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Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

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Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#81

Post by 4ndr3vv »

gnz11 wrote: post #55
serp002 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to use an Oura ring but the accuracy is actually not so great (Potentially going to get better with new algorithm coming out) and switched to a fitbit charge 5. App is pretty slick and really easy to see your sleep data, also quite a small wearable. There's a youtuber who compares all wearables for accuracy with actual sleep measuring equipment and Fitbit charge 5 is (surprisngly) the most accurate. Here's a l…

Anecdote (and obligatory YMMV): I purchased the Charge 4 when it first came out and after extensive usage, I tossed it in the trash. The final straw for me was when I was having a physical done and compared the HRM data of the watch to what the readings the nurse was getting with her device. The data reported by the Fitbit was wildly inaccurate compared to the readings that the nurse was seeing. I also compared my da…

I think that HRM data from watches is indicative at best and is never going to be as accurate as a decent chest monitor, let alone a nurse with professional training!

For me, these devices are good to spot trends over time, (eg "how has my resting heartrate improved after 4 weeks of being more physically active?") rather than comparing my data to someone else's.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#82

Post by brimble »

Ntrails wrote: post #58
urthor wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean isn't half of it that everyone has a chronotype? Shouldn't you just have a fixed, later bedtime. To maximize REM sleep etc?

> I mean isn't half of it that everyone has a chronotype? I still don't buy this as an idea, an unchangeable genetic (?) marker that defines "night person" or "morning person". I think we make choices and habits, and these are really just a part of personality.

I buy that it might be A Thing but have a strong suspicion that 90+% of modern "night people" are just addicted to the 24/7 casino-bright circus that is modern home entertainment and nighttime lighting (as most of us are) and would stop being "night people" if you took that away.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#84

Post by [deleted] »

hderms wrote: post #71
Ntrails wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I mean isn't half of it that everyone has a chronotype? I still don't buy this as an idea, an unchangeable genetic (?) marker that defines "night person" or "morning person". I think we make choices and habits, and these are really just a part of personality.

I'm almost positive that's bullshit because I spent half of my life as a "night owl", convinced it was just something inherent to me. After my wife took a job that had her waking up at 4am, and the requisite adjustments to her bedtime, I found myself totally fine with going to sleep at 10am or earlier everyday. In a lot of ways an early bedtime, or an average bedtime, is preferable to staying up to the wee hours, but…

[deleted]

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#85

Post by aeries »

blitzar wrote: post #77
Zenst wrote: post #56

Having sleep issues, I set up a Zoom H4N pro inside a 1meter cardboard box to track low frequency (sub base) noise disturbances and was blown away. Tracked many culprits down and still working on a few (need new windows and pushing landlord upon that). But instances of say another flat up in the wee hours banging about, you get a loud thud, you awake and none the wise and with my setup, was not only able to identify…

This sounds like a way to condition yourself to be unable to sleep except in the most perfect of circumstances; noise level +/- 0.1db, air temperature +/- 0.1C, bed temperature +/- 0.1C, light level +/- whatever. Sleep is too important

This is exactly what happened for me- optimizing my light and sound just made it harder to sleep under all but the most perfect conditions.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#86

Post by Amasuriel »

beebmam wrote: post #27
drpancake wrote: post #23

Don't do this! Sleep tracking/optimisation and generally obsessing over sleep can trigger insomnia for a lot of people. I've had chronic insomnia for two years and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. If your sleep is good enough, leave it alone.

Agree; DO NOT make any changes to your sleep outside of medical advice. See a sleep doctor if you don't feel well rested when you wake up.

Unfortunately like many areas of medicine (at least in Canada), sleep specialists will do a sleep study, and unless your sleep is sues fall cleanly inside a condition they can treat (cpap for apnea for example) you are on your own except for some one sized fits all advice about sleep hygiene.

If you don’t have restful sleep and don’t have apnea, and you have already tried the basics like melatonin, not using electronics before bed etc, you have few choice but to accept it or try to find your own answers.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#87

Post by Zenst »

ianai wrote: post #59
Zenst wrote: post #56

Having sleep issues, I set up a Zoom H4N pro inside a 1meter cardboard box to track low frequency (sub base) noise disturbances and was blown away. Tracked many culprits down and still working on a few (need new windows and pushing landlord upon that). But instances of say another flat up in the wee hours banging about, you get a loud thud, you awake and none the wise and with my setup, was not only able to identify…

There’s sound dampening as a route. Have you tried ear plugs? It won’t block all frequencies, but might be a low investment, high return area. Or adding background noise? I’ve used brown noise before and it seemed to help. No idea how to help with the low frequencies though. At least, not that wouldn’t make your apartment/flat a problem to those around it. Sleep is a fundamental need for everyone. For me, it’s migrai…

>Have you tried ear plugs?

tried, waxes out my ears and more so - don't work against low frequencies due to wavelength and being hyper sensitive, I kinda feel it a bit more than most.

As another commentator mentioned - Deep Sleep and more so a build up of disturbances of that, stack the issue. Things like stress build up then as well, so all a vicious spiral sometimes as stress don't help at all.

But it's getting better and working on a move to some place more suitable as well as making best of what I can and identify, dampen/block best I can.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#88

Post by Zenst »

felideon wrote: post #74
Zenst wrote: post #56

Having sleep issues, I set up a Zoom H4N pro inside a 1meter cardboard box to track low frequency (sub base) noise disturbances and was blown away. Tracked many culprits down and still working on a few (need new windows and pushing landlord upon that). But instances of say another flat up in the wee hours banging about, you get a loud thud, you awake and none the wise and with my setup, was not only able to identify…

> Even had instance of waking up chocking, which was again due to a short loud thud noise disturbance by another flat. Do you mean choking, as in gasping for air? This is a sign of potential obstructive sleep apnea, and it feels that solving the external issues is a (complicated) bandaid for something you might want to have a doctor check through a sleep study. (If you haven’t done so already.) If you had more deep s…

> Do you mean choking, as in gasping for air?

Yes and would lean towards apnea, though when it is triggered and identified as triggered by sudden loud noises in the night. The worry of it being addressed as a symptom and not the cause is an easy avenue to slip down with doctors. No instances of it without such prior sudden loud thud sound. Things that go bang in the night, well they ain't ghosts in this case.

But making progress, and yes quality sleep and with that as you say getting enough deep sleep is important and is certainly a factor in many aspects, though not a case of it prevents it, though may make me more able to endure the level perhaps.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#89

Post by pedalpete »

mild_blanket wrote: post #45
pedalpete wrote: post #31

Sleep is about more than just measuring the time you were asleep. The amount of time spent in N3/4 (Deep Sleep) and REM sleep is very important. The author is using sleep cycle on his phone, which is not a good method of tracking sleep cycles. He says "their ability to wake me in “non-deep” sleep pretty spot on" - you're not in deep sleep in the morning anyway, or very unlikely. So any "app" has a good chance of waki…

Just signed up for your email list. Please make sure the headband can stay on your head through the night. I have a chinstrap headband that I ordered on Amazon that falls off every single night, making it unusable.

Can you link to the "chinstrap headband" that comes off? We have to make it appealing enough that people want to wear it, comfortable enough that you can sleep with it, and with enough stability to maintain a consistent EEG contact.

What did you buy it for? What is it's purpose?

If you're having trouble with a headband that is strapped to your head over your chin, I'm slightly terrified about what you are doing in bed. But if you can show me what doesn't work, it might help.

We're testing in real-world situations, with multiple users, so we should have something that works for most people.

Re: Get better sleep – Anecdata and sleep tech

#90

Post by nnt38 »

pedalpete wrote: post #89
mild_blanket wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just signed up for your email list. Please make sure the headband can stay on your head through the night. I have a chinstrap headband that I ordered on Amazon that falls off every single night, making it unusable.

Can you link to the "chinstrap headband" that comes off? We have to make it appealing enough that people want to wear it, comfortable enough that you can sleep with it, and with enough stability to maintain a consistent EEG contact. What did you buy it for? What is it's purpose? If you're having trouble with a headband that is strapped to your head over your chin, I'm slightly terrified about what you are doing in be…

chinstrap headbands are used to keep your mouth closed to force breathing through the nose while sleeping
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