March is National Sleep Awareness Month.
Sleep… elusive dream. It is a very necessary, although somewhat complicated, part of life, especially if you are perimenopausal. Fortunately, like so many things these days, we have technology to help us figure it out. Enter sleep trackers.
Many people use smart watches to track their sleep. But some people (well, me) don’t like wearing a smartwatch to bed. It just feels strange, like at the end of the day I should return home to a jeweler. But if that happened, how would I know my sleep score? How would I feel superior to my partner because of said sleep score? What would I talk about? (Okay, these are problems for another time.)
It turns out that there are many wristless devices to help analyze sleep. From an ’80s-style headband to a thin mat under the mattress, technology is stepping up its game in the name of good sleep.
If you’ve never tracked your sleep cycle and are wondering what all the fuss is about, sleep trackers can give you important information about your sleep quality. If you wake up tired but aren’t sure why, a sleep tracker can help you understand what’s going on.
For example, people with Sleep apnea They may not know they have it, but it is really dangerous because it causes irregular breathing or can even prevent you from breathing while you sleep. If left untreated, sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other serious health conditions.
About 1 in 10 women in the US You have sleep apnea. And now there’s a tracker for that: Samsung recently added a sleep apnea detection feature to its health monitoring app for the Samsung Galaxy Watch. The feature was approved by the FDA in February – a first for the sleep tracking industry and a step forward in raising awareness about sleep disorders.
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Sleep trackers can also help you and your healthcare provider identify underlying health conditions and lifestyle choices that may have a negative impact on your sleep. In honor of Sleep Awareness Month, here are some unique wrist-free devices to consider.
Headbands
Brain sensors are the secret ingredient in these smart headbands. Muse headband (about $450) analyzes activity in the brain and then plays relaxing sounds through headphones to help you sleep. On-demand analysis, sleep scores and personal guidance are some of the conclusions when using the headband. Philips SmartSleep Deep Sleep Headband ($399.99) has two sensors to detect when you are in deep sleep. The algorithm then generates slow audio waves to improve sleep quality. Fun fact: The headband was chosen by a NASA-funded institute to conduct studies to help improve astronauts’ sleep.
Rings
Smart rings track your sleep like your smartwatch, but from a band around your finger. Advanced sleep tracking options include Oura Ring (from $299) and SleepOn ir2sleep ($89). The Titanium Oura Ring is so awake that you can tell if your late night snack or activity had an impact on your sleep quality. The ring also measures blood oxygen levels and offers personalized advice to improve your sleep score. Unintended bonus: the Oura ring will hold your finger when you’ve had a bad dream. Speaking of aliens, the AI-powered Go2sleep ring gives off serious UFO vibes. The oval-shaped tracker is worn in the palm of your hand, where sensors monitor sleep by the second to get a more complete view of patterns and potential problems. Detailed reports will help you understand what it all means. For people who don’t want to put a ring on it, the Go2sleep SE It goes on the tip of your finger.
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Mats
Anti-wearable? Pro-simplicity? A sleep tracking mat is probably for you. Simply place the mat under your mattress or mattress topper, crawl into bed, and enjoy some ZZZs. The mat’s sensors will track important details like your breathing and heart rate while you sleep. For additional benefits, the Sleep Tracking Mat by Withings ($129) has a snore detector and a home automation option so you can control lights and other smart home devices when you get in and out of bed. If hot flashes keep you awake at night, or you are simply hot, the Chilipad Dock Pro Sleep System ($199) uses AI to adjust bed temperature in real time.
Smart bedside devices
For something you don’t have to put on or worry about after a quick setup, an all-in-one sleep tracker can be a good option. The Google Nest Hub ($79.99 per year) offers a sleep detection feature that uses a miniature radar to detect motion. Basically, from your device next to your bed, it knows when you’re tossing and turning in bed. It also has microphones to capture snoring and breathing problems and light and temperature sensors. The next morning, a summary and tips for better sleep will appear on the screen. Your smartphone can also function as a bedside sleep tracker. For example, the free Sleep score and close eye The apps record breathing and report results in the morning. And we know that a good night’s sleep can leave you feeling refreshed in the morning. Sweet dreams!
