Herbie Murray
Sleep tracking devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many people turning to smartwatches and fitness trackers to gain insights into their sleep patterns. While these devices don't directly measure sleep, they use metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, body movement, and respiratory rate to estimate sleep duration and quality. Some popular options for sleep tracking include the Apple Watch, Garmin devices like the Epix Pro and Forerunner 165, the Google Pixel Watch, and the Oura Ring. These trackers can help users understand their sleep habits and make adjustments to improve their sleep hygiene and overall health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep duration | By tracking the time you’re inactive, the devices can record when you fall asleep at night and when you stir in the morning |
| Sleep quality | Trackers can detect interrupted sleep, letting you know when you’re tossing and turning or waking during the night |
| Sleep phases | Some tracking systems track the phases of your sleep and time your alarm to go off during a period when you’re sleeping less deeply |
| Sleep goals | You can set the number of hours you'd like to sleep |
| Sleep tracking | Uses your motion to detect sleep when you wear the watch to bed |
| Sleep data | You can view the time and percentage you spent awake or in REM, core, or deep sleep |
| Sleep score | Some trackers provide a sleep score or summary to evaluate your night's sleep |
| Sleep tracking devices | Wearable trackers that you can strap to your wrist, clip to your pillow, or place on your bedside table |
| Other health vitals | Some trackers measure blood oxygen levels, heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, temperature, and other valuable health data |
What You'll Learn
Sleep tracking devices measure sleep indirectly
Sleep tracking devices, including GPS watches, measure sleep indirectly. They do not measure sleep directly but instead often measure inactivity as a surrogate for estimating sleep. In other words, they guesstimate how much you're actually sleeping.
Sleep tracking devices can be worn on the wrist, clipped onto a pillow, or placed on a bedside table. They can record when you fall asleep and when you wake up by tracking the time you're inactive. They can also detect interrupted sleep, letting you know when you're tossing and turning or waking during the night. Some tracking systems can track the phases of your sleep and time your alarm to go off during a lighter sleep stage. They can also record environmental factors like the amount of light or temperature in your bedroom.
Some sleep tracking devices with advanced features can track sleep stages, blood oxygen saturation, respiration, and restlessness. For example, the Epix Pro by Garmin has Advanced Sleep Monitoring capabilities. The Apple Watch Series 4 and later can also break down your sleep into four stages and measure blood oxygen and temperature. The Oura Ring Gen3 is another example of a sleep tracking device that can measure sleep accurately. It uses infrared light beams and sensors to measure respiratory rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, and body temperature.
While sleep tracking devices can provide useful insights into your sleep patterns, they may not always be completely accurate. If you have concerns about your sleep quality, it is recommended to consult a health practitioner.
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They can monitor sleep duration, quality, and phases
Sleep tracking devices can monitor sleep duration, quality, and phases. They can record when you fall asleep and when you stir in the morning by tracking the time you're inactive. Some trackers also prompt you to enter information about activities that can affect sleep, such as caffeine intake, stress levels, and eating times. This can help you recognize patterns in your sleep habits and determine how lifestyle factors impact your sleep.
Sleep trackers can also detect interrupted sleep, letting you know when you toss and turn or wake up during the night. They can track the phases of your sleep and time your alarm to go off when you're sleeping less deeply. However, it's important to note that sleep trackers don't directly measure sleep but rather estimate it through inactivity and other metrics.
The Apple Watch, for example, can track your sleep stages (awake, REM, light, and deep sleep) and provide insights into your sleep duration and quality. It can also measure blood oxygen levels and temperature. Other options include the Garmin Forerunner 165, which offers GPS tracking for runners and insights into sleep and recovery. It tracks sleep cycles, duration, HRV, restless moments, resting heart rate, and respiration rates. The Withings Scan Watch 2 is another alternative, providing a high-quality sleep tracking experience without the need for a subscription or a bulky design.
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Some trackers can measure other health metrics
Sleep trackers can collect a lot of information about your sleep habits, but they don't directly measure sleep. Instead, they often rely on detecting periods of inactivity to estimate sleep. However, some trackers can measure other health metrics and biometrics, providing insights into your overall health and habits.
For example, the Apple Watch Series 4 and later can track your sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and temperature. The Apple Watch SE, in particular, offers a wheelchair option that tracks pushes instead of steps. Similarly, the Google Pixel Watch 2 has improved heart rate sensors, making it a good option for Android users seeking a sleep tracker.
The Garmin Epix Pro is another example of a tracker with advanced sleep monitoring capabilities, including tracking sleep stages, blood oxygen saturation, respiration, and restlessness. Additionally, Garmin's fitness trackers can incorporate other biometrics, such as detecting the impact of caffeine or alcohol on heart rate variability, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of your sleep quality.
Other trackers, like the Whoop 4.0, go beyond sleep tracking by measuring various health metrics throughout the day. This includes metrics such as blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, and heart rate. The Whoop also allows you to analyze your sleep patterns over time and calculate your ideal sleep duration.
While these trackers offer a wealth of data, it's important to remember that they have limitations in terms of accuracy. Different trackers may yield varying measurements for heart rate, step count, and sleep due to differences in technology and data analysis algorithms. Therefore, it's advisable to focus on overall trends in the data rather than fixating on specific measurements.
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They can be charged before bedtime and worn for at least an hour
Sleep tracking watches are a great way to gain insight into your sleep patterns and quality. They can help you understand your sleep cycles, sleep duration, and even your overall health. If you're looking to use a GPS watch to track your sleep, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, ensure that your watch has sleep tracking capabilities. Not all GPS watches are equipped with this feature, so check the specifications before purchasing.
When it comes to charging and wearing your GPS watch for sleep tracking, it's important to follow a few simple steps to ensure accurate data collection. Firstly, make sure your watch is charged before bedtime. Most sleep tracking watches, including the Apple Watch, recommend having at least a 30% charge before you go to sleep. This ensures that the watch has enough power to track your sleep throughout the night. You can enable charging reminders on some watches, such as the Apple Watch, to receive a notification to charge your device before your set bedtime.
It's also important to wear your GPS watch for at least an hour during your sleep. This allows the watch to collect enough data to provide insights into your sleep patterns. If you don't wear the watch for at least an hour, your sleep tracking graph may not show any data. The Apple Watch, for example, requires you to wear it for a minimum of one hour each night to receive sleep data. This is because the watch uses your motion to detect sleep, and it needs sufficient time to accurately track your sleep stages and duration.
By wearing your GPS watch for at least an hour during sleep, you can take advantage of its sleep tracking capabilities. This enables you to review your sleep history, including the time and percentage spent in different sleep stages such as REM, light sleep, and deep sleep. Additionally, some watches like the Garmin Forerunner 165, offer features such as sleep score, nap detection, and tracking of heart rate, respiration rates, and restless moments. These insights can help you understand your sleep quality and make any necessary adjustments to improve your sleep hygiene.
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They can be paired with a smartphone to view sleep data
Many GPS watches can be paired with a smartphone to view sleep data. One of the most popular smartwatches is the Apple Watch, which has a built-in sleep-tracking function. When Sleep Tracking is turned on, the Apple Watch tracks your sleep and adds sleep data to the Health app on your iPhone. The Health app can help you set a sleep goal and create a customized sleep schedule. You can also view your sleep history on your iPhone by opening the Health app and tapping Browse, then Sleep. The Sleep entry will show your respiratory rate as you sleep, although Apple notes that this data is not intended for medical use.
The Apple Watch's sleep-tracking function can display a graph of sleep stages, including awake, REM, light, and deep sleep. It can also show the time in bed, sleep time, heart rate, and average temperature. However, the Apple Watch does not provide a sleep score or summary to evaluate your night's sleep. Instead, it provides a general overview of your sleep data.
Other examples of GPS watches that can be paired with a smartphone to view sleep data include the Garmin Epix Pro and the Whoop 4.0. The Epix Pro has what Garmin calls Advanced Sleep Monitoring, which can track sleep stages, blood oxygen saturation, respiration, and restlessness. The Whoop 4.0 offers detailed sleep trends and can help you calculate your true sleep needs. It also measures other key metrics of your body throughout the day.
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Frequently asked questions
Sleep trackers use your motion to detect sleep when you wear the watch to bed. They often measure inactivity as a surrogate for estimating sleep. Some common capabilities include sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep phases.
Sleep tracking can increase awareness of sleep and encourage healthy sleep behaviour. It can also help you recognize patterns in your sleep habits. For example, you might feel more sluggish when you sleep from 10 pm to 6 am, but more energetic if you sleep from 11 pm to 7 am.
Popular brands include Apple Watch, Garmin, Withings ScanWatch 2, and Whoop.
To set up sleep tracking, you must first enable the feature in your watch's settings. Then, ensure your watch is charged to at least 30% before bed. Wear your watch to bed for at least one hour each night.
