On Election Day, people across the United States voted and tuned into their televisions and smartphones to find out who would become the next president. For many, there was a palpable sense of anticipation—felt not only in the mind, but also the body.
The physiological effects of the tension felt by Americans was reflected in trends across aggregate, de-identified Oura member data throughout the day and night of November 5.*
Oura’s research-grade sensors measure members’ heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) data 24/7, which can provide a glimpse into how high-stakes events like the election affect the body.
READ MORE: How Accurate Are Oura’s Heart Rate & HRV Measurements?
Stress & Heart Rate Data
On November 5 from 11am to 7pm ET, Oura members’ daytime stress levels seemed to be higher than usual. We saw a 2.3% increase in stressed minutes, and notably, a 19.5% decrease in Restorative Time.
At night, as the states started to be called for one candidate or another, we saw an increase in heart rate among Oura members. On average, heart rate was 2.8 bpm, or 3.7%, higher on election night than a comparable night.
This heightened tension was reflected in anecdotal evidence in Oura’s Reddit community as well. Many members shared screenshots from the Oura App’s Dynamic Spotlight feature, which highlights biometric trends that are outside the norm. They were far from alone: Compared to an average week, more than 2,000% more members received this notification!
How About Sleep?
Many Oura members shared they experienced relatively sleepless nights as the tumultuous election drew to a close. In a Reddit thread titled “What is your Sleep Score after the election?,” members posted their lower-than-usual scores, with many in the 50s and even 40s:
“45 with 3h 14 sleep time. Oura also suggested I take a nap so who am I to say no” — Reddit user Emergency-Tree-3287
“48. With a large chunk awake in the middle of the night and my [Readiness insight] saying ‘something kept your heart rate up last night.'” — Reddit user ayochamp
“53. And you should see my resting heart rate for the last two days. Good lord. [Edited to add] this is the lowest score I’ve ever had and I have an 8 month old baby who nurses every two hours all night long.” — Reddit user GoldendoodlesFTW
Posts from the ouraring
community on Reddit
While these data points don’t capture individual beliefs or voting behaviors, they do illustrate a shared reaction to a significant societal event. A prior analysis of the 2020 election night in the U.S. showed a similar impact on Oura members’ biometric trends, with the ring capturing fewer hours of sleep, increases in resting heart rate, and lower Sleep Scores among Oura members.
For members interested in optimizing their recovery or managing stress, these insights can be a valuable reminder of how impactful external stressors can be on an individual’s body and mind.
LEARN MORE: How Stress Affects Your Sleep
*A note on privacy: Oura is serious about protecting our members’ personal data, and we process it to preserve privacy when deriving insights like those contained in this article. For more information about how Oura protects privacy, please see our Privacy Policy.