I’ve tried three sleep tracking devices and now I know for sure that I’m not sleeping well | Your technology | A country

It has always been important to me to monitor my sleep and find ways to get better rest, but even more so since I became a mother and there comes a point where I lose count of how many times I get up at night to take care of one of my two children. That’s why I’m so interested in devices that track my sleep quality and, based on all the data, give me advice on how to make it more restful or help me get up in the morning at the perfect time. What options are there? What are the pros and cons of each?

On the wrist

The device I’ve been using the longest to manage my nights is this smart watch: It has been with me day and night for many years. I currently use the Apple Watch Series 9, which I wear every morning when I get up, when we are about to leave the house (it is important to do this every day), and which helps me monitor my activity, stay up to date with mobile notifications throughout the day and, of course, record my sleep at night.

In this sense, it takes into account nighttime movement to determine what time I fell asleep, how much time I spent in each stage of sleep (rapid eye movement, light and deep sleep), and how many times I woke up. up and at what point. What I like most is that I can access a graph with all this data from the watch itself, view the trend over the last 14 days, and set up sleep schedules that will help me achieve my rest goals. Plus, it wakes me up with a vibration that doesn’t bother anyone, and I can snooze the alarm for 10 minutes if I need to lie down a little longer.

If you need more detailed information, it is available in the Health app on your iPhone. In my case, it is set up as widget access directly from the summary page on the main screen of my mobile phone. In this application, in addition to the data already mentioned, there is also information related to the frequency of breathing and pulse during sleep, as well as information about the phases of sleep, the importance of good sleep and some other data. Programs Additional tips to improve sleep tracking.

under the mattress

Another device I’ve been using for the past few weeks to track my sleep is the Withings Sleep Analyzer tracker. This is a sensor that is placed under the mattress at chest level and is always connected to a current source that determines when you go to bed and get up, your sleep stages and even if you have apnea. Installation is very easy and you just need to keep in mind that you need to give it time to calibrate after installing it under the mattress so that it can accurately detect when you are there.

It is very important not to turn it off and on all the time because it will have to be recalibrated. From here you have nothing to worry about and it is very convenient because you do not have to carry anything on you.

All data is organized in the application Withings, the same one that is used on all devices of this company and which integrates with others — for example, the Apple Health app — to collect all the necessary health-related information. So, on its main screen, it can show the steps taken during the day, the average heart rate both during sleep and wakefulness, oxygen saturation at night, monitoring of the menstrual cycle and, of course, the quality of sleep. Every day, it gives an assessment of how your rest went, which takes into account the duration, depth, regularity and number of breaks and shows a graph with different phases. This is the solution I like the most, although it has its drawbacks. For example, if you spend a lot of time out of bed at night, it determines that you got up, no matter what time it is, and does not monitor it anymore.

on the finger

Finally, the Go2Sleep is a sensor housed in a silicone ring, so it can only be worn at night. It’s a little more uncomfortable than other options, and the fact that I have to put it on before bed makes me forget sometimes; On the other hand, its autonomy is very narrow and it must be charged every two or three nights without fail.

In addition to the disadvantages of comfort, this sensor, thanks to the high capillarity of the fingers, analyzes a lot of data and, in addition to the main ones – the duration and phases of sleep – also records how many times during the night you experience apnea. ; It measures blood pressure and blood pressure variability, blood oxygen levels and movement during sleep, and instantly tells you, via color code, whether the readings are within normal limits or not. Everything can be viewed minute by minute in a complete graph. And what I like best: it has a built-in vibration alarm that can wake you up at a specific time or when it determines that it is the best time for you to wake up rested.

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