4 reasons why you should be tracking your sleep

4 reasons why you should be tracking your sleep 2023

We’re constantly looking for methods to increase the quality and quantity of our sleep, whether you have a baby-like sleep pattern or have trouble falling asleep at night.

The finest sleep trackers(opens in new tab) may help you track how well you sleep each night, which can significantly impact your physical and mental health.

You may learn a lot about your sleep habits and patterns by wearing a sleep tracker to bed.

Seeing what you’re doing well or wrong about your nightly routine might be eye-opening when you have hard facts and proof to support why you had a good or terrible night’s sleep.

In the long term, a sleep tracker may assist you in changing your daily routine for the better so that you receive a good night’s sleep and consistently provide your best effort.

Unfortunately, many individuals don’t use sleep trackers because they don’t want to wear watches to bed or because they don’t want to spend money on a device that is only used for sleep.

For the latter, the best smartwatches, like the Apple Watch Series 8(opens in new tab), and the best fitness trackers, like the Fitbit Charge 5(opens in new tab), have incredible sleep tracking features, so if you already own one of these, you can start tracking your nightly habits right away.

Are you still trying to convince me? Here are four good reasons to keep track of your sleep.

HOW DO SLEEP TRACKERS WORK?

Let’s briefly go through the operation of sleep trackers first. A wearable on your wrist or a non-wearable tracker like the Withings Sleep Analyzer(opens in new tab) are examples of sleep trackers that utilize accelerometers to measure movement, oxygen levels, and heart rate.

This data analyzes how much sleep you receive, how often you wake up at night, and the phases of sleep by analyzing these parameters, particularly how much movement you make when sleeping.

Although there is considerable disagreement over the accuracy of sleep trackers(opens in new tab), the information they gather may provide fascinating insights into your patterns and assist you in making adjustments to your routine.

Here are some reasons you need to use sleep monitors now that you know how they operate.

1. INSIGHTS INTO YOUR SLEEP HABITS
2. IMPROVES SLEEP HYGIENE
3. HELPS IDENTIFY SLEEP ISSUES
4. PERSONALISED SLEEP RECOMMENDATIONS

1) INSIGHTS INTO YOUR SLEEP HABITS

The most crucial function of sleep trackers is to keep track of and evaluate your sleep patterns.

When you go to sleep and when you wake up, as well as any movement or interruptions throughout the night, are all tracked by sleep monitors.

You may determine how long you slept by following when you go to sleep and get up. You can then compare this to how you feel the following day to determine how many hours of sleep you need.

It’s also beneficial to have a better grasp of your sleep cycles.

Various sleep phases (opens in new tab) affect how soundly and deeply you sleep throughout the night.

You may discover any issues and adjust your routine to achieve more deep sleep to restore your energy and memory by comparing how much REM or deep sleep you receive each night versus how much light sleep you get.

2) IMPROVES SLEEP HYGIENE

By providing you with insights into your sleeping habits, tracking your sleep may help you build better sleep hygiene.

On days when you drank caffeine too close to bedtime, you could have noticed that it affected your ability to sleep at night.

Numerous sleep monitors and the apps that go with them can keep an eye on your daytime and nighttime activity.

Your sleep monitor will note this time and the moment you passed out.

This might help you figure out when you should go to bed so that you wake up feeling more rested and alert by comparing multiple nights.

Using the information from your sleep tracker, you may adjust your schedule for more predictable, high-quality sleep. See our fantastic sleep hygiene recommendations for more details(opens in new tab).

3) HELPS IDENTIFY SLEEP ISSUES

You can find out whether you have any sleep problems by using your sleep tracker to record your rest and heart rate.

If you see any anomalies, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, you may bring up these concerns with your doctor, who will then decide whether further testing is necessary.

Using a sleep tracker may motivate you to visit a doctor if you’ve seen any changes. Still, it’s crucial to remember that this information isn’t a replacement for a doctor’s assessment or diagnosis.

4) PERSONALISED SLEEP RECOMMENDATIONS

Wearable sleep watches, like those made by Fitbit, come with apps that can make personalized suggestions about how to sleep.

By looking at your data, the app can give you a number for how well you sleep and tips on changing your habits to get a better night’s sleep.

Want to know how Fitbit tracks your sleep? Learn more about how Fitbit tracks your sleep (opens in new tab).