Colin Snow
Sleep trackers are everywhere, but do you need one? Sleep tracking technology has become increasingly popular, with a wide variety of trackers hitting the market. From wearable trackers that you can strap to your wrist to pillow devices and bedside tables, these trackers can record sleep duration, quality, phases, and environmental factors. While they can be useful for recognizing patterns in your sleep habits, they have their limitations and potential downsides. So, before you invest in a sleep tracker, it's worth considering both the benefits and drawbacks to determine if it's the right choice for you.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Operating System | watchOS 11 |
| Devices | Apple Watch, iPhone |
| Apps | Health, Alarm, Focus, Sleep |
| Sleep Tracking Requirements | Sleep Focus Mode, Sleep Schedule, or WatchOS 11 |
| Additional Requirements | iPhone with latest iOS, Apple Watch with latest watchOS, charged Apple Watch |
| Customisation | Sleep Goals, Bedtime, Wake Up Times, Notifications, Focus Filters |
| Data Visualisation | Sleep Stages, Time Asleep, Sleep Duration, Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, Wrist Temperature |
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What You'll Learn
Wearable sleep trackers
One of the most popular wearable sleep trackers on the market is the Oura Ring. The Oura Ring is a stylish and discreet ring that tracks your sleep, heart rate, activity, and more. It offers accurate data and easy-to-follow guidance to improve your sleep and overall wellness. The ring is comfortable and lightweight, making it ideal for sleeping. However, it requires a monthly subscription to access all the data and recommendations.
Another option is the Whoop 4.0, a lightweight and screenless band that tracks your sleep and activity. It measures your four sleep stages and provides personalized sleep coaching. The Whoop app offers detailed sleep trends and insights to help you understand your sleep patterns and make improvements. However, it also requires an annual subscription.
If you prefer a smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10 offers sleep tracking features, including sleep cycle tracking and sleep apnea detection. It integrates seamlessly with your iPhone and allows you to create personalized sleep schedules. However, it does not provide a sleep score, which can make it less intuitive to understand your sleep data.
For Android users, the Google Pixel Watch 2 is a great choice. It integrates Fitbit's sleep-tracking technology, offering nightly trends, sleep goals, and a silent alarm. It also has improved heart rate sensors and is lightweight and comfortable for sleeping.
Lastly, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is similar to the Oura Ring but geared towards fitness enthusiasts. It provides insights into your sleep and recovery and offers helpful reminders throughout the day. Unlike the Oura Ring, it does not require a subscription, making it a more affordable option.
When choosing a wearable sleep tracker, consider your specific needs and preferences. Factors to consider include comfort, additional features, subscription requirements, and price. While these devices can provide valuable insights, it's important to remember that they are not a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis.
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Non-wearable sleep trackers
While there are many wearable sleep trackers on the market, such as watches and rings, there are also non-wearable options available. These devices can be useful for those who find wearables uncomfortable or annoying, especially when sleeping. Here are some examples of non-wearable sleep trackers:
- Beautyrest Sleeptracker: This is a non-wearable sleep tracking device that works with any type of mattress, box spring, or bedding. It uses highly accurate sensors to monitor respiration, heart rate, body movement, and wakefulness. The accompanying app provides personalized sleep data, including sleep cycle alarms that detect the optimal wake-up time. It can also monitor two sleepers independently, providing separate data and coaching tips for each individual.
- Withings Sleep: This sleep tracker uses sensor pads placed discreetly between the mattress and box spring. It can record in-bed and out-of-bed times, as well as sleep levels such as REM, light sleep, deep sleep, and awake time. It also tracks heart rate and breathing rate.
- Tochtech Sleepsense: This tracker is placed under a bed post, making it undetectable to the user. In addition to tracking sleep levels and heart and breathing rates, it provides real-time notifications to family caregivers' smartphones. These notifications include alerts for "not returning to bed," which can be helpful for those concerned about nocturnal wandering.
- Eight Sleep Pod Cover: While this is a mattress cover, it is primarily designed to regulate temperature for hot sleepers. However, it also has sleep-tracking capabilities, monitoring sleep duration, heart rate, heart rate variability, breath rate, and snoring.
- Google Nest Hub Gen 2: This is a bedside clock device that uses radio waves to track sleep patterns. It provides accurate sleep reports when viewed on the device but offers minimal information to remote caregivers through its app.
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Sleep quality
Establish a Sleep Schedule:
Create a personalized sleep schedule that aligns with your sleep goals and overall health objectives. This includes setting specific bedtime and wake-up times. Consistency in your sleep and wake times can help regulate your body's internal clock, promoting better sleep quality.
Enable Sleep Focus:
Utilize the Sleep Focus feature on your iPhone or Apple Watch to minimize distractions before and during sleep. This mode simplifies your Lock Screen and allows you to grant certain people or apps permission to notify you, ensuring a peaceful environment for rest. Remember to turn it on before getting into bed and turn it off when you wake up for the day.
Track Sleep with Apple Watch:
Wear your Apple Watch to bed to track your sleep patterns and duration. Ensure that your watch is charged to at least 30% before sleep and worn for at least one hour. The watch will monitor your sleep stages, heart rate, breathing, and movement, providing valuable insights into your sleep quality.
Adjust Your Wind-Down Routine:
The time before sleep is crucial for preparing your mind and body for rest. Establish a relaxing wind-down routine to ease the transition into sleep. This could include activities such as reading, meditation, or listening to soothing music. You can also adjust your wind-down duration as needed through the Health app on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Analyze Sleep Data:
Review your sleep history through the Health app on your iPhone or iPad. This data includes sleep stages, sleep duration, heart rate, respiratory rate, and nightly wrist temperature. Analyzing this information can help you identify patterns, make adjustments to your sleep routine, and ultimately improve your sleep quality.
By following these steps and utilizing the tools provided by your iPhone and Apple Watch, you can enhance your understanding of your sleep patterns and make informed decisions to optimize your sleep quality.
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Sleep duration
Apple Health App
The Apple Health app allows you to set up a sleep schedule and monitor your sleep duration. You can access the Sleep feature by tapping "Browse" in the app and then selecting "Sleep" from the Health Categories list. Here, you can enable the schedule and edit your full schedule, including bedtime and wake-up times. You can also set alarms and customise their sounds, haptics, and volume.
Apple Watch
Apple Watch, in conjunction with the Health app, can be a powerful tool for tracking sleep duration. By enabling "Sleep Focus" and wearing your watch to bed, you can automatically track your sleep. The watch will record your sleep stages, time asleep, and sleep duration for the last 14 days. To ensure accurate results, it's recommended to keep your watch charged and wear it comfortably snug during sleep.
Third-Party Applications
Third-party applications, such as AutoSleep and SleepWatch, offer additional features for tracking sleep duration. These apps can provide more flexibility for users with irregular sleep patterns. They may allow for manual adjustments to your sleep schedule, tracking daytime naps, and customising sleep stage data interpretation.
WatchOS 11 Update
With the watchOS 11 update, the Apple Watch can track sleep even without Sleep Focus Mode enabled. This means that your sleep data will be collected regardless of the mode you have activated on the watch. However, if you want to minimise distractions and enable do-not-disturb features, Sleep Focus Mode is still recommended.
By utilising these tools and features, you can effectively track your sleep duration and gain insights into your sleep habits. This information can help you make informed decisions to improve your sleep quality and overall health.
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Sleep phases
Sleep is not uniform. Instead, it is made up of several rounds of the sleep cycle, which is composed of four individual stages. A typical night's sleep consists of 4 to 6 sleep cycles, with the progression of sleep stages in the following order: N1, N2, N3, N2, REM. A complete sleep cycle takes roughly 90 to 120 minutes. The first REM period is short, and as the night progresses, longer periods of REM and decreased time in deep sleep (NREM) occur.
N1 (Stage 1) - Light Sleep (5%)
This is the lightest stage of sleep and begins when more than 50% of the alpha waves are replaced with low-amplitude mixed-frequency (LAMF) activity. Muscle tone is present in the skeletal muscle, and breathing occurs regularly. This stage lasts around 1 to 5 minutes, comprising 5% of total sleep time.
N2 (Stage 2) - Deeper Sleep (45%)
Stage 2 is still light sleep, but deeper than stage 1. During this stage, your brain waves slow down and have noticeable pauses between short, powerful bursts of electrical activity. Experts think that these bursts are your brain organizing memories and information from the time you spent awake. Stage 2 NREM sleep accounts for about 45% of your time asleep (the most of any stage). You’ll go through multiple rounds of stage 2 NREM sleep, and usually, each one is longer than the last. After stage 2, you move deeper into stage 3 NREM sleep or enter REM sleep.
N3 (Stage 3) - Deepest Non-REM Sleep (25%)
N3 is also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS). This is considered the deepest stage of sleep and is characterized by signals with lower frequencies and higher amplitudes, known as delta waves. This stage is the most difficult to awaken from; for some people, loud noises (> 100 decibels) will not lead to an awake state. As people age, they spend less time in this slow, delta-wave sleep and more time in stage N2 sleep. Although this stage has the greatest arousal threshold, if someone is awoken during this stage, they will have a transient phase of mental fogginess, known as sleep inertia.
REM Sleep
REM sleep is the stage of sleep where most dreams happen. Its name comes from how your eyes move behind your eyelids while you’re dreaming. During REM sleep, your brain activity looks very similar to brain activity while you’re awake. REM sleep makes up about 25% of your total time asleep. Your first REM cycle of a sleep period is typically the shortest, around 10 minutes. Each one that follows is longer than the last, up to an hour.
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