Tracking Sleep Cycles: Understanding Your Sleep Patterns Better

Sleep tracking can be a useful way to gain insight into your sleep patterns and quality. Sleep trackers can help you establish a sleep routine, which is vital if you want to improve your sleep quality. While they don't directly measure sleep, they can collect a lot of information about your sleep habits, including sleep duration, quality, and phases. This data is then used to provide tailored insights and help identify sleep problems. There are several options available for sleep tracking, including wearable trackers, non-wearable trackers, and smartphone apps.

Sleep tracking devices and apps

Wearable Sleep Trackers

Wearable sleep trackers can be strapped to your wrist or worn on your finger. They often include built-in coaching to improve your sleep habits and can track your progress. Some popular options include:

• Ultrahuman Ring Air: This ring has a medical-grade temperature sensor, a PPG sensor, and a motion-sensing IMU. It provides valuable insights into your sleep stages, heart rate, heart rate variability, and temperature.
• Oura Ring 4: This ring-style tracker measures your heart rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels, providing Sleep, Activity, and Readiness scores. It also serves as a fitness tracker and offers tips to optimise your health.
• WHOOP 4.0: This tracker has a wristband design, but the sensor can be detached and used with different garments.
• Apple Watch Series 4 and later: If you already have one of these, you can use it to track your sleep.

Non-Wearable Sleep Trackers

Non-wearable sleep trackers are devices that you place under your mattress or on your bedside table. They collect data on your sleep experience, including heart rate, breathing, movement, and snoring. An example of this type of tracker is:

Withings Sleep: This device slides under your mattress to collect data on your sleep cycle, heart rate, breathing, and snoring. It can sync with smart home devices to adjust light levels and temperature based on your sleep status.

Sleep Tracking Apps

Sleep tracking apps, such as Sleep Cycle, use sound and movement analysis to track and improve your sleep. They often provide features like sleep notes, smart alarms, and relaxing sounds. Sleep Cycle has a premium version that offers additional features but may drain your phone's battery. Other apps available include Sleep Tracker and SLEEP TRACKER.

Wearable trackers

Wearable sleep trackers are ideal for people who want to understand their sleep patterns and make improvements. They can track the time and duration of your sleep, the number of sleep phases (such as REM or deep sleep), and how often you wake or move during the night. Many of these devices double as fitness trackers or smartwatches and can also monitor movement, activity, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature, blood oxygen rate, and menstrual cycles.

Wearable sleep trackers come in various forms, including rings, wristbands, and smartwatches. The Oura Ring 4 is a sleek, lightweight, and comfortable option that provides in-depth tracking of sleep and daily activity. It measures your heart rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels. The battery lasts up to eight days on a single charge, and it can be integrated with apps like Apple Health, Strava, and Google Fit. The Apple Watch Series 9 and Google Pixel Watch 2 are also popular smartwatch options that offer sleep tracking features.

The WHOOP tracker is another wristband option designed for active individuals. It gathers detailed data about your sleep and works as a high-level fitness tracker. It monitors your heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels, and skin temperature. The WHOOP tracker also includes a smart alarm that gently wakes you up during the ideal sleep stage to prevent grogginess.

For those who prefer a more basic wearable, sleep-tracking rings are another option. These rings use sensors along the inside to collect data and track your sleep. The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Ultrahuman Ring are examples of sleep-tracking rings.

In addition to the form factor, it's important to consider other factors when choosing a wearable sleep tracker. Accuracy is crucial, and trackers that measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels tend to be the most reliable. Additionally, some trackers require monthly or yearly subscriptions, so it's essential to factor that into your budget. Oura, for example, offers its service at $6 per month, while Withings and Fitbit do not require subscriptions.

Non-wearable trackers

If you're looking for a non-wearable sleep tracker, there are a few options to consider. These devices can be a great alternative to wearable trackers if you find them uncomfortable or bothersome to wear during sleep. Here are some detailed paragraphs on non-wearable sleep trackers:

Under-Mattress Sensors

One option for non-wearable sleep trackers is to use sensors that go underneath your mattress. These trackers, such as the Withings Sleep Tracking Mat, are thin mats that you place under your mattress, so you don't even know they are there. They use sensors to measure your heart rate, respiratory rate, movements, snoring, and sleep cycles. The Withings Sleep Tracking Mat provides data through its free app, generating a sleep diary that includes a sleep score for each night. It's important to note that these mats require a power source and must be plugged in through a USB cable. Additionally, if you sleep with a partner or a pet, the mat may pick up their movements as well, so keep that in mind when interpreting the data.

Smart Mattresses

Another non-wearable option is to invest in a smart mattress. These technologically advanced mattresses have sensors built into the cover that can track your sleep. This option may be ideal if you're in the market for a new mattress and don't require daytime activity tracking. However, smart mattresses can be more expensive than other options, so consider your budget when making a decision.

Smartphone Apps

Smartphone apps are another non-wearable method for tracking sleep. While they may not be as robust as dedicated sleep trackers, apps can provide insights into your sleep patterns and habits. Many apps use your phone's sensors to track movement and sound during sleep, and some even offer additional features like sleep improvement tips and alarm functions. However, keep in mind that the range of data collected by apps may be more limited compared to other tracking options.

Bedside Devices

Bedside devices are another category of non-wearable sleep trackers. These devices are typically placed on your nightstand or near your bed and use various sensors to track your sleep. They can monitor factors such as movement, sound, and light to provide insights into your sleep patterns. Some bedside devices may also offer additional features like smart alarms that wake you up during the optimal sleep stage. However, compared to wearable devices, bedside devices may have more limited data collection capabilities.

Headphones

Although not their primary function, headphones can also double as sleep trackers. For example, the Soundcore Sleep A20 headphones provide sleep tracking capabilities in addition to their audio features. If you're interested in a multi-purpose device that can help you with sleep tracking, this could be an option to consider. However, keep in mind that headphones may have more limited tracking features compared to dedicated sleep trackers.

Sleep tracking accuracy

Sleep tracking has become an increasingly popular way to gain insight into sleep patterns and quality. Sleep trackers can help users identify sleep problems and establish a healthy sleep routine. While these devices provide a lot of data, their accuracy has been called into question.

Sleep trackers use a variety of methods to monitor sleep. Some are wearable devices that can be strapped to the wrist, clipped to a pillow, or placed on a bedside table. Others are non-wearable and can be placed under a mattress to collect data. The data collected by sleep trackers includes sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep phases, heart rate, temperature, and movement.

The accuracy of sleep trackers has been the subject of multiple studies. One study analysed 11 commercially available sleep trackers, including wearables and non-wearables, and compared their performance to in-lab polysomnography. The study found that some sleep trackers showed substantial agreement with polysomnography, while others were only partially consistent. Another study compared consumer sleep trackers to actigraphy, a sleep test based on data collected from a wrist-worn device used by medical professionals. This study found that consumer sleep trackers performed as well as, or even better than, actigraphy.

Despite the promising results of these studies, it is important to note that sleep trackers have limitations. They do not directly measure sleep but instead estimate sleep based on inactivity and other factors. As such, they may not provide exact data about sleep habits. Additionally, the accuracy of sleep trackers can vary depending on the type of device and the specific metrics being measured. For example, the Google Pixel Watch and Fitbit Sense 2 were found to be more accurate in the deep sleep stage, while SleepRoutine excelled in the wake and rapid eye movement stages.

In conclusion, while sleep trackers can provide valuable insights into sleep patterns and quality, their accuracy should be interpreted with caution. They can be a useful tool for monitoring individual sleep habits and establishing a healthy sleep routine, but for exact data and diagnosis of sleep disorders, medical sleep studies conducted by professionals are still necessary.

Benefits of sleep tracking

Sleep tracking can provide valuable insights into your sleep patterns and help you improve your sleep quality and overall health. Here are some benefits of sleep tracking:

Identify Sleep Disorders and Irregularities

Sleep trackers can help identify potential sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, by monitoring your heart rate, body temperature, breathing patterns, and sleep stages. Early detection allows you to seek medical advice and treatment, improving your overall health.

Understand Your Sleep Patterns

Sleep tracking devices monitor your sleep habits, including sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep), sleep duration, sleep quality, respiration rate, heart rate, movements, and sleep stages. This data can help you understand your unique sleep patterns and identify any disruptions or irregularities.

Make Informed Decisions

By analyzing your sleep data, you can make informed decisions to improve your sleep habits and overall sleep quality. For example, if you notice that you're not getting enough deep sleep, you can adjust your bedtime routine, reduce caffeine intake, or create a more comfortable sleep environment.

Personalized Sleep Recommendations

Many sleep-tracking devices offer personalized recommendations based on your sleep patterns. These recommendations can help you change your sleep habits and create an ideal sleep routine that promotes better rest.

Improve Overall Well-being

Sleep tracking can contribute to your overall well-being by helping you achieve better sleep quality and consistency. By identifying and addressing sleep issues, you can wake up feeling more rested and energized, setting the tone for a productive and fulfilling day.

Frequently asked questions