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Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

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Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#91

Post by rajeevk »

cassianoleal wrote: post #13

Dreem 2* is probably the best tracker you can get to use at home. The band is not uncomfortable (after a couple of nights, it's very strange at first) and it will give you lots of insights other solutions can't. You do have to put it on before bed and take it off and charge in the morning though. And it's expensive. * https://dreem.com/en

I got my Dreem 2 headband two week ago and since then I am using it. It monitors brainwave EEG to monitor sleep stages. Not sure about accuracy but I see it has a live EEG which can detect even your eye blink very accurately. If you wear and see the live EEG and blink your eyes, you can see the wave pattern changes as you blink your eyes. So I assume that it is accurately detecting brainwave.

Apart from detecting sleep stages, it has other features (e.g. smart alarm) which I have not used yet. I really wanted to use sleep simulation which they claim to enhance your deep sleep. But unfortunately this feature in not available in the headband sold in USA.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#92

Post by TylerE »

elric wrote: post #49

Anecdata: Have sleep apnea, so am interested in better sleep, and I'm hooked up to a CPAP machine which registers every breath I take. I've tried several devices (withings, 2 garmin smart watches and a fitbit), and quite frankly, the results have been appalling. Some random observations: * My latest garmin has an "SpO2" sensor. Which is basically a random number generator with red LED. When I compare the results with…

How are you getting that much data off a cpap? Mine will give me basic states (on time, # apnea events) but not much else.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#93

Post by cdg7777 »

I know it's expensive, but I recommend a proper overnight sleep study in a Sleep Disorders Center it is way more detailed than the data you can get yourself (I tried).

I even used a Trail Cam to film my movements :)

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#94

Post by odysseus »

VectorLock wrote: post #89
dsaavy wrote: post #23

Autosleep for Apple Watch has had a significant impact on my life and I always rave about it to friends. I've been able to recognize choices in my daily life that significantly impact my sleep quality and have made changes that have improved my sleep because of it. I don't know how accurate it is in terms of tracking restless legs unless the movement of your legs causes movement of your upper body that would impact w…

How did Autosleep change your life? Like what decision did it impact?

* It helped me figure out I usually get the best rest if I'm in bed at 23:15.

* It automatically calculates what time you need to go to bed if you're running a sleep deficit. (And it calculates how much of a sleep deficit or surplus you have.)

* Most useful of all, it gives me at least 1-2 days of early warning that I might be running a fever or flu - as I see my heart rate, which is usually quite consistent from night to night, leap 5 or 6 BPM over consecutive days.

This is especially important to know during the current outbreak. I can then do whatever I need to do early to shorten the length of whatever illness I might have (take vitamins/extra rest/fluids/etc.)

It also records a history, so you have a record of roughly when the fever starts and ends based on your heart rate, which you can then share with your doctor if necessary.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#95

Post by fapjacks »

BY FAR Sleep As Android (previously called like Sleep As Droid or Sleep Droid or something -- it went through a couple of name changes a few years ago when the founder made a company out of it). Developed by a team from Eastern Europe, founded by a dude who was like a sleep science PhD of some kind. This app changed my life completely. As someone with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder that has no underlying causes like organ failure or whatever, I spent most of my life just thinking (and being told) I was a lazy shithead and a weird kind of night owl. But this app helped me get a handle on it. The best feature for me by far is the "smart alarm" which I can set to wake me up say, within an hour of a certain time. Then using the sensors on the phone, my wearable, and the Sleep Phaser bedside lamp they created in a Kickstarter (uses an infrared sensor, works great), it can tell when I'm in a light sleep cycle and then trigger the alarm. It has always been really rough for me trying to wake up at a certain time, but this makes it easy. The company seems super cool also. I can't recommend it enough. Tons of tracking features, too (and cloud storage if you're into that). They support a bunch of wearable hardware, but it works great using only your phone.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#96

Post by jacobwilliamroy »

_nothing wrote: post #90
jacobwilliamroy wrote: post #86

Do you feel tired? You didn't sleep enough. Do you feel fine? You slept enough. C'mon OP. What's a computer going to tell you that you 3-million year-old endocrine system doesn't already know?

Um, a lot of things? A computer can give me clues as to why I still feel tired after sleeping for 10 hours every night. The right tracker can tell me what my oxygen levels were while sleeping, or how restless I was during the night. It can estimate how much time I spent in each sleep cycle, and identify anomalies in how much REM sleep I seem to be getting, for example. Many, many people suffer from various sleep abno…

These things are easy to investigate without a computer. Just eat something new and see how you feel. Or open a window next time you sleep and see how you feel. Sure, telling people to listen to their bodies probably isn't going to "SCALE to 100X Venture Capitals" or whatever nonsense, but it's a very accessible and effective way to remedy most sleep issues.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#98

Post by Retric »

balfirevic wrote: post #74
hoopism wrote: post #32

I recall reading a paper that found that compared to clinical sleep study equipment (you know, electrodes all over your head) that most devices were random at best in terms of measuring REM sleep. I did a lot of research when a friend went all in on sleep monitoring and wound up worse than when he started (worrying over data). I didn't exhaustively research but based on un-biased available science I found at the time…

Unfortunately, it does seem true that most of sleep monitoring devices are not very good (I'm hopeful for the head-mounted ones, but I don't have any data). But the advice at the end of your post... I'm trying to put it politely - it's insulting rubbish for anyone with moderate to severe sleep issues. Correct advice, in the absence of actual REM tracking devices, is to go to the doctor - sleep specialist and possibly…

A large percentage of the population has sleep issues, suggesting they try the basics is actually very good advice. Much like tech support asking you to restart the device, which verifies it’s plugged in and a host of other issues.

If that’s not working then get a full on sleep study, otherwise save your time and money.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#99

Post by neverartful »

lallysingh wrote: post #29

A sleep number bed with the app tracks sleep quite well, and you don't have to wear any sensors. I find it pretty accurate.

I concur. Additionally, the bed automatically adjusts to your sleeping position so it has a more active role in your sleep than just a passive monitor.

Re: Ask HN: Best sleep trackers?

#100

Post by narak »

I agree with the posts saying most are of little to no value, maybe even negative considering anxiety from monitoring. I think a decent proxy for obstructions is a good pulse oximeter.

I would also recommend getting your vitamin D levels checked. The normal range is far below what you should be at from my experience. 60-80ng/ml is an ideal range ("normal" from my lab is anywhere from 30-100) from what I've read. Can start supplementing and seeing if it helps.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22583560

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