While getting enough sleep is important, getting good sleep is even more so. Rest is a precious commodity that must be cherished, because our performance the next day depends on it. Therefore, and due to current factors such as stress and the numerous stimuli we are exposed to, there are increasingly more devices designed to measure the quality of our sleep, which can help us significantly improve it.
The importance of rest
In order to lead as healthy a life as possible, in addition to a good diet and regular exercise, it is important to sleep well. And we don't just mean sleeping seven, eight or ten hours. What we mean is that the time we are sleeping should provide us with quality rest.
To achieve this, there are basic tips such as not receiving great stimuli before going to bed, so that our brain has time to prepare to rest properly; do some exercise that ends up consuming that little bit of remaining energy and, of course, not eating heavy meals.
However, even doing all this we may not get to rest well. We slept eight hours straight, but we woke up just as tired. Because? Well, because we are not achieving quality sleep.
If that's your situation, technology can help with a wide variety of devices at prices to suit all budgets. You could even use your smartphone directly with specific apps like Sleep Cycle, one of the most popular and available for both iOS and Android. However, more specialized devices are best, so you don't find yourself with a dead battery on your smartphone the next day.
How sleep time is calculated
To better understand how we rest, it's important to first know how sleep time is calculated and what its phases are. Sleep is divided into two stages: NREM and REM.
- NREM It is the first and encompasses the entire process until we fall asleep. It consists of four phases: drowsiness, light sleep, transition phase, and delta sleep.
- REM It is the next stage and it is where dreams occur. Once the sleep cycle ends, the sleep cycle begins again.
Both stages form a sleep cycle and these usually last between 70 and 90 minutes. So, throughout the night there are several sleep cycles that we carry out.
What sleep monitors do is measure physical activity to know what phase we are in. If you haven't moved for an hour, they understand that you're asleep and count it as deep sleep. If, on the contrary, you move, the data goes to another record: light sleep. At the end of the night you have a graph with the estimated hours of sleep in both states.
This movement detection and sleep measurement is done through the various sensors that these devices can include, for example:
- quantifying bracelets use motion, pressure and gyroscope sensors
- The Smart watches or some more advanced bracelets also resort to the use of cardiac sensors
- Specific accessories with sleep measuring bands. These bands use different sensors that offer greater precision in measuring it, in addition to offering other data such as heart rate, breathing and can even detect snoring and thus find out whether or not we could suffer from respiratory problems such as apnea.
Therefore, depending on what you want to measure and know, you will be more interested in one type of device or another. Below we show you the most interesting ones for us.
Xiaomi Mi Band
Fitness trackers, and in particular the Xiaomi Mi Band, offer sleep measurement among their various monitoring options . They do this by using integrated sensors to detect or estimate which sleep stage you are in.
With these data collected, the next day we will have a statistic of the time we are sleeping and in a state of semi-consciousness. Based on this information, you will be able to identify whether or not you are resting correctly. If not, you will have a basis to be able to plan actions that help you sleep better.
Some of the most interesting sleep monitoring quantification bracelets that you can buy right now are:
See offer on Amazon See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonApple Watch
The Apple Watch has gained features over the years with each new generation. Currently, it allows, among many other things, sleep tracking. The data is relatively accurate, and together with the Health app, you'll have detailed information to help you make changes to your sleep habits. The problem is that if you don't use an iPhone, it doesn't offer much benefit.
See offer on AmazonFitbit versa
If you are an Android user and want a device to monitor your sleep, in addition to other functions such as those related to physical exercise or notifications, Fitbit has an interesting option.
The Fitbit Versa is a smartwatch similar to Apple's that also tracks sleep. It collects data on the number of hours you spend in each sleep stage. Using this information, its app provides tips to help you improve your sleep.
See offer on Amazonbeddit sleep monitor
Available in the Apple Store , the Beddit sleep monitor is a band with various sensors, notable for its thickness. This makes it comfortable and barely noticeable when worn under your head in bed.
Among the data it records are sleep duration, heart rate, respiration, temperature, humidity, and even snoring. This last function depends on the app installed on your iPhone . And another detail: even if you sleep with another person, it will only monitor you. If you want to monitor your partner, you'll need to purchase a separate monitor.
withings sleep
Withings Sleep is one of the best devices for monitoring sleep thanks to its sensor band that is placed under the mattress. This allows for more precise tracking of different sleep cycles, movements, and other sleep patterns.
In addition to all this, the latest version has improved sensitivity and added an interesting novelty, now it is capable of detecting respiratory disorders, thus being able to know whether or not you suffer from apnea (sleep disorder that causes snoring and periods in which breathing is completely or almost interrupted, and can pose a significant risk to your health.
See offer on Amazon