Overview of findings
Sleep quality is a critical pillar for happiness, productivity, and health. At Eight Sleep, we are committed to improving your sleep fitness through our dedication to scientific rigor and validation. We are excited to share the results of our latest research study, where we have found significant improvements in various sleep metrics from sleeping on the Eight Sleep Pod. After one month of sleeping on the Pod, members reported 32% better sleep quality scores on average. This overall improvement in sleep quality consists of improvements in each of the following components:
- 34% higher daytime energy scores
- 23% fewer sleep interruptions
- 44% faster sleep onset
These levels of sleep quality improvements are comparable to improvements from cognitive behavioral therapy for sleep.
About the study
We set out to understand how the Pod impacts various components of sleep in our members by using a clinically validated sleep quality assessment called the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Subjects were asked to fill out the PSQI before they began sleeping on the Pod (i.e. pre-Pod), and then a second time after they slept on the Pod for one month (i.e. post-Pod).
The PSQI assesses an individual’s sleep quality on a scale from 0 to 21, with scores below 5 indicating “good sleep quality” and scores above 5 indicating “poor sleep quality”.
Sleep quality improved by 32% after sleeping on the Pod
We found that within one month of sleeping on the Pod, members’ experienced improvements across all components of sleep quality, as assessed by the PSQI. Before sleeping on the Pod, Eight Sleep members reported significantly worse sleep quality scores, averaging 7.7 compared to the general public’s average score of 5.9 (ref). But after sleeping on the Pod for one month, these same members reported an improvement in their sleep quality score by an average of 32%. In fact, the number of members that achieved a “good sleep quality score” (i.e. score less than 5) doubled from pre- to post-Pod use.
For comparison, therapeutic interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) produce similar PSQI improvements compared to sleeping on the Pod:
*iCBT (Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy) for Insomnia relief in 18-35 year olds (ref)
The following three sections explain the factors that led to the significant increase in sleep quality with the Pod.
Members fell asleep 44% faster while sleeping on the Pod
A healthy person without sleep debt or insomnia takes between 10-20 minutes on average to fall asleep (i.e. sleep onset latency; ref). Before sleeping on the Pod, members reported an average sleep onset of 28 minutes, which is similar to sleep onset times associated with insomnia (ref). However, after one month of sleeping on the Pod, members fell asleep 44% faster– a 12 minute reduction in sleep onset.
Sleeping on the Pod reduced sleep interruptions by 23%
One of the primary reasons people wake up during the night is temperature-related discomfort, especially during REM sleep (ref). Members reported that sleeping on the Pod reduced their sleep disturbances by 23%. This improvement is likely due to the temperature regulation of the Pod, as members reported a 69% reduction in heat-related disturbances.
Daytime energy levels increased by 34% while sleeping on the Pod
An individual’s perception of good or bad sleep quality is highly correlated with their daytime energy levels. Members who slept on the Pod reported 34% higher daytime energy scores, on average. Additionally, the number of members that reported daytime energy issues decreased by 56% after sleeping on the Pod.
The bottom line
The Eight Sleep Pod significantly improved overall sleep quality by 32%. This level of improvement in sleep quality is comparable to improvements seen with cognitive behavioral therapy for sleep. After only one month of sleeping on the Pod, members reported falling asleep 44% faster, sleeping better—with 23% fewer interruptions— and as a result, having a 56% reduction in daytime energy issues.
Appendix: Study Details
Sleep quality was assessed in 50 subjects (34 males, 16 females; mean age = 41 y; age range = 18 to 67 y) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI was administered to each subject before they began sleeping on the Pod, and then again one month after sleeping on the Pod. Due to the retrospective nature of the study, subjects were not aware of the goal to compare survey results before vs. after using the Pod. Therefore their responses or behaviors were not affected by the study.
Each individual’s total scores for sleep quality, sleep latency (i.e. onset), daytime energy levels, and sleep disturbances were statistically compared before vs. after Pod-use using dependent t-tests. All t-tests were statistically significant (p<0.005).
The changes presented in this article (n=50) were further validated by comparing 229 Eight Sleep members’ pre-Pod PSQI survey responses to 107 different members’ post-Pod PSQI survey responses.
Note that the data presented here are a summary of all 50 subjects’ responses; as a result, individual results may vary.
