What is Actigraphy?

Actigraphy is a simple, non-invasive way to track your sleep patterns and daily activity. It uses a small, lightweight device - worn like a watch on your wrist - to monitor your movements, sleep, and exposure to light.

Clinicians use actigraphy to get a detailed picture of how you sleep over time. Instead of a one-night sleep study in a lab, this test records your sleep in your everyday environment, helping to identify unusual sleep patterns, or issues like insomnia and restless sleep.

Actigraphy is commonly used to measure:

✔️ What time you fall asleep

✔️ What time you wake up

✔️ How long it takes you to fall asleep

✔️ How much total sleep you get

✔️ How often you wake up during the night

✔️ light exposure throughout the day

This information helps clinicians understand your natural sleep habits and find ways to improve your sleep quality.

How Does Actigraphy Work?

The MotionWatch 8 actigraphy device measures your sleep based on movement and light exposure. It detects when you are still (likely asleep) and when you are moving (likely awake).

Here’s how it works:

  1. Wearing the Device – The actigraphy device is worn on your non-dominant wrist (the one you don’t write with). It should be worn 24/7 for 10 days, including when you sleep, shower, or go about your daily activities.

  2. Tracking Your Sleep – The device records how much you move and how much light you are exposed to. The less you move at night, the more likely you are to be asleep.

  3. Recording Your Sleep Times – There is a small button on the device that you can press when you go to bed and when you wake up. This helps create a clearer picture of your sleep routine.

  4. Comparing Data – Your sleep patterns are compared to your sleep diary, where you record when you go to bed, wake up, and how well you slept. This combined information helps provide a full picture of your sleep habits.

After the test, your report is sent to your clinician, who will review the results,help you understand what they mean and make recommendations.

What Can Actigraphy Tell Me About My Sleep?

Actigraphy can help answer important questions about your sleep health, such as:

  • Do I get enough sleep? The device tracks how long you sleep each night.

  • Am I waking up too much during the night? Frequent movement during sleep can indicate restlessness or disruptions.

  • Do I have an irregular sleep pattern? Actigraphy can show if your sleep and wake times vary too much.

  • Am I getting enough exposure to natural light? Light exposure affects your internal clock and can impact sleep quality.

  • Why do I feel tired even after sleeping? The data can help clinicians understand if you are sleeping deeply or waking up too often.

This information helps your clinician identify potential sleep issues and suggest ways to improve your sleep.

About the MotionWatch 8 Actigraphy Device

The MotionWatch 8 is a medical-grade actigraphy device designed to monitor sleep, circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock), and physical activity. It is one of the smallest and lightest devices available, making it comfortable for both children and adults to wear.

Key features:

✔️ Small and lightweight for easy wear

✔️ Worn like a regular watch on your wrist

✔️ Tracks movement, sleep patterns, and light exposure

✔️ Waterproof for showering and fresh water swimming

✔️ No need to charge—battery lasts for about a month

The MotionWatch 8 uses MotionWare software to analyse your sleep data and provide your clinician with a full report on your sleep patterns. This report helps your doctor understand how your body responds to sleep and activity in your everyday life.

 FAQs

  • Simply wear the device on your wrist 24/7 for 10 days. You don’t need to turn it on or off, it’s already programmed to start recording on your study date. Just press the button when you go to bed and when you wake up to mark your sleep times.

  • Yes! The MotionWatch 8 is waterproof and can be worn in the shower or fresh water swimming. However, it is not designed for saltwater, so remove it before swimming in the ocean.

  • No, the device has a long battery life and does not need charging during your 10-day trial.

  • Your package includes a pre-paid return envelope.

    When your trial is complete:

    1. Place the AYO+ device, case, charging cable, and sleep diary (if using a paper version) into the envelope.

    2. Drop at the counter of any Australia post office. 

  • Once we receive your device, it takes up to 2 business days to generate your report. Your referring clinician will receive the results directly and will discuss them with you.

  • Your results are sent directly to your referring clinician. The report contains raw data, which your clinician will interpret and use to make their recommendations.

  • Your sleep diary helps clinicians understand your sleep habits better. It shows when and how you use exercise, caffeine, alcohol and naps throughout the day. This information is valuable for making sense of your actigraphy data.

  • Try to wear it as much as possible. If you accidentally take it off for a short period, put it back on as soon as you remember. If you miss multiple days, let us know and we can assist.

  • A sleep study (polysomnography) is typically done in a lab over one night and uses sensors to measure brain activity, breathing, heart rate, and movement—offering a detailed snapshot of your sleep on that particular night. In contrast, actigraphy tracks only movement and light exposure, but it captures your sleep patterns over several days in your everyday environment, providing a more natural and long-term view of how you actually sleep.

  • Actigraphy is a type of wearable test that tracks your movements to measure sleep, circadian rhythm and physical activity

    Based on the wearer’s movements, actigraphy aims to map out

    • What time you fall asleep

    • What time you wake up

    • How long you take to fall asleep

    • How long you sleep in total

    • How much time you spend awake during the night after having fallen asleep

    The Motionwatch 8 also records ambient light data. These measure, along with a sleep diary, help clinicians identify areas for improvement.

  • Data Delivered uses the MotionWatch 8, the next generation of medical-grade actigraphy for the monitoring of sleep, circadian rhythm and physical activity. One of the smallest and lightest on the market, the MotionWatch can be utilised for studies with paediatric, adult, and elderly patients. 

  • Actigraphy is simple and requires little to no preparation. The small watch like device usually goes on your non-dominant wrist, uncovered by sleeves and is worn for a period of 10 days. 

    You will not need to start or stop the device- It has already been programmed to start on your study date.  You can push the button on the top of the device to place a marker on your study to let us know when you are laying down to go to sleep and when you wake up in the morning. 

  • The MotionWatch 8 waterproof level is IPX7 (suitable for fresh water swimming) and can be worn in the shower.

  • For the purposes of this study, you will wear the device for 10 consecutive days (24/7).  There is no need to remove the device during these 10 days unless you are swimming in the ocean.

  • If you are able to use the digital diary, we do recommend that as it will make reporting quicker but if you are unable for any reason, please feel free to print out a copy and complete it by hand.  If you do complete a paper copy of the diary, remember to post it back with your device.

  • No, the device has a standard battery life of about 1 month with the settings that we will use for your study so you will not need to charge it during the study period.

  • The trial fee includes equipment rental, return postage, and reporting.

    Please note: trials are not covered by Medicare. However, some private health funds may provide rebates under extras cover—check with your provider for details about your eligibility.

Better Sleep Starts with Better Data

Understanding your sleep is the first step toward improving it. Actigraphy provides valuable insights into your natural sleep patterns, helping your doctor identify areas for improvement. Whether you struggle with falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling tired even after sleeping, this test can provide insights into what is really happening at night.

If you have any questions about your actigraphy test, feel free to contact us—we’re here to help!