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Sleep trackers come in the form of rings, wristbands and mattresses, crunching numbers into easy-to-read reports on smartphone apps. Wear them to sleep, and the devices collect data on how many times you wake up before your alarm, your sleep stages (light sleep, deep sleep, and REM, or rapid eye movement), and oxygen levels. Some package this information into a “good” or “poor” sleep score for the day.
As you read this article, you may be questioning the accuracy of these wearable and non-wearable devices. Dr. Shadi Sharifi, MD, neurologist and French-certified sleep medicine specialist at the Saudi German Hospital in Dubai, says the answer is inconclusive.
“Today, sleep monitors are very common among the general public. It is too early to tell whether these can be used as a diagnostic tool. So far, only polysomnographic (PSG) assessment in the sleep laboratory, including heart rate, exercise , brain and muscle activity and video surveillance are standard monitoring procedures,” Dr Sharifi explained.
However, our experts did add that a sleep tracker can be a useful device for understanding how you sleep. “We can’t say these will yield accurate results because we don’t have enough data, but they’re promising. For example, my Fitbit tracker will show if I’m passing REM sleep, stage two, stage three, or stage four. phase,” she added.
How can sleep trackers help?
Tracking sleep stages is a complex process that requires the use of medical-grade equipment. Our watches and devices can only make rough estimates through sensors that measure blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and movement.
However, seeing how many cycles you’ve had overnight can explain how you’re feeling in the morning. “We’re supposed to go through four to five sleep cycles each night — each cycle is 90 minutes long. We spend most of our time in stage two, which is light sleep, and stages three and four, which are deep sleep.
“The latter is the most beneficial for the body, it’s where we recover from illness, pain and chronic inflammation. Then there’s the REM phase, which lasts five to 10 minutes, where we dream. The cycle repeats throughout the night, said Dr. Sharifi.
Keeping tabs on your deep sleep stages and cycles and improving your numbers can improve your quality of life.
How much sleep do I need in Ramadan?
You may choose to stay up until dawn to eat Soho, or interrupt your sleep to allow yourself a moment of wakefulness. What’s the best way to do this?
“Ramadan changes our diet and sleep. Healthy patients who are not taking medication should sleep long hours throughout the night and take 10 to 20 minute naps during the day to feel energized during the day,” Dr. Sharifi said. An ideal scenario would be to go to bed sometime after Iftar and wake up in time to rest.
“Optimal sleep, both in terms of quantity and quality, is important for an optimal lifestyle. Adults need 7 hours a night – note I didn’t say ‘every day’. Any less and you’re at risk for chronic disease , high blood pressure, immunodeficiency, heart disease, obesity and insomnia, all of which can lead to depression and anxiety,” Dr Sharifi said.
Conversely, prolonged bed rest does us little good. Excessive sleep can drain our energy for the day and may even lead to depression. Even if you clock in at the required time, tossing and turning all night can interfere with rest.
The quality of our sleep depends entirely on our lifestyle habits, says Dr. Sharifi. Squeeze in enough physical activity, eat a balanced diet, increase mental activity or mental exercise, and avoid blue-light devices before bed, and you’re good to go.
Of course, one of the main issues with wearing a tracking device to sleep is comfort. Less obtrusive form factors, such as the Ring and mattress smart pads, may be more suitable for light sleepers.
Don’t forget to check out our expert picks smart watch and fitness tracker, which almost always comes with sleep monitoring. We’ve picked the top-rated sleep trackers below to help you rest better during Ramadan.For faster delivery, sign up for a main membership.
1. Best Overall: Fitbit Inspire 3 Activity Tracker
advantage
- Feel comfortable and light while sleeping
- Track sleep stages and duration
- Daily Sleep Score
- Smart vibrating alarm that goes off at the perfect time for your sleep cycle
- Including more than 20 sports modes, irregular heart rhythm reminder, fitness reminder, etc.
shortcoming
- Deep sleep analysis is a paid feature
We chose the Fitbit Inspire 3 as our best overall product for one reason: Its slim silicone strap lets you wear it comfortably while you sleep, reviews say. It sits so lightly on your wrist that you won’t even notice you’re wearing it. This tiny activity tracker monitors a range of health and fitness metrics. When it comes to sleep, you’ll gain insights into your sleep stages, score, and overall profile. Inspire 3 automatically tracks the length of your night’s rest, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages, and is rewarded with a daily sleep score. If you subscribe to a Fitbit Premium membership that’s free for the first six months, you’ll receive monthly sleep reports. You can even choose a gentler vibrating wake-up alarm—your Fitbit will subtly wake you up during your optimal sleep phase for a more refreshed morning. Enjoy up to 10 days of long battery life and an intuitive color touchscreen. The reviewers note that the graphs reflect their restless night. It also captures oxygen levels and heart rate for a full assessment.
Warranty: Manufacturer offers a one-year warranty. Amazon is offering a one-year extended warranty for Dh23 and a two-year extended warranty for Dh33.
2. Best Ring: Motiv Fitness Ring Sleep and Heart Rate Tracker
advantage
- Unobtrusive ring shape
- Track sleep duration, restlessness and awake moments
- Store two days’ worth of data without syncing
- Three days of battery life
shortcoming
- Only available on some Android devices
Get essential sleep data with the titanium matte Motiv Ring tracker. It’s often listed as a more affordable alternative to the popular Oura Ring. No screen means your sleep stats can only be viewed on the Motiv app once you’ve paired it with your iOS or Android device. It has an optical heart rate sensor on the bottom so it’s close to the capillaries in your fingers. Motiv Ring carefully monitors your movement patterns during sleep, including average sleep and wake times. As you toss and turn in bed, it records the duration as restlessness on a daily sleep detail card. Don’t worry about washing your hands while wearing the ring – it’s water resistant up to 50 meters. Like any other tracking device, it records your steps, heart rate, calories burned, and more, buyers say. The Android version of the app can complicate setup.
bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh43.75 for 12 months at designated banks.
Warranty: Amazon is offering a one-year extended warranty for Dh35 and a two-year extended warranty for Dh49.
3. Best non-wearable technology: Withings Sleep Analyzer
advantage
- does not affect sleep
- Record sleep stages, scores and snore detection
- Create a PDF of your sleep diary to share
- no need to charge
shortcoming
- Inaccurate sleep apnea detection
If you’re really sensitive to wearables in your sleep, try a sleeping pad under your mattress. The device uses pneumatic sensors for advanced sleep tracking, capturing movement, breathing and heart rate. Get the percentage of time you spend in the three sleep stages, daily sleep score (out of 100), snoring detection and heart rate during rest. According to Withings, the sleep analyzer works under spring, latex, foam and memory foam mattresses. Water beds and air beds are not suitable for use with this device. If desired, you can create a PDF version of your sleep diary and share it with your doctor. While the tracker is advertised as a sleep apnea detector, reviews say the feature isn’t very reliable. Otherwise, it’s surprisingly accurate for daily sleep scoring and analysis.
4. Best sleep monitor for oxygen levels: Wellue O2Ring Oxygen Monitor
advantage
- Accurately track blood oxygen levels during sleep
- Vibration reminds you to change position to make breathing easier
- Notification of any drop in oxygen levels via phone alert
- PC software provides detailed reports
shortcoming
- Reviews say the silicone strap wears out easily
The Wellue O2Ring is another ring sleep tracker that primarily measures your blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and movement during sleep. You wake up each day to a fresh sleep report on the Vihealth app. It’s bulkier than our Motiv pick rings and fits on any finger, thanks to the soft silicone strap and screen. Its battery provides up to 16 hours of continuous nighttime monitoring, vibrating to alert you of anomalies and even encouraging you to change your sleeping position. For detailed report analysis and trending graphs, download Wellue’s free PC software (Windows and MacOS), which offers a printable version. In reviews, those with sleep disorders use the device to monitor the quality of their sleep.
bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh46.67 for 12 months at designated banks.
5. Best Budget: Huawei Band 6
advantage
- Track sleep on a budget
- Slim profile and crisp AMOLED display
- Detects light sleep, deep sleep, REM and naps
- Sleep Improvement Tips
- Daily Sleep Score
shortcoming
- Take some time to track accurate results
Track sleep on a budget fitness band that still provides fairly accurate readings. Huawei Band 6 has a large 1.47-inch AMOLED screen with a battery life of 14 days. View colorful sleep infographics on the touchscreen. Huawei uses its TruSleep 2.0 technology to record four sleep states – deep sleep, light sleep, REM and even a nap. View your daily rest score and discover over 200 sleep improvement suggestions tailored to your results. Although not medically approved, the device can pinpoint patterns associated with six major sleep problems. Reviewers say it works perfectly with any Android smartphone. They did add that it may take several nights for the tracker to produce accurate results. In terms of fitness, the watch records up to 96 exercise modes.
Warranty: Amazon is offering a one-year extended warranty for Dh12 and a two-year extended warranty for Dh19.
Our recommendations are independently selected by Gulf News editors. We may earn affiliate commissions if you decide to shop through links on our site because we are part of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
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