If you are a big fitness buff, or even if you are just getting into fitness, you should definitely be thinking about your sleep and the quality of it. Sleep is a very important part of life, and generally speaking, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping. This should tell you that sleep is vital to our health, and if you know anything about fitness, you will realize that getting a good sleep will determine how well and for how long you can exercise, plus it will determine your overall health too.
A great way for you to keep track of your sleeping patterns, how well you sleep, and for how long you sleep is by using a sleep tracker. A sleep tracker is a fantastic tool that can help you get the best sleep that you can possibly get, something which is important if you like going to the gym or engaging in regular physical activity. We’re here to talk about everything sleep trackers and to help you find the best sleep tracker that money can buy!
Summary: The Best Sleep Trackers
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Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Important
Now we know that this is a fitness website and that it may seem like a sleep tracker does not have much to do with fitness, but quite the opposite is true. Getting enough sleep, and moreover getting a good sleep, is extremely important for various reasons. Your health in fact greatly depends on the quality and duration of the sleep that you get every night.
Better Cognitive Function
Of course one of the first reasons as to why you need to get enough sleep every single night is because it helps to improve your cognitive function. When you don’t get enough sleep your memory is not very good, your focus and concentration are at an all-time low, and your problem-solving skills are also severely compromised.
When it comes to fitness it is important to have great focus because it will allow you to be more motivated and stick with your routine much easier, plus having the capability to remember how many reps and sets you did is important too. Without the proper amount of concentration you probably aren’t going to be able to stay motivated enough to get through a full workout routine.
Weight Loss
Another big factor of sleeping well that contributes to a healthy life is that losing weight is much easier when you get a good sleep. It is shown that people who are on a diet tended to feel hungrier when they did not sleep right, probably because their bodies feel tired, thus they feel as though they need more calories to produce energy.
Much of your body’s functions come from your brain, and when you are tired, there are some hormones in your body which increase in number, and those are the same hormones that make you hungry. There is also the fact that it is much easier to work out when you are energized thanks to a good night’s sleep.
More Energy
Of course one of the most obvious reasons as to why getting a good sleep is important for your fitness routine is because that is how we as humans get energy. Without enough sleep, we don’t have enough energy to function, and that includes trying to complete a grueling exercise routine.
Promoting Natural Growth
Another important reason as to why getting an adequate amount of sleep is important for your fitness is because of growth hormones. Growth hormones are produced in our bodies at all times, however more of them are produced when we sleep. Therefore, the more sleep you get the more you will grow.
This is especially important when it comes to muscle repair and muscle growth, because when you sleep they repair and grow quicker than they would during the day. Thus for weightlifters, this is a very important aspect because getting enough sleep can reduce the recovery time needed for muscles to get back to their ideal condition, therefore allowing you to get back to the gym.
Sleep For Overall Health
We aren’t going to go into too much detail here because we could write several books on the issue, but the fact of the matter is that sleep deprivation is linked to stress, mental disorders, depression and anxiety, a decreased ability to process sugars, heart disease, arterial disease, high cholesterol, and a number of other health issues. In short, getting a proper amount of sleep can prevent a very long list of diseases.
What To Look For When Buying A Sleep Tracker
Sleep trackers can end up being fairly expensive, especially when it comes to the more advanced models with a large number of features. You don’t want to spend a large amount of money on a sleep tracker and end up with a paperweight. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind before you make your purchase.
Comfort
You definitely want to get a sleep tracker that you are going to be comfortable using. The thing to consider here is if you want to get a sleep tracker that rests under your chest or back, one that is attached to your pillow, or one that just rests on your nightstand.
Different models have slightly different features as you will see below, but generally speaking, the ones that just rest on your night stand will not have quite as many capabilities as the others, but on the other hand, the other models will probably be a little more expensive.
Monitoring The Environment
Something that a good sleep tracker should be able to do is to monitor the environment which you sleep in because that will help determine how well you sleep as well as why your sleep patterns are the way they are. Being able to monitor room temperature, ambient light, and noise are all important aspects which a good sleep tracker should have.
Monitoring Sleep Patterns
Another thing that a good sleep tracker needs to be able to do is to measure things like breathing patterns, snoring, heart rate, movement, how many times you wake up, when you wake up, when you fall asleep and more. This is probably the most important aspect of any sleep tracker. It should also be able to determine in which stage of your sleep cycle that you are in, plus how long you stay in each of the different sleep cycles. This is important because it will help the tracker know when to wake you up, which is during the lightest sleep cycle.
Sleep & Wake Up Features
Yet another important thing to consider when buying one of these things is if it helps you go to sleep or not. Some sleep trackers will produce a series of calming sounds to help you sleep, while other use special light wavelengths to help you sleep and wake up, and others don’t have any of these features. Moreover, the sleep tracker should definitely be able to wake you up in a gentle way, plus it should always wake you up during the optimal stage in your sleep cycle.
Connectivity
The last thing to consider before making your purchase is the capability to connect to various devices. For this aspect, you just need to read the labeling because some trackers can connect to Android, some to Apple, some to other systems, and some can connect to all of them.
Sleep Tracker Reviews
Our Rating
This is definitely one of the best sleep trackers that you can find on the market at this very time. The Eight Sleep Tracker may be a little on the expensive side of things, but it has so many different cool features that definitely make it worth the price.
Design
The thing that we definitely like the most about the design of this sleep tracking system is that it is extremely comfortable to sleep on. This is because it comes with a special set of ultra-soft sheets in which you can’t even feel the electronics.
Even better is the fact that the sheets can be set to heat up to an optimal temperature at which you would like to sleep at. The heating option is made even better because it has a left and right side which can be controlled individually, something that is great for people who do not sleep in bed alone.
Not only can this thing heat up your bed to an optimal temperature, but it can also connect to various other smart apps and devices in your home. You can set and forget things like lights, electronic blinds, music, and the temperature in your room, plus a whole lot more.
You can literally set this device to roll up your blinds, heat the room, and you can even set it to brew your coffee at a certain time. This thing is an extremely advanced device that lets you control the way which you go to sleep and wake up, plus you can set everything the way you want it, and it will remember the settings until you change them.
The Eight Sleep Tracker can monitor your sleep patterns and will keep track of factors such as your heart rate, breathing patterns, how many times you wake up, when you wake up, when you fall asleep, and even more.
This device can also measure your sleep cycles based on the aforementioned factors and can then judge your sleep based on your cycles. Not only that but because it knows what your sleep patterns are like, it can wake you up at the optimal time during your lightest sleep cycle to ensure that you wake up refreshed.
Furthermore, this sleep tracker can also monitor your sleeping environment and keeps track of things like room temperature, ambient light, noise, and other factors which may affect your sleep.
This tracker then combines the environmental data and your sleep data in order to give you an accurate representation of how you slept. Moreover, this has the purpose of being able to give you advice and tips on how you can improve your sleep.
Finally, all of the data is displayed on your smartphone or tablet, plus it is displayed in a way that makes it very easy to understand.
Value for money
This item does cost around 400 dollars, which is by no means cheap, but all of the advanced features that it has are definitely more than worth the few extra bucks that you spend on it. Being able to heat your bed and remotely control electronic devices in your home, being accurate, being able to monitor your environment and sleep patterns, and being able to wake you up at the optimal time are all things that make this a very valuable device.
Build quality
The build quality of this item is absolutely fantastic. This thing can do everything that a good sleep monitor needs to do. There is also the fact that this thing is very comfortable, soft, it doesn’t get in your way, plus it heats up your bed as well. When it comes to the build quality of this item you really can’t go wrong.
Pros
- Heats up your bed
- Monitors your sleep environment
- Keeps track of various sleep factors
- Compatible with most devices
- Remotely control electronic devices
- Tells you what to change to sleep better
- Wakes you up at the ideal time
Cons
- Quite expensive
Our Rating
Without a doubt, one of the best sleep tracking devices that you could go with is this one that is brought to us by Withings. This thing has a great number of features that will help you sleep and let you track your sleeping patterns as well.
Design
One of the coolest features about this sleep tracker is that it actively helps you get to sleep faster. Aura works by displaying a certain set of lights, those being red wavelengths, which cause your body to produce melatonin, a substance that helps bring the onset of sleep. This is in order to mimic a sunset, something which automatically tells humans that it is time to go to sleep.
On the other hand, when it is time to wake up, Aura will stop with the red wavelengths and start producing blue light wavelengths. These wavelengths stop your body from producing melatonin and thus help to wake you up at an ideal time.
This item also features a smart alarm system that measures your sleep cycle. It measures your sleep cycle by measuring your heart rate, body movement, and breathing patterns to determine which sleep cycle you are in. Then, when it is time to wake up, Aura waits for the optimal time for you to wake up and will then gently wake you. This smart alarm adjusts to your sleep patterns in order to find the best time to wake you up.
You can also connect your smartphone or smart device to this sleep tracker, which will then tell you what the quality of your sleep was like based on factors such as light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep, as well as factors such as how many times you woke up, how long it took you to fall asleep, and how long you slept for.
Even better is that this program can also monitor your sleep and tell you why you didn’t sleep so well, which is based on factors such as temperature, light levels, and sound, all of which can cause a bad sleep. This device can also connect to Spotify and Nest, which gives you the option of setting sleep and wake up music playlists and can even connect to you thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature to be ideal for sleeping or wake up time.
Value for money
This item comes in at around 300 dollars, which may seem a little bit on the expensive side, but when it comes to the quality of your sleep, there is no price that is too high. There is also the fact that this thing is an extremely advanced sleep monitoring tool that lets you go to sleep and wake up with ease, plus analyze your past sleep so you can improve it.
Build quality
There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the build quality of the Aura. It is a very sturdy device, it works well, and it lets you get the best sleep that is humanly possible.
Pros
- Monitors your sleeping environment
- Tracks various sleep factors
- Smart sleep and wake up technology
- Compatible with Nest and Spotify
- Helps you sleep much better
- Wakes you up at the ideal time in your sleep cycle
Cons
- Must be calibrated – long process
- Difficult to set up
- Not ideal for king size beds
Our Rating
Yet another great sleep tracker is the Sense Sleep System. It is a moderately priced sleep tracking system that lets you fall asleep easily, wakes you up at the ideal time, and monitors you sleep to give you some of the best feedback available.
Design
One of the best features of this particular sleep tracker is that it monitors your sleep in various ways. This thing keeps track of light levels while you sleep as well as humidity, sound, and temperature too, all things which can affect the quality of your sleep.
Using your smartphone you can then analyze the data, plus the program will give you recommendations on changes which you should make to get a better sleep. The sleep monitor will also tell you things like when you fell asleep, how many times you woke up, how long you slept for, and when you woke up.
Another thing that we like about this sleep tracker is that you can choose from a variety of ambient noises to play, all of which can help you fall asleep much faster than ever before. This item also has the power to sense which sleep cycle that you are in, and when it is time for you to wake up, it will wake you during the lightest part of your sleep cycle so you don’t wake up feeling groggy and disoriented.
Yet another cool thing is that you don’t have to wear anything for this device to work. All you need to do is to put the sleep pill on the side of your pillow and it will track your sleep environment as well as your sleep patterns.
The sleep pill also recognizes your movement while you sleep to add even more factors to the sleep tracking capabilities of it. Even better is that the sleep pill has a replaceable battery that will last for up to 1 year before it needs to be changed.
Value for money
This item definitely gives you great value for the price that it comes in at. The Sense Sleep System costs somewhere around 150 dollars, which is relatively cheap when you consider that it helps to give you the best sleep that you have ever had.
Build quality
The build quality of the Sense Sleep System is absolutely fantastic. Being able to connect to your smartphone, only needing 1 battery replacement per year, analyzing your sleeping environment and your sleep quality, plus helping you go to sleep and wake up with ease all add to the quality of this fantastic device.
Pros
- Plays ambient noise to help you sleep
- Wakes you up at the optimal time
- Monitors your sleep environment
- Keeps track of your sleeping habits
- Only needs 1 battery replacement per year
Cons
- Not very user friendly
- Does not detect day sleep
- Pillow button is fairly fragile
Our Rating
When it comes to the price of this device, you really can’t go wrong, plus there is also the fact that it has the ability to deliver personalized feedback in terms of your sleep patterns, the quality of your sleep, and the factors in your environment which are influencing your sleep.
Design
Perhaps the thing that we like the most about the S+ Personal Sleep Solution is that it has the ability to monitor your bedroom environment. This thing can keep track of things such as noise, temperature, ambient light, and a few other things that can affect your sleep.
This sleep sensor can also monitor your sleep patterns. It analyzes things like your breathing, your heart rate, your movement, and other factors which tell this monitor how your sleep is going. This has the ability to monitor your various sleep cycles, how deep you sleep, when you fell asleep, when you wake up, and a variety of other things too.
This thing is genius because it will combine the data that it has collected about your sleep patterns with the data about your bedroom environment in order to tell you what factors in your sleep environment need to be altered in order to get a better sleep. This thing also helps to wake you up when you are in your lightest sleep cycle in order to avoid grogginess and so you don’t miss work.
There is also the fact that this thing is non-invasive and only needs to rest on your nightstand, unlike other devices that need to be on your bed or pillow to monitor your sleep. This item is compatible with most smartphones, where it will display all of the necessary info that you need to help improve your sleep.
Value for money
For about 50 dollars you really can’t go wrong with this item or the awesome value that it gives you. This is by far one of the cheapest sleep tracking options out there, one which can do mostly everything that the more expensive models can do. Tracking your sleep patterns and bedroom factors has never been easier.
Build quality
There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the build quality of this item and it is large part thanks to the fact that it does not need to be on your bed or pillow while you sleep. For the cheap price that it comes in at, the quality could not be expected to be any better. This thing is scientifically shown to increase the quality of your sleep and that is something which we can definitely get behind.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Monitors your sleep environment
- Keeps track of your sleep factors
- Helps wake you up at the ideal time
- Does not need to be on your bed or pillow
- Compatible with most tablets and smartphones
Cons
- App uses a lot of data on your device
- Emits high-frequency radiation
Our Rating
If you are looking for a moderately priced sleep tracking device, the Beddit 2.0 is definitely a great option. It has all of the features that you need to accurately monitor your sleep patterns so you can make adjustments and get a better sleep.
Design
Something that we really like about this particular sleep tracker is that it has the ability to measure factors such how many times you wake up, how many times you get out of bed, it monitors your breathing, it keeps track of your heart rate, and it measures your movements as well. This thing even measures how loud and how long you snore for.
All of this measurement works towards this device being able to tell how well you sleep, plus it can also determine which part of your sleep cycle that you are in. This brings us to the next point, which is that this device has the ability to gently wake you up at the optimal time during the lightest stage of your sleep, thus helping you to feel as refreshed as possible when it wakes you.
Another thing that we really like about the Beddit 2.0 is that it is fairly comfortable to use. The sensor itself is paper thin and is quite comfortable to sleep on, thus not getting in the way of a good night’s sleep.
Moreover, this thing is compatible with most smart devices so you can easily access and read the information in order to make judgments to help you sleep better the following night. The final thing which is great about this sleep tracker is that it even gives you smart tips and hints based on the data it has collected so you can get a better sleep the next night.
Value for money
For somewhere around 100 dollars there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the Beddit 2.0. This sleep tracker has all of the monitoring power that you need to analyze your sleep patterns and get a better night’s sleep, plus it is comfortable to sleep on, compatible with most devices, and does everything else that a sleep tracker is supposed to do.
Build quality
The build quality of this sleep tracker is nothing to shrug your shoulders at. This thing is extremely comfortable to lay on so you won’t notice it when you sleep, not to mention that it accurately keeps track of all of the important sleep factors with ease and accuracy. Getting a better night’s sleep is a breeze when you have the Beddit 2.0 in your bed.
Pros
- Monitors a wide variety of sleep factors
- Gives you smart tips on how to sleep better
- Very comfortable
- Compatible with most devices
- Wakes you up at the ideal time
- Very affordable
Cons
- Does not work well on Android
- May say you slept less than you did
Our Rating
This is one of our favorite sleep trackers and it is due to the fact that it comes in at a very reasonable price, but has managed to not sacrifice any of the qualities that make for a good sleep tracker.
Design
Something about the design of the Sleepace Sleep Monitor that we really like is how it does not require you to wear anything while you sleep. It has the ability to monitor your sleep patterns with a paper thin mat that you place on your bed at chest level. It is very thin and comfortable to sleep on, making it a great monitor indeed. This item is also very accurate in its tracking thanks to being extra-sensitive, thus giving you accurate and detailed info regarding your sleep.
Another thing that is awesome about this sleep tracker is that it uses red and blue wavelengths to help you sleep better. The red wavelengths of light cause your body to produce more melatonin, the substance that causes you to go to sleep. The blue light wavelengths then stop the production of melatonin in order to wake you up at the most appropriate time in your sleep cycle.
The Sleepace can tell you things such as when you fell asleep, when you woke up, how many times you wake up, and how long you were in each sleep cycle for. Being able to monitor your sleep cycles is important because it helps this sleep tracker wake you up at the optimal time in order to reduce grogginess. This thing also has sounds which are used to help you fall asleep and to wake you up too.
This thing also displays all of the necessary information on any smart device, plus it uses Bluetooth technology to wirelessly connect to your device with ease. You can then look at all of the info that the Sleepace has collected in order to better your sleep night after night. Some of the most important factors that it can analyze include your breathing patterns as well as your heart rate.
Value for money
This sleep tracker is one of the cheaper models out there, coming in at around 100 dollars. This thing definitely gives you great value for the money that you are spending because it helps to give you the best sleep that you can get every single night. It has many advanced features that make it a price choice without a doubt.
Build quality
We really like the build quality of this item and it is in large part thanks to the fact that it is very thin and comfortable to sleep on. There is also the fact that the information displayed to you is organized so you can easily make sense of it, not to mention that it helps you sleep better, gets you to sleep when you need it to, and it wakes you up at the best possible time.
Pros
- Light wavelengths to control melatonin levels
- Smart wake up feature
- Analyzes sleep patterns
- Info displayed on your smartphone
- Bluetooth compatible
- Helps you improve your sleep with advanced tracking info
Cons
- Somewhat unreliable at times
Conclusion
With the best sleep tracker that money can buy, you can do a lot for the quality of your life, or to be exact, for the quality of your sleep. As we discussed above, getting a good sleep is very important for a wide variety of reasons and your ability to perform physical exercise is not the least of those reasons. You can greatly improve the quality of your life and of your workout routine with something as simple as a sleep tracking tool.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about sleep trackers, leave us a few words and we will get back to you as soon as we get the chance!