How to track sleep

Why should I analyze sleep?

Analyzing your sleep will let you see how your sleep schedule affects your quality of life and how your habits affect your sleep.

You’ll find out how your sleep patterns are affected by workouts, nutrition, or overworking, how much sleep your body needs, and the best time for you to go to bed. Which means you’ll be able to make changes to your lifestyle so you’ll wake up energized and ready for a productive day.

How can I analyze sleep?

Several ways to track sleep include polysomnography, fitness trackers, and apps.

The scientific approach is called polysomnography. This test, conducted in a clinical setting, records electroencephalography, eye movements, myograms, respiratory airflow, electrocardiograms, and other body functions. Essentially, it gathers the complete picture of how your body works during sleep. Since polysomnography requires professional equipment, you can’t use it for everyday tracking, and it’s mainly used to diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

That is why a lot of developers are working on making sleep tracking accessible. Although these gadgets are not as reliable as polysomnography, research has shown that they are still quite accurate. Just keep in mind that you can’t diagnose serious sleep disorders with a sleep tracker.

What gadgets can I use to track sleep?

If you have a fitness tracker, use that. Most of them, like Mi Band and Fitbit, track your sleep automatically if you wear the gadget to bed. But you don’t have to wear a fitness band all the time to track your sleep. There are many other gadgets you can use if you are uncomfortable wearing yours in bed or don’t own one.

Apps like SleepAsAndroid or SleepCycle can also track your sleep. Launch the app before you go to bed, set an alarm, and put the phone somewhere next to your face once you’re in bed. Most of them don’t only track the stages, duration, and quality of your sleep but also work as a smart alarm. They will help you get up at the right time during your sleep cycle to experience less stress and be more alert.
Withing sleep analyzer is a thin sleep tracker you put under your mattress that can measure heart rate, breathing, and the time you are actually asleep when you’re in bed.
The Oura Ring is a sleek, futuristic ring you wear on your finger. Like traditional band trackers, the ring analyzes your activity and your sleep.

If you choose to use a tracker or a sleep app, you’ll be able to see your data on Welltory graphs and analyze your sleep habits. You can also take measurements with Welltory in the mornings to see how your sleep affects your energy level, your ability to focus, and your well-being generally.

Welltory Team, upd. 21 Oct. 2022

How to track sleep

Table of Contents

Why should I analyze sleep?

How can I analyze sleep?

What gadgets can I use to track sleep?

Learn more

Measuring Resting Heart Rate

Eating Before Bed

Blood Oxygen Levels

Stress & Productivity