Gina Johnson
Smart alarms are a feature of sleep-tracking apps and devices that monitor your sleep cycle to determine the best time to wake you up. By tracking your sleep phases, including REM sleep and non-REM sleep, the smart alarm can wake you up during a lighter sleep phase, resulting in a more refreshing morning. Wearable sleep trackers typically measure your movement and heart rate, while sound-based trackers listen for sound to detect your sleep phase. Some popular smart alarm apps include Sleepwave, Sleep as Android, Sleep Cycle, and Whoop. These apps offer features such as gentle alarm sounds, sleep coaching, and the ability to track your sleep data. Smart alarms aim to provide a calmer and more peaceful wake-up experience, reducing the grogginess associated with traditional alarm clocks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To wake the user up at the lightest stage of their sleep within a selected time range. |
| Functionality | Users can set a time period in which they would like to wake up, e.g., between 7 AM and 7:15 AM. The smart alarm will then sound within this time range when it detects the user is in a lighter stage of the sleep cycle. |
| Benefits | The alarm goes off when the user is already close to waking up, so the body and brain find it easier to transition into being awake, resulting in a more peaceful morning. |
| Additional Features | Sleep tracking, health and fitness tracking, breathing rate tracking, sleep depth tracking, and wakefulness tracking. |
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What You'll Learn
How smart alarms work
Smart alarms are designed to wake you up during the lightest stage of your sleep within a selected time range. This is intended to make your mornings calmer and more refreshing, as you are already close to waking up, so your body and brain find it easier to transition into being awake.
Smart alarms can be found on sleep tracking apps or as wearable devices. Sleep tracking apps often use sound to track sleep, while wearables typically measure movement and heart rate. One example of a sound-based sleep tracking app is Sleepwave, which uses sound waves to track your motion and detect when you are in a lighter sleep phase. Another sound-based sleep tracking app is Sleep Cycle, which uses a phone or tablet's microphone and accelerometer to track sleep and find the best time to wake you up.
Wearable sleep trackers include the Oura Ring 4, which is lightweight and provides a wealth of sleep data through its app. The Google Pixel Watch 2 is another option, which features improved heart rate sensors and integrates with Fitbit.
Smart alarms can also be found on apps such as Sleep as Android, which uses an accelerometer to measure how restless or restful you are, and then wakes you up at the optimal moment. The AMdroid app is another example, which allows you to set recurring alarms and countdowns, and even set alarms that only work in specific locations.
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Wearable vs. sound-based trackers
Smart alarms use sleep tracking to determine the best time in your sleep cycle to wake up. By timing your wake-up call to coincide with a lighter sleep phase, smart alarms offer a more refreshing morning. Generally, smart alarms fall into two categories: wearable sleep trackers and sound-based sleep trackers.
Wearable sleep trackers are great for people who are curious about what happens when they sleep and want concrete guidance on how to improve their sleep. Wearables typically measure movement and heart rate. The most popular wearables from Fitbit, Apple, Garmin, and Samsung collect a combination of the following measurements: heart rate, heart rate variability, movement, breaths per minute, and skin temperature. Devices that track sleep cycles use an algorithm to estimate your sleep cycles based on the data. A 2017 study compared a polysomnography with the performance of a Fitbit Charge 2 in 35 adults. Researchers found the Fitbit device detected sleep onset with 96% accuracy but overestimated time spent asleep by 9 minutes on average. In the study, the Fitbit detected light sleep with 81% accuracy, deep sleep with only 49% accuracy, and REM sleep with 74% accuracy.
Sound-based sleep trackers, on the other hand, often listen for sound to track the different phases of your sleep cycle. The Sleepwave tracker, for example, monitors movement via sound waves. This allows the tracker to detect when you're in different sleep phases, including REM sleep and non-REM sleep. Sleepwave's unique technology senses your movements and wakes you up when you're in a lighter sleep phase within a selected 15-minute window.
While wearable sleep trackers can provide insights into your sleep patterns and offer guidance on improving your sleep, they may not always be precise due to their reliance on actigraphy, a technology that measures movement. For example, a tracker may assume that a user is sleeping when they are awake but lying still. For medically accurate sleep-tracking data, a polysomnography test is recommended.
Sound-based trackers, such as Sleepwave, offer a unique solution by using sound waves to track your motion, avoiding the pitfalls of standard sound trackers that may struggle to distinguish the user's sounds from other noises in the environment. However, one user of the Google Nest Hub, which also uses sound to track sleep, reported that it consistently overestimated their REM phases and missed periods of wakefulness that other trackers recorded.
Both wearable and sound-based trackers have their advantages and disadvantages. Wearable trackers provide more data, including heart rate and movement, but may be less accurate due to their reliance on actigraphy. Sound-based trackers offer a non-wearable solution, but may struggle with distinguishing the user's sounds from other noises or may be less accurate in tracking sleep phases. Ultimately, the best tracker for you will depend on your personal preferences and specific needs.
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Additional features
Smart alarms are a feature of sleep tracking apps and devices that monitor your sleep to determine the best time in your sleep cycle to wake you up. By timing your wake-up call to coincide with a lighter sleep phase, smart alarms offer a more refreshing morning.
Sleep tracking apps often listen for sound to track sleep, while wearables typically measure movement and heart rate. The Sleepwave smart alarm app, for example, uses sound waves to track your motion and detect when you're in a lighter sleep phase.
- Health and fitness tracking: Insights on your health and fitness can help you live a better life during the day so you can sleep better at night. For example, the Whoop tracker measures your four sleep stages and suggests optimal sleep times based on your energy expenditure on physical or mental tasks.
- Sleep coaching: Some apps and devices offer sleep coaching features, such as informing you when to go to bed and telling you how much sleep you will get if you go to bed after the recommended time.
- White noise: Some apps provide white noise sounds like ocean waves, crackling fires, and chants to help you fall asleep.
- Smart light integration: Certain apps integrate with smart lights to simulate sunrise and gradually wake you up naturally.
- Customizable alarms: You may be able to customize your alarms with your own music or choose from a variety of annoying noises designed to wake you up effectively.
- Location-based alarms: Some apps allow you to set alarms that only work in specific locations, ensuring you don't forget to do something when you arrive at or leave a particular place.
- Challenges for waking up: Some apps include challenges or tasks that you must complete before you can turn off the alarm, such as math problems or scanning QR codes.
- Sleep recordings: Some apps offer the ability to record and replay the sounds you make while you sleep, allowing you to discover if you snore or talk in your sleep.
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Smart alarms on smartwatches
Smart alarms are designed to wake you up during the lightest stage of your sleep within a selected time range, aiming to make your mornings calmer and more refreshing. The Sleepwave smart alarm app, for example, uses sound waves to track your motion and detect when you're in a lighter sleep phase.
Smart alarms are a feature of many sleep trackers, which can be in the form of smartwatches or apps. Wearable sleep trackers typically measure your movement and heart rate, while sleep tracking apps often listen for sound. Smartwatches with sleep-tracking features include the Oura Ring 4, which provides a wealth of sleep data through its app, and the Google Pixel Watch 2, which integrates Fitbit and offers bedtime reminders, sleep goals, and a silent alarm that vibrates during your optimal sleep stage.
Sleep tracking apps that offer smart alarms include Sleepwave, Sleep as Android, and Sleep Cycle. Sleepwave uses motion-sensing technology to detect your movements and wake you during a lighter sleep phase within a 15-minute window. Sleep as Android offers various alarm challenges, such as shake-to-wake and math problems, and works with smart bulbs to simulate sunrise. Sleep Cycle uses your phone's microphone and accelerometer to track your sleep and find the best time and method to wake you up.
Smart alarms aim to make waking up easier and more peaceful by timing your wake-up call with your sleep cycle. By waking you during a lighter sleep phase, your body and brain find it easier to transition to being awake, reducing the grogginess associated with sleep inertia.
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User reviews
However, some users have expressed concerns about the accuracy of sleep tracking devices and apps in general, suggesting that they are "terrible at accurately tracking your sleep". This is a common issue with many sleep tracking apps, and it is important to note that the Sleep Better app may also be subject to these limitations.
Another potential issue is battery life. While the app has settings to minimise battery usage, some users may be concerned about the impact of running the app all night. For example, one user reported that using the app for sleep tracking drained their battery by 5-6%.
Some users have also suggested alternative methods for waking up gently, such as light-based alarms that slowly increase in brightness over a set period. These types of alarms may be a good alternative or supplement to the Sleep Better app, providing a gentle and gradual wake-up experience.
Overall, user reviews of the Sleep Better app's smart alarm function are mostly positive, with some users reporting that it has helped them improve their sleep and wake up better. However, there are also some concerns about the accuracy of sleep tracking and potential battery life issues that users should be aware of.
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Frequently asked questions
A smart alarm is a type of alarm that uses sleep tracking to determine the best time in your sleep cycle to wake you up. By timing your wake-up call to coincide with a lighter sleep phase, smart alarms offer a more refreshing morning.
The Sleep Better app's smart alarm will ring between a selected time range when you are in a lighter sleep phase. This allows for an easier transition into being awake, resulting in a more peaceful morning.
To set a smart alarm on the Sleep Better app, start the sleep tracker by tapping on "Sleep/Track my sleep". Then, tap on the alarm button inside the recording screen. Make sure the app is open for the alarm to work.
To turn off the smart alarm, go to "Profile > Alarm > toggle" in the app.
