Please click on those key words to see those devices on Amazon.
If you don’t mind wearing a watch to bed then I highly recommend the Fitbit Versa 2 watch as it offers other functions making it money well spent, after that I would recommend the sensor pad.
After getting the new sleep tracking device use it for a couple of weeks before you start making any changes to your sleeping routines so you have an established baseline to compare to later.
Step 2: Look At The Sleep Data To Help Answer Question “How To Get Better Sleep”.
Okay you have collected the sleep data let’s look at it to understand what we are seeing. Most good sleep trackers will show you how much time you spent in the three stages of sleep (Rem, Light, & Deep) they should also show how long you were awake.
Believe me this is all necessary to answer the question “how to get great sleep”.
I am a big fan of the Fitbit health trackers and they do a great job of tracing sleep, they go the extra steps, they show you the three stages of sleep, time awake, and also give you a total sleep score every morning based on the above data.
The Fitbit also give you an estimated oxygen variation level in graph form throughout your sleep (see graphs below)
On the Fitbit all the data mentioned above is tracked nightly and saved so you have a historical record that you can review to see improvements over time.
It’s simple to operate just enter your desired bedtime and how many hours of sleep you want to set your goal at and let it do the work for you.
We will talk more about this in the next section:
Analyzing The Data:
Relax you don’t have to be a scientist to understand the data. The Fitbit tracker along with most others will point out how much time you spent awake and in each sleep cycle.
Let’s start at the beginning and walk through the possible causes why you are not getting great sleep.
Look at the data and see what time you lay down and how long did it take you to drift off to sleep. If this took more than 10 minutes then let’s look at your pre-bedtime routine.
If you are falling right to sleep you won’t need to read the pre-bedtime routine section – but I would recommend reading for improvement.
Pre-Bedtime Routine:
Using the Fitbit for example will give you’re a reminder if you like about 30 minutes before your bedtime that you set as a goal.
Why do you need this? The first step to great sleep is to have an established bedtime routine that preps you for that great night sleep.
A good sleep ritual is something that works for you and is an individual choice. However here are some tips to help.
- No screen time 30 minutes prior to bedtime
- Take a warm bath or shower
- Read a book for 30 minutes
- Listen to some relaxing music – can be while in bath
- Mediation or reflection on positive things
- Talking with your partner
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evenings
- Exercise during the day is helpful
Next Step On Analyzing Data On “How To Get Great Sleep”
You either no problem with falling asleep quickly or you resolved it with setting yourself up with a pre-bedtime routine as described above.
Looking at the data you are frequently waking up then we need to look at some possible causes. First, let’s not overlook any medical issues.
If you believe that you may have sleep apnea, snoring, or other health issues talk with your doctors for possible testing and diagnosis with possible treatments.
We are here to discuss non-medical issues that may be causing you to wake up frequently during your sleep cycles.
This will help answer your question “how to get great sleep”. If you are having trouble staying sleep and it’s not a medical issue then let’s look at your environment.