How Does a Samsung Galaxy Watch Measure Your Stress?

Besides helping you stay connected and track your fitness goals, the Samsung Galaxy Watch can measure your stress levels with its advanced sensors and algorithms. Here, we’ll explain exactly how Samsung’s smartwatches manage to do this.

How Samsung’s Smartwatches Measure Stress Levels

One of the most intriguing capabilities of fitness wearables and smartwatches is their ability to measure stress levels. While the exact mechanisms may vary from one brand to another, most smartwatches, including the ones from Samsung, utilize built-in sensors to monitor physiological data such as heart rate variability, skin conductance, and blood oxygen levels.

These measurements are then analyzed and combined with intelligent algorithms. These take your overall health data, such as age, height, weight, and other individual baseline data, to provide an estimation of the wearer’s stress levels. Hence, smartwatches can offer valuable insights and alerts, prompting users to engage in stress-reducing activities when necessary.

Heart Rate Monitor

All Samsung Galaxy Watch models feature an optical heart rate monitor that tracks your pulse continuously. This sensor uses infrared and LED lights to measure changes in blood volume.

Stress often leads to an elevation in heart rate. Your Samsung Galaxy Watch can record variations in heart rate, also known as heart rate variability (HRV), which is vital for accurately measuring stress levels.

A Samsung Galaxy Watch provides three convenient ways to measure your heart rate. You can also activate the continuous heart rate monitoring feature on your wearable, which provides a holistic overview of your heart rate patterns over an extended period.

Alternatively, if you prefer periodic heart rate readings, you can set your Galaxy Watch to measure your heart rate every ten minutes while still. You can also set a manual heart rate reading. To do this, set up Samsung Health on your watch, head over to Settings > Samsung Health > Heart rate, and choose from the list of options available.

Download: Samsung Health for Android | iOS (Free)

Electrodermal Activity (EDA) Sensor

Your Galaxy Watch also includes an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. This measures your skin’s electrical conductance, which changes when a person is under stress, as noted by the National Library of Medicine.

It detects small electrical responses produced by eccrine sweat glands by applying a low, undetectable, and constant voltage to the skin. This provides insights into the wearer’s stress levels. This technology helps to provide a more comprehensive understanding of stress and its impact on the body.

Smartwatches with EDA sensors typically have metallic or conductive areas on their underside that come into contact with your skin. These areas serve as electrodes for measuring the electrical conductance of the skin. This is often done through a combination of high-frequency and low-frequency measurements.

The EDA sensor collects and analyzes this data over a certain period, capturing fluctuations that may indicate stress or emotional arousal. Based on the analysis of the EDA data, your Galaxy Watch may provide an indication of stress levels.

Analyzing Sleep Patterns

Poor quality of sleep or insufficient sleep are known to contribute to increased stress levels. As we noted earlier, Samsung Galaxy Watch models continuously monitor heart rate variability, which is influenced by the autonomic nervous system and can indicate stress levels.

A Samsung Galaxy Watch can utilize its accelerometer to detect when you’re asleep based on movement patterns. This information, combined with data from heart rate and SpO2 sensors that help track oxygen saturation levels along with snore detection capabilities, can track sleep duration, sleep stages, and disturbances. Using these measurements, your Galaxy Watch can identify sleep-related stress factors.

Monitor Stress Levels With Your Samsung Galaxy Watch

As you can see, Samsung’s smartwatches rely on sensors and algorithms for accurate measurements and data visualization, empowering you to prioritize your mental well-being.

While not a substitute for professional guidance, the stress measurement feature on a Samsung Galaxy Watch can be a helpful companion for most of us seeking to understand and manage our stress levels better. With this innovative technology at our wrists, we can take proactive steps towards a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.