There are also situations where a person might think they’re sleeping well, but, following observation, find out that their sleep is disturbed regularly by everything from nightmares, temperature fluctuations, or conditions like sleep apnea. Whatever the cause, it can be helpful to be able to track your sleep to see what you get up to at night and what adjustments you can make to improve your overall sleep quality and potentially even your mental health. Fortunately, you no longer have to spend the night in a sleep lab to get data like that because there are a variety of sleep trackers available, either as wearables or other forms of technology. The right type of sleep tracker is a matter of personal preference but the rule of thumb is to choose whichever model will cause the least amount of interference. These items also vary on the number of people they support, the type of data collected, and other features available. To help make your decision easier, we spoke with the experts to find the best sleep trackers on the market. Price at time of publication: $130 — Dr. Jason Doescher, a physician, and chief medical officer at MOBE, an online wellness platform for individuals living with chronic conditions. Price at time of publication: $300 —Dr. Doescher Price at time of publication: $299 Price at time of publication: $129 —Dr. Leela R. Magavi, M.D., a psychiatrist and the regional medical director for Community Psychiatry in California Price at time of publication: $100 Price at time of publication: $80
Number of people
Some under-the-mattress sleep trackers come with two sensors, recording data for two people sleeping in the same bed.
Data collected
While all sleep trackers will provide you with the same basic information on sleep length and movement, others take other factors into account, including sound and temperature.
Other features
Do you want a device that is designed specifically to be a sleep tracker, or are you looking for something that can perform other health-related functions? Other features can include a pedometer, a pulse oximeter, and/or menstrual cycle tracking.
What Experts Say
“While sleep trackers are not diagnostic, their monitoring capabilities can detect snoring and demonstrate patterns of restless sleep cycles. Those measurements alone won’t solve the problem—but, importantly, they can raise awareness and suggest important conversations with our doctors to screen for sleep apnea and other sleep-related concerns, or even added stress, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, that could be indicative of larger health problems.” It’s important to keep in mind that these commercially available sleep trackers aren’t tested or regulated for accuracy, Dr. Magavi explains, noting that they’re not as accurate as sleep studies. “For individuals with chronic insomnia or parasomnias, I recommend they schedule a sleep study to learn whether they have sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder,” she says. —Dr. Doescher
Why Trust Verywell Mind
As a seasoned health writer and editor with a special focus on mental health and well-being, Elizabeth Yuko understands how powerful stress-relieving activities can be for many people—as well as the fact that they’re not one-size-fits-all. With decades of first-hand experience dealing with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, she’s always on the lookout for new (and research-backed) products, techniques, and services that can help people cope with stress and other mental health challenges.
