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Pregnant and Sleepless, I Hoped an App Would Make Me Healthier

Pregnant and Sleepless, I Hoped an App Would Make Me Healthier

(Bloomberg) --

Do exercise-tracking apps and gadgets like Fitbit make us healthier? Or do they just create a high-tech, data-centric illusion of control over our weight, sleep and general well-being? Bloomberg's Naomi Kresge loaded up some popular apps over the course of her pregnancy to get some answers.

Kresge purchased the premium version of a sleep-analysis app that graded her slumber on a 100-point scale each and every night. She downloaded a period app to track her menstrual cycles, sex life and mood swings. And, when she became pregnant, Kresge became glued to her iPhone, imputing her meals and snacks on a calorie-tracking and nutrition app so she could give herself the best shot at a healthy diet. She felt she had every aspect of her life under control. But did she?

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.