Track your sleep to see your night habits and develop better resting tools
- nov
- 11
If you find yourself waking up every day still feeling very tired and unrested, you could be having sleep troubles you may not know about. An official sleep study could help focus in on the problem so your doctor could recommend proper treatment. If you're looking for some at-home analysis about your sleeping habits, try investing in a sleep tracker or monitor.
Fitness and sleep tracker
Fitbit Charge 3
Staff favorite
The Fitbit Charge 3 can automatically detect when you fall asleep, meaning you don't have to worry about switching modes before you turn out the lights. As you sleep, the Charge 3 monitors your heartbeat and sleep patterns throughout the night, displaying the data in the graphical form on the Fitbit app for your phone. While the Fitbit doesn't track the exact stage of sleep you are in, it does let you know how long you were restless for and gives you a total of your time spent in peaceful sleep.
Tons of sleep data
Withings Sleep
Although Withings Sleep is only a pad you put under the mattress, it can give you a ton of data about your sleep. This handy pad measures a plethora of data which can be useful in determining why you feel so unrested. The pad can measure your heartbeat, bed temperature, air conditions, how many times you roll over, what stage of sleep you're in, and more. All this data is collected and then synced to your phone with a free app, giving you a chance to review it every morning.
Bedside solution
ResMed S+
If you hate the idea of having something on you or your bed, the ResMed S+ is meant to be placed on your nightstand or bedside table. The device uses sonar technology to detect your movements and breathing during sleep. It also has sensors for light, temperature, and ambient sounds. After each night, the app will give you a detailed breakdown of your sleep by the hour and even give you personalized feedback on ways to improve your sleep.
Personalized sleep coaching
Beautyrest Sleeptracker
The Beautyrest is a high-tech sleep tracker that features two pads and a processor. The pads go under your mattress on each side to get a better picture of your motion while you sleep. The processor compiles all the data and transmits all the details on your sleep each night to the app. The sensors are so sensitive and accurate that they can monitor respiration and heart rate. Plus, the sleep cycle alarm determines the best time to wake you up so that you feel refreshed. The processor learns your sleep patterns over time so that it can help to provide you with the best sleep coaching possible via the app.
Great for runners
Polar M430
While you may think of the Polar M430 as a great running wearable (because it is), its Polar Sleep Plus system is pretty handy to track your shut-eye. It uses the watch's accelerometer to deliver feedback, and it's quite accurate since it gives you actual sleep time, so your results won't be skewed just by lying in bed. Plus, it will track any interruptions and provide data on continuous sleep periods.
Basic data vs advanced data
Sleep is vital for everybody, but tracking your sleep data at home can be simple or advanced, depending on what you require. Basic sleep data like general sleep quality, time spent in deep sleep, and your sleeping heart rate can be tracked from a wearable. If you're looking for more in-depth, more meaningful data, you'll likely need a device that is on or near your bed.
I find that if you don't need super-advanced insight into your sleep, and are just looking for a baseline of how much you toss and turn, the Fitbit Charge 3 fits the bill nicely. It's comfortable to wear, and its battery life is long enough that wearing it to bed won't mean you have to charge it first thing in the morning.
If you crave that more in-depth data into your sleeping habits and are looking to improve your sleep, the Simmons Beautyrest is about as advanced as it gets and can even provide personalized sleep coaching to help you get the best rest.
Sleep trackers are a great way to get even more insight into your sleep patterns. It can also help you develop healthier sleep habits, which has a ton of benefits in the long run.