This is how Samsung smartwatches measure stress!

In addition to helping you stay connected and track your fitness goals, the Samsung Galaxy Watch can measure your stress levels with its advanced sensors and algorithms. But after all, how can Samsung smartwatches measure stress?

This is how Samsung smartwatches measure stress!

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

These measurements are then analyzed and combined with intelligent algorithms. These take your general health data, such as age, height, weight and other individual baseline data, to provide an estimate of the user’s stress levels. Therefore, smartwatches can offer valuable information and alerts, prompting users to participate in stress-reducing activities when necessary.

Heart rate

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

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

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

Alternatively, if you prefer periodic heart rate readings, you can set the Galaxy Watch to measure your heart rate every ten minutes while you’re stationary. You can also set a manual heart rate reading.

EDA sensors

The Galaxy Watch also includes an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. This measures the electrical conductance of the skin, which changes when a person is under stress.

It thus detects small electrical responses produced by eccrine sweat glands, applying a low, undetectable and constant voltage to the skin. This provides information about the user’s stress levels. This technology helps you better understand stress and its impact on the body.

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

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

Sleep Patterns

It is known that poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep contributes to increased stress levels. As we mentioned previously, Samsung Galaxy Watch models continuously monitor heart rate variability. It is therefore influenced by the autonomic nervous system and can indicate stress levels.

A Samsung Galaxy Watch can use its accelerometer to detect when you’re sleeping based on your movement patterns. This information, combined with data from heart rate and SpO2 sensors that help monitor oxygen saturation levels, along with snoring detection capability, can monitor sleep duration, sleep stages and disturbances. Using these measurements, the Galaxy Watch can identify sleep-related stressors.

As you can see, Samsung smartwatches rely on sensors and algorithms for precise measurements and data visualization, allowing you to prioritize your mental well-being while measuring stress.

While it’s no substitute for professional guidance, the stress measurement feature on a Samsung Galaxy Watch can be a useful companion for most of us looking to better understand and manage our stress levels.