Smart Watch with Sleep Tracking: Should You Get One?

Well-being extends beyond the realm of adopting unconventional dietary habits and engaging in yoga sessions. At times, the key to enhanced vitality lies in a simple yet crucial factor – a rejuvenating night's sleep. Employing a sleep tracker to ensure adequate rest can prove to be immensely beneficial. Quality sleep is recognized for its positive impact on both physical health and emotional equilibrium. Moreover, it can play a pivotal role in safeguarding against serious illnesses. Thankfully, a variety of sleep tracking options are now available, ranging from wrist-worn wearables such as smartwatches equipped with sleep tracking features to bedside monitors.

A significant portion of the population fails to attain adequate daily sleep, with approximately two-thirds sleeping for fewer than the recommended seven to eight hours each night. Many remain unaware of their sleep deprivation, often kickstarting their day with a robust cup of coffee. The caffeine in coffee acts to suppress signals of sleepiness, masking the fatigue that would otherwise manifest.

However, insufficient sleep poses serious health risks, increasing the likelihood of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Compromised immune function and disrupted hunger cues can also result in increased appetite and, ultimately, weight gain.

The utilization of top-notch smartwatches for sleep tracking has become increasingly prevalent. Monitoring your sleep patterns with these devices offers valuable insights, allowing you to enhance your sleep habits. Various smartwatches provide unique perspectives and personalized recommendations to help improve your sleep duration. Given the plethora of options in the market, choosing the right smartwatch can be overwhelming. To aid in the decision-making process, this blog provides recommendations for some of the best smartwatches for sleep tracking.

Before delving into the list, let's delve into the significance of sleep habits and how smartwatches contribute to their improvement.

Overview

Actigraphy is the actual science behind sleep tracking devices. It is either heart rate or movement recognition. Smartwatches can sense movement while wearers are sleeping thanks to actigraphy or wrist movement tracking.

They can therefore gauge sleep habits using it. Actigraphy uses a gyroscope or accelerometer to monitor your movement and determine what stage of your sleep cycle you are in. Some smartwatches go the extra mile by incorporating heart rate sensors to monitor heart rate readings.

During sleep, our heart rate usually decreases and fluctuates based on the sleep stage. This variation in data can be instrumental in meticulously tracking and observing your sleep cycle.

What does the sensor in sleep-tracking smartwatches measure?

Modern smartwatches equipped with sleep-tracking features offer a range of functions. Among the best smartwatches, certain sensors provide the following sleep measurements:

Sleep Quality:

The sleep-tracking sensors in your smartwatch can monitor the frequency of nighttime awakenings. By keeping a record of these patterns, you can make necessary adjustments to improve the quality of your sleep.

Sleep Duration:

Your smartwatch is capable of tracking the time you fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning by recording your inactive phases throughout the night. It serves as a helpful tool to ensure you achieve the recommended 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep for optimal functioning and a productive day ahead. Given busy schedules, it's easy to overlook tracking your sleep duration, but your smartwatch takes care of that for you.

Sleep Environment:

Some smartwatches go beyond basic sleep tracking and can even assess environmental indicators in your bedroom, such as temperature and light levels. Essentially, they evaluate how conducive your bedroom environment is for achieving the perfect sleep.

Sleep Phases:

The capabilities of advanced smartwatches extend to measuring both non-REM and REM phases of your sleep. These phases include:

1. Light Sleep:

During this phase, you are more sensitive to external stimuli, making it easier to wake up with even slight sounds or discomfort.

2. REM Sleep:

Positioned between light and deep sleep, the REM phase involves transitions from light sleep to deep sleep. This stage is crucial for various processes, including mental consolidation and dreaming.

3. Deep Sleep:

Considered the most vital phase, deep sleep allows your body and brain to relax, process thoughts, and undergo essential recovery processes. This stage is integral for overall well-being.

Lifestyle Choices

Certain smartwatches go beyond sleep tracking and also gather data on your daily activities, including eating and exercise habits. This information proves invaluable in identifying areas for improvement in sleep quality and schedule.

In essence, owning a smartwatch, particularly one equipped with sleep tracking and essential health monitors, can be a crucial tool for maintaining a healthy lifestyle amid a hectic schedule. Remarkably, these smartwatches are available at affordable prices, making them an accessible investment. In an era dominated by technology, having gadgets that assist in managing various aspects of daily life is not a luxury but a necessity.

Nonetheless, while smartwatches are helpful, it's not advisable to solely rely on gadgets for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's essential to incorporate basic healthy habits into your routine. For example, minimizing caffeine intake, avoiding heavy meals before bedtime, and limiting the use of laptops or smartphones can contribute to better overall well-being. By combining these habits with the assistance of a smartwatch with health-tracking features, you can effectively uphold a healthy lifestyle.