Wearable trackers have become an affordable way for nearly everyone to track and record a variety of data about their health and lifestyle habits. Being plugged in has its benefits, but it can also mean that you’re exposed to a ton of information you don’t know what to do with.
Sleep trackers are marketed as aids to help you better understand how long you’re sleeping and how much time you’re spending in bed. It may have an impact.
Wearable users may find that their devices indicate that they are not getting the quality, deep sleep they need to feel energized and recharged. And having constant reminders that you’re not up to these generally accepted health standards can be stressful.
Having sleep data at hand is not enough. More importantly, it analyzes the information in ways that help improve sleep quality. One way to do that is to identify patterns and identify factors that contribute to poor sleep quality.
patterns and diseases
Wearables such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit track sleep quantity and quality based on several metrics, including blood oxygen levels, movement and, if the wearable is linked to a mobile device, screen time before bed. can.
Sleep helps our bodies repair and relax and rejuvenate our minds, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Deep sleep accounts for 10-15% of the time.
But more important than nightly recordings of REM, core, and deep sleep is users cross-referencing data to identify lifestyle patterns. For sleep tracking, the device does most of the work for us, but identifying patterns and possible reasons for poor or good sleep may require more detailed manual logs. We need to plot them against other data points that are relevant.
Here, we’ll look at variables to track related to sleep and how to transform the data into information that can help you improve your sleep quality.
position
What environment promotes the best sleep? When you’re abroad, can you roll over and sleep soundly in your own bed? If you’re a frequent traveler, bring trinkets into your home to help you get a good night’s sleep while traveling, such as pillowcases and familiar scents. can do.
diet
Dietary changes and meal times can affect night rest. Things like caffeine, sugar, and carbohydrates that can cause a poor night’s sleep have different effects on different individuals. is useful for
exercise
How much you exercise and when you exercise can affect your sleep. Many people believe that exercising a few hours before bed makes it harder to fall asleep due to the post-exercise adrenaline rush, but studies show that moderate exercise two to four hours before bed interferes with sleep. not.
Like most other variables, exercise can affect individuals differently. Therefore, it’s worth logging to see what the effects of exercising at different times are.
screening time
Exposure to blue light can have a significant impact on your sleep quality and ability to fall asleep. Time spent may be the easiest variable to track. Mobile phones now allow users to customize sleep settings, turn off blue light, and limit screen time before bed.
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