Best Windows PC-compatible, wearable sleep tracker?
June 21, 2015 8:32 AM Subscribe
Best Windows PC-compatible, wearable sleep tracker?
I want-need to purchase a wearable fitness tracker that has very good ability to sense and track sleep duration and quality, sensed automatically without a manual switch over to sleep mode. Activity level tracking would also be very useful; not so interested in heart rate or food/calorie intake.
Not using a smartphone, so a device that's Windows 7 and 8.1 PC-compatible.
Automatically senses sleep mode, since I'm prone to falling asleep at any hour with no advance notice.
Affordable and durable.
Never had one of these devices before, so I'm hoping you lovely people can help with my particular requirements. I've already googled aplenty without finding a definitive answer to what I'm looking for; I know this would be easier if I went the smartphone-compatible route, but not going that way at this point.
I want-need to purchase a wearable fitness tracker that has very good ability to sense and track sleep duration and quality, sensed automatically without a manual switch over to sleep mode. Activity level tracking would also be very useful; not so interested in heart rate or food/calorie intake.
Not using a smartphone, so a device that's Windows 7 and 8.1 PC-compatible.
Automatically senses sleep mode, since I'm prone to falling asleep at any hour with no advance notice.
Affordable and durable.
Never had one of these devices before, so I'm hoping you lovely people can help with my particular requirements. I've already googled aplenty without finding a definitive answer to what I'm looking for; I know this would be easier if I went the smartphone-compatible route, but not going that way at this point.
Fitbit Force, Charge, Charge HR and Surge track sleep automatically.
posted by Koko at 9:12 AM on June 21, 2015
posted by Koko at 9:12 AM on June 21, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you, but I should have included that I'd really like a device that can track light and deep sleep, and apparently the Fitbits can't do that.
Other suggestions? Anyone have experience with the Garmin Vivofit? Does it mesh with what I need?
posted by vers at 10:14 AM on June 21, 2015
Other suggestions? Anyone have experience with the Garmin Vivofit? Does it mesh with what I need?
posted by vers at 10:14 AM on June 21, 2015
I have a Vivofit. It sort of auto-detects sleep mode: I told it what times of day I'm typically asleep and it automatically decides I'm sleeping if my movement drops below some threshold during that time block. I don't think it will auto-detect, say, a midafternoon nap (and I think if I told it I was likely to be asleep from 12 midnight to 11:59 it would behave weirdly). I'm not sure I would say it tracks light vs deep sleep; what it actually gives me is an estimate of how much motion it detected (here's today's sleep screenshot). In this regard Fitbit is actually closer to what you want, since it attempts to distinguish between "asleep" and "restless" (though they're currently dealing with a class-action suit alleging that they're not doing a good job).
Frankly I'm not aware of any consumer wearable that has a "very good" ability to do what you want. Tracking sleep quality outside a lab is still basically black magic, whatever the manufacturers are trying to say.
posted by dorque at 10:33 AM on June 21, 2015
Frankly I'm not aware of any consumer wearable that has a "very good" ability to do what you want. Tracking sleep quality outside a lab is still basically black magic, whatever the manufacturers are trying to say.
posted by dorque at 10:33 AM on June 21, 2015
To expand on that last sentence, what I mean is that there's basically no way for any wearable to automatically distinguish between "napping on the couch" and "sitting on the couch occasionally scrolling or turning pages with the hand not wearing the device", so if you need to be aware of your sleep patterns for some reason beyond mild curiosity, this is probably not the most fruitful route.
posted by dorque at 10:44 AM on June 21, 2015
posted by dorque at 10:44 AM on June 21, 2015
Check out the Basis Peak if you haven't yet- it's supposed to be particularly good at tracking sleep. I would have gotten one myself, but I'm female and dislike the masculine look of the watch.
posted by three_red_balloons at 10:57 AM on June 21, 2015
posted by three_red_balloons at 10:57 AM on June 21, 2015
Just to follow up; the Fitbit knows the difference between deep sleep (when you're not moving at all) and restless sleep, when you turn over or shift or whatever. It also lets you know your sleep efficiency rating (93% for me!) That may be the most detail you can get short of a sleep lab. IANA Fitbit rep.
posted by Koko at 1:27 PM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Koko at 1:27 PM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
dorque is correct: this is not really possible without attaching electrodes to your skull.
You *might* be able to get one of the heart-rate-monitor ones to give a slightly better signal, but even that is prone to confusion between relaxing watching TV and sleeping.
Some Googling with keywords like "fitbit sleep study" will give you relevant articles like http://www.livescience.com/42710-fitness-trackers-sleep-monitoring-accuracy.html
posted by Jacen Solo at 4:00 PM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
You *might* be able to get one of the heart-rate-monitor ones to give a slightly better signal, but even that is prone to confusion between relaxing watching TV and sleeping.
Some Googling with keywords like "fitbit sleep study" will give you relevant articles like http://www.livescience.com/42710-fitness-trackers-sleep-monitoring-accuracy.html
posted by Jacen Solo at 4:00 PM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by intensitymultiply at 9:01 AM on June 21, 2015