Devices

If you want to track your sleep and are looking for a device to enable it, what are the better choices?

Factors that you may consider include sensitivity (ability to detect sleep), specificity (ability to detect wakefulness), sleep stage analysis (light and deep, NREM 1-3 and REM), cost, comfort and other features the device can offer.

1. Best for accuracy?

Based on published research and expert user experience, the Oura Generation 3 and Apple Watch 8 and 9 appear the current best. Whoop Band 4.0 also performs well. Garmin and Fitbit models generally a little less so.

More recent devices *are* generally better than older devices, as sleep tracking tech has significantly improved in recent years and will likely continue to do so.

The Samsung Galaxy

2. Best for added benefits?

If you prefer a device which can act as a holistic health tracker including but not limited to sleep, then Whoop and Oura both stand out as having a platform, app, device and service dedicated to this purpose, for example, by also measuring Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and incorporating education and advice into the service to you.

3. Best for comfort?

The main form factors are:

Rings, such as Oura
Bands, such as Whoop
Watches, such as Apple Watch and Garmin
Chest Straps, such as with Polar

Rings may be least intrusive, so long as you get a good fit. The Whoop band also stands out for not having any kind of 'watch' element, and instead just being a light, soft but strong band around the wrist.

4. Best for cost?

$$$. Apple Watch (it requires you have an iPhone) Whoop (requires a subscription),

$$. Garmin Vivoactive, Garmin Venu, Withings Scanwatch, Oura Ring (requires subscription), Samsung Galaxy Watch, Google Pixel Watch

$. Fitbit Charge 6, Fitbit Inspire 3

*Link* goes to The Quantified Scientist on Youtube, who combines published research with n=1 experimentation to provide an informed view on sleep trackers relative to one another

Are you interested in sleep tracking? As of 2024, sleep tracking devices such as Oura, Whoop, Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin and some others are becoming increasingly capable at providing fairly reliable data for most people.

Yet before looking at which device is 'best', ask, why track? Also, why not?

3 Good Reasons to Track?

1. Support your motivation to change?

If you are already aware that your sleep is not as great as you would like, and perhaps your sleep practices could be improved, then seeing your personal data may provide you with a helpful nudge to make changes

2. Feedback on changes?

Whilst 'listening to the body' is paramount, you may well find it helpful, when making changes, to be able to see what impact they have, or not, on your sleep quality and quantity. Seeing better numbers may also reinforce your will to continue with a new habit.

3. Identify trends and influences?

Using a sleep tracker over time may well enable you to identify behaviours and practices which influence your sleep, for better and worse. Things like travel, eating before bed, alcohol, stimulating activity and blue light exposure. This can be actionable insight for you to make positive changes.

Great Reasons not to Track?

1. Tracking induced anxiety and orthosomnia

Use of sleep trackers *may* produce anxiety if you see poor numbers, or a decline. Some people find themselves checking their sleep data first thing after waking, rather than simply checking in with how they actually feel, and if they see poor numbers, feeling worse about themselves and the day ahead.

Orthosomnia refers to an unhealthy obsession with pursuit of perfect sleep and use of sleep trackers is associated with risk of orthosomnia.

2. Data vs just feeling it

Relying upon a device to measure your sleep quality risks having it become *the* method you use to assess the quality and quantity of your sleep. It can be helpful, yet it can also be more helpful to practice using your natural interoception to just get a sense of how rested, recovered and refreshed you feel following sleep.

3. Trackers may struggle if you have poor sleep

Most or all of the consumer devices for sleep tracking appear to work best for people with relatively typical sleep and less well for people with dysfunctional sleep, including some form of insomnia.

If you are struggling with poor sleep already, engaging your doctor and a professional with the ability to assist with your sleep may be the better choice than a DIY approach to tracking and improvement.

> Link out goes to the UK Sleep Charity resources page for sleep