Sleep Trackers are ingenious smartphone applications as well as little devices that imperceptibly record several aspects of how well you sleep. Many people use them to zero in on ways to get more, high-quality, restful sleep. And yes, they definitely do work! Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the reasons why sleep tracking apps and devices have become so popular.
Why It’s Important To Improve Your Sleep
Precisely why we sleep is still a bit of a mystery. That said, we can be absolutely sure poor quality sleep impacts almost every aspect of our physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
You don’t need to take our word for it. Just think about what it’s like to deal with someone who hasn’t had enough sleep. Even according to the Harvard medical school, no one knows for sure exactly why we sleep.
Quality Of Sleep Might Be More Important Than Quantity
It’s not that difficult to figure out how long you’re sleeping. An approximation can be made from when you fall asleep and what time you wake up. Once you adjust for a trip or two to the bathroom, you can pretty much tell if you’re getting eight hours.
Sleep quality is a different story. What we’ve learned about sleep quality comes from the many years of scientists running experiments in sleep labs. The evidence has been overwhelming in demonstrating the importance of sleep quality. However, up to now, tracking sleep quality involves lots of complicated sensors and equipment to measure things like heart rate, brain wave activity, blood oxygen level, R.E.M. or rapid eye movement, and other physical indicators or risk factors.
Now Tracking Sleep Quality Is Easy
Even though the gold standard for a sleep study still involves an overnight stay in a sleep lab, now we can all get a lot of information with the help of sleep tracker apps on a smartphone as well as other smart devices. This is indispensable in figuring out if you truly are getting a good night of deep sleep.
Most people would trade seven hours of deep, restful sleep for eight or more hours of tossing and turning. Sleep trackers can help you find out what’s going on while you sleep so you can make adjustments and improvements.
The exciting news is that we are now able to measure and track the quality of your sleep.
Sleep Apnea – How To Find Out If You Have It
Just because you snore doesn’t necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. And you don’t need to be overweight to suffer from sleep apnea. Many fit people suffer from this condition. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition in which you stop and restart breathing many times during the night.
Of course, you can’t hear yourself doing it but if you suspect you have sleep apnea, ask your sleep partner if they hear you gasp for air while you sleep. Of course, a more reliable way is to get a sleep tracking app or device like one of the apple watch series.
Take This Quiz To Check For Symptoms Of Sleep Disorders
- Do you find yourself yawning and/or falling asleep while driving? When you’re watching tv or otherwise inactive, do you find it challenging to stay awake?
- Do you find yourself wanting to take a nap during the day?
- Are you overeating?
- Is your memory ability changing?
- When asked questions, is your response slower?
- Are you more easily emotional?
- Do other people comment on you being less alert?
- Has your performance during the day changed?
- Do you have difficulty concentrating?
70 Million People In the United States Suffer From Sleep Disorders
Here are some of the most common sleep disorders:
- Insomnia – Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep
- Sleep Apnea – Stop breathing for at least 10 seconds while sleeping
Hypersomnia
- -- Difficulty staying awake and alert during the day
- Restless Leg Syndrome – Powerful urge to move your legs while sleeping and a tingling feeling in your legs
- Circadian Rhythm Disorder – Changes and disruptions in your sleep/awake cycle
Do You Have a Spooky Sleep Disorder?
According to Live Science here are the scary ones:
- Sleeping Beauty Syndrome – Excessive amounts of sleep are most commonly experienced by teenage males.
- Nightmare Disorder – We’ve all had a scary nightmare or two, but this is different. This is intense and often enough to make you dread falling asleep.
- Sleepwalking – Yup, it’s a thing.
- Sleepeating – Whether it is a snack or a whole meal, some people get out of bed to eat all the while sleeping.
- Sleep Paralysis – This is a temporary inability to move even when you wake up.
White Noise – Find Out Which One Works Best For You
Many people swear by white noise. It helps them fall asleep and stay asleep. You can easily search for a variety of white noises on Youtube. Try out several of them and use a sleep tracking app to see which one most benefits your sleep.
Oh, the Oura Ring
Imagine all the sleep tracking features from a smartphone miniaturized into a smart ring! It’s hard to believe that what looks like a normal ring on your finger can gather so much information about how you sleep. You still need a smart device of some sort to be able to examine all the information, but the fact that it’s all coming from this little ring is amazing. You can find out more about the Oura Ring here.
A Thorough Review Of Sleep Trackers Here
The folks at Techradar have put together an excellent comparison of the best sleep trackers for 2022. Please go over this information to find out which one appeals to you. Review the features and be aware some of the trackers involve a long-term contract and some others involve a monthly subscription.
How To Improve Your Sleep: Mattress Pads, Hybrid Mattresses, and Adjustable Bed Frames
So now that a sleep tracker app or device can tell you how you sleep, what can you do to improve it? This is the easiest part. Find a sleep expert you can trust near where you live. Spend some time telling them what you’ve found through your sleep tracking and ask them to recommend a cooling mattress pad or mattress and or an adjustable bed frame that best suits you.
The sleep expert people at the Bedding Mart locations will help you choose a sleep solution that fits your sleep profile and your budget. We're absolutely positive that a new mattress will drastically improve your overall sleep health.
