World Sleep Day: How to measure it using a smartwatch

2024-03-14 19:10:04
World Sleep Day has been celebrated every March 15 since 2008. (REUTERS)

Sleep is a fundamental part of human health and technology has sought different tools to help people get better rest. One of these accessories are smartwatches, which allow us to measure the quality of the night we have and with that data we can improve the quality of sleep.

On World Sleep Day, which has been celebrated since 2008, we review this technology, to understand how it works and how we can take advantage of it if we already have a smart watch in our hands.

Smartwatches use a combination of sensors to measure different aspects of our sleep. Systems such as the accelerometer and gyroscope record our movements during the night, while the optical heart rate sensor measures our heart rate.

This data is processed by internal algorithms to determine the different phases of sleep, such as light, deep and REM.

Sleep phases can help understand how a person rests during the night. (Illustrative Image Infobae)

The ability of these devices to recognize sleep patterns is due to the precision of these sensors. For example, when the heart rate is low and there is hardly any movement, the smartwatch registers that we are in a deep sleep phase.

On the other hand, if there is more movement and the heart rate is higher, it is considered light sleep. Some devices can even estimate the REM sleep phase using additional data, such as breathing rate.

Having this data is important for our overall health and well-being. During sleep, our body recovers and processes the day’s information. Lack of sleep can lead to fatigue, stress, and long-term health problems. Therefore, understanding the quality of our sleep can help us take steps to improve health and quality of life.

Thanks to their sensors, smart watches have the ability to measure different sleep phases. (REUTERS)

Once we have access to this information regarding our sleep, thanks to smart watches, we can take different measures to change our rest routines and have better activity during the day.

These are some of the actions that we can carry out thanks to all this data collected by a smartwatch:

• Identify sleep patterns:

By reviewing the sleep data collected by our smartwatch, we can identify patterns in our sleep behavior. For example, we can notice if certain habits, such as eating late or exercising vigorously before bed, affect our quality of sleep.

• Adjust lifestyle:

Once we identify the factors that affect our sleep, we can make adjustments to our lifestyle to improve it. For example, we can establish a regular sleep routine, avoid caffeine before bed, or practice relaxation techniques before bed.

Smart watches help identify bedtime problems. (Illustrative Image Infobae)

• Set sleep goals:

Using the information provided by our smartwatch, we can set sleep goals for ourselves. This motivates us to prioritize our rest and make sure we get the right amount of sleep each night.

• Seek professional help:

If we experience persistent sleep problems, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, we can seek professional help. Our doctor can use the data collected by our smartwatch as an additional tool to evaluate our health and recommend appropriate treatment.

• Additional clock options:

Most brands not only record users’ sleep and collect the information, but also within the functions of the application that we have on the cell phone to link the smartwatch, activities are usually presented as weekly goals to have fixed hours of rest, relaxation times and the organization of routines.

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