It's the most under-valued pillar of wellness – sleep.
Sleep has an unimaginable impact on our quality of life and overall wellbeing, so ensuring good sleep hygiene is crucial. A healthy sleep pattern doesn't just give you more energy, it improves your skin, your immune health and can reduce your risk of a number of diseases.
Of course, modern living isn't always conducive to a good night's rest. Sometimes, we all need a little help. So, in honour of world sleep day, we're rounding up the best in sleep tracking devices. These are the helpful wearables, tools and trackers that we've tested and loved.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
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Samsung's newly launched wellness tracking ring is an absolutely ingenious device. It's slim, sleek and genuinely looks like an ordinary piece of jewellery. For this reason, it becomes much easier to wear consistently – and consistency is the key to getting the most accurate health metrics.
One of the most important functions of this ring is its sleep tracking capabilities. It can measure blood oxygen, skin temperature and also has sleep apnea detection. This data is all sent to Samsung's health app, where you'll be able to see your sleep stages and how long you were actually asleep for. The app uses this information to then provide you with coaching on how to achieve a better sleep.
Eight Sleep
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The Eight Sleep system uses an intelligent fitted mattress cover which is attached to a pod. Together these devices work in tandem to optimise and adjust your sleeping temperature to keep you asleep and ensure you get the most restorative sleep possible. The best part? The mattress cover has two zones, so you and your partner can have completely different settings.
In addition to altering your temperature to give you the best possible sleep, the system also tracks health metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability, REM sleep, deep sleep, routine consistency and even if you snore! It then uses all of these to give you a sleep health score and provide guidance on how you could improve in its app.
If you'd asked me a year ago whether the pricey Eight Sleep pod systems were worth the $4,000 - $5,000 cost, I would have said a blanket no. But now I'd say they're a bargain at twice the price. This is the most rested I've ever felt in my life.
Rise App
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This app connects to Apple Watch and uses the data collected by this device to provide some of the most in-depth and detailed sleep insights of any system. It's premise? Imagine life with more energy.
Rise has been developed with a team of scientists who use your data to guide you on everything from when you should start to wind down for bed to when you should have your last cup of coffee. It calculated this based on the biological information you provide the app and also the metrics it pulls from your sleep tracker.
The most interesting feature of this app is the sleep debt calculation. Many of us can feel exhausted despite consistent evenings of high quality sleep, and a common reason behind this can be an accumulated sleep debt. One that you might not even realise you're carrying. Rise can provide guidance on how to reduce this debt and get you back on track to feeling like the best version of yourself.
WHOOP
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WHOOP is a wellness and performance optimisation device, this particular device is popular among athletes and those who need detailed tracking on performance and recovery. For example, it's the device used by tennis world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
As for its sleep tracking capabilities, this wrist-worn wearable uses sensors to measure sleep stages, including light, deep, and REM sleep, as well as metrics like heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, and respiratory rate.
The accumulated data is sent to the app which assigns daily recovery scores based on sleep performance and physiological data. It then uses these to create a comprehensive view of the wearer's recovery and readiness. This can guide you on how to balance daily exertion with recovery – if you're an athlete, you'll know how important this component is. The app also offers personalised recommendations on sleep needs and habits to optimise performance and health.
Oura ring
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The Oura Ring is a favourite device for many thanks to its cycle tracking feature. It's sleep tracking functionality is also particularly comprehensive – and according to the brand, it has eight days of battery life to help you wear it consistently.
As you can probably infer, the Oura Ring is a wearable device worn on the finger. Unlike other wearables, the ring focuses on precision and comfort. It uses advanced sensors to analyse sleep stages, including light, deep, and REM sleep. It also measures resting heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature trends, and respiratory rate during sleep. All this data is then captured and translated to the Oura app help.
The app offers daily sleep scores, readiness scores, and activity insights, enabling you to make more informed decisions about your wellness routine. It also includes features like trend visualisation, tips for improving sleep and health, and personalised recommendations based on your specific data. This holistic approach helps users not only track but also enhance their sleep and wellbeing through actionable insights. The more data is captured over time, the more personalised your insights can become. But we should note, that the Oura system requires a subscription payment.
Apple Watch
Of course, we couldn't have a sleep tracker list without Apple Watch.
For those who live in the Apple universe, this device seamlessly integrates into your current tech ecosystem. This makes it an easy option for those who already have Apple products. Also, the latest Apple Watch 10 has an extra long battery life and can charge from 0% to 80% in just 30 minutes.
Apple Watch has a built-in accelerometer and heart rate sensor that allows the watch to monitor sleep patterns, distinguishing between light, deep, and REM sleep stages. This data allows users to understand their sleep cycles and recognise trends over time. All of your tracked data lives in the Health app on the Apple Watch and iPhone, which provides a visualisation of nightly sleep duration and quality.
From here, you can set personal sleep goals and receive bedtime reminders to maintain a consistent sleep schedule. The watch also tracks respiratory rate during sleep, offering insights into breathing patterns which can be critical for detecting potential health issues. There are dozens of stories online about how Apple Watch helped people discover series health issues.
