How to Use a Sleep Tracker to (Actually) Improve Your Sleep

About this Video

• Video Title: How to Use a Sleep Tracker to (Actually) Improve Your Sleep
• Channel: Sleep Doctor
• Speakers: Dr. Michael Bruce, Tom
• Duration: 00:12:22

Introduction

This video explains how to effectively use sleep trackers to improve sleep quality. The speakers emphasize focusing on deviations from a user's baseline sleep data rather than individual sleep scores, highlighting key metrics like wake-up time consistency, awakenings, heart rate variability, oxygen levels, and deep sleep duration. They also advocate for supplementing tracker data with a sleep journal.

Key Takeaways

• Accuracy of Sleep Trackers: Sleep trackers aren't perfectly accurate (80-90% concordance with polysomnography), but provide valuable insights into sleep quality. The location of the tracking device influences data accuracy for specific metrics (e.g., temperature from finger vs. wrist).
• Baseline Data is Crucial: Establish a two-week baseline before analyzing data. Focus on deviations from this baseline, not single-night scores. Consistent wake-up times are paramount.
• Key Metrics to Monitor: Pay attention to consistent wake-up time, number of awakenings (those lasting 30 seconds or longer), heart rate variability (HRV – higher is generally better), and oxygen levels. Changes in deep sleep duration over time should also be considered.
• Interpreting Data: Analyze trends over multiple nights. Correlate deviations with behaviors (caffeine, alcohol, exercise timing) to identify potential causes of poor sleep.
• Supplement with Journaling: Journaling sleep metrics (bedtime, actual sleep onset, awakenings, wake-up time, feelings upon waking) provides additional context and helps identify patterns.