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Sleep Tracker: Everything You Need to Know

Sleep Tracker: Everything You Need to Know

There were limited ways to monitor your sleep, such as keeping a sleep journal or enrolling in a sleep study. Today, with so many advancements in technology, experts have curated a new tool known as a sleep tracker.

If you find yourself groggy and waking up tired, you might not be getting enough quality sleep. Not only is getting a good night's sleep beneficial but, it can help you fight illness, lower the risk of illnesses, help you to stay alert and focused throughout the day. It can be challenging to determine the amount of sleep you get each night.


What Is a Sleep Tracker?

They are designed to track sleeping patterns, monitor various health aspects, and provide helpful tips to improve the quality and amount of sleep you are receiving each night. Some provide users feedback based on their sleep performance.


What Are the Types of Sleep Trackers?

There are two common types of trackers on the market today: wearable and non-wearable sleep trackers. Deciding on a tracker comes down to what you’ll be comfortable with. Some users find wearable trackers to be bothersome, while others have no issues.

Wearable Sleep Trackers

A wearable sleep tracker can be found in many different forms. The most commonly utilized wearable trackers include a watch or bracelet. However, they can also be found in the form of a headband, chest strap, and even a ring.

Non-wearable Sleep Trackers

A non-wearable sleep tracker is often a thin device placed on your mattress in between the mattress and sheets to monitor your sleeping habits. In addition, some non-wearable sleep trackers, called bedside devices, can be placed on a table by the bed or beside where you are sleeping.

What Do Sleep Trackers Do?

They are designed to monitor various sleep aspects (also known as sleep monitors), including the amount of time you are sleeping, how many times your sleep is disrupted each night, and other common health metrics. Once you wake, the sleep tracker will create a report to be reviewed by you, allowing the user to monitor any sleep pattern changes and provide helpful tips to attain a better night’s rest.

How accurate are sleep trackers? It depends on the type of tracker you're using, based on a study in the Journal of Sleep, December 2020.

How Do Sleep Trackers Work?

A sleep tracker, whether wearable or non-wearable, can perform many different actions throughout the night, depending on the device used.

Not sure how they work, well, we've listed the most common sleep monitors:

Sleep Duration:

Sleep experts recommend a person maintain at least 7 - 8 hours of sleep each night. Although the amount of sleep you get each night is important, other aspects of your sleep can contribute to your overall well-being and health.

Sleep Quality:

While sleep disruptions may not be remembered the following morning, tossing and turning throughout the night can leave a person feeling exhausted regardless of how many hours of sleep they receive.

Health Factors:

Your heart rate, breathing rate, and breathing pattern are slowed as you sleep.

Environmental Factors:

Ambient light and other noise factors can affect the quality of sleep you receive. Humidity and temperature are also very impactful on your sleep.

Your Lifestyle:

Caffeine and sugar intake throughout the day as well as stress can leave you unable to sleep at night.

Benefits of Sleep Trackers

An individual using a sleep tracker has the potential to experience many benefits from the continual monitoring of sleep habits, quality, and duration as it allows them to make necessary adjustments to their life and sleep space to achieve better sleep. Of the many benefits to using sleep tracking, the most common include:

1. Sleep Monitor Duration and Quality

While sleep experts recommend a person receive approximately 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, the average person sleeps less than 6 hours or experiences repeated sleep disturbances. A sleep tracker monitors the duration and quality of sleep you are experiencing each night and provides helpful tips for attaining better sleep.

2. Monitoring Various Health Factors

For years, the only way to monitor things such as your heart rate and breathing pattern was to enroll in a sleep center. With the creation of a sleep tracker, anyone can monitor their health throughout the night to determine if they are experiencing disturbances in a normal heart rate or breathing rate such as sleep apnea, causing a person to repeatedly stop breathing.

3. Monitoring Environmental Factors

Outside factors that can affect your sleep include ambient lighting throughout your room from a television or cell phone and noises that can cause sleep disruptions. By tracking these environmental factors, you are able to reduce or eliminate possible environmental factors that can disrupt a healthy sleep pattern.

4. Monitoring Your Lifestyle

Depending on the sleep tracker you have purchased, you may be prompted to input various information, including the amount of caffeine and sugar you are consuming each day, your daily diet, and stress levels experienced throughout the day. Many do not think drinking an energy drink or cup of coffee at 2 pm can affect their ability to fall asleep at 9 pm, but it can.

Takeaway

Sleep trackers are great for users interested in viewing user-friendly graphs and reports to help understand their sleep and easily spot sleeping trends. If you have any worries about the quality of your sleep, it's best to reach out to your doctor.