STACK #240 October 2024

TECH FEATURE

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Sleep well!

Sleep Impact

Sleep is crucial for our overall health – not just for keeping us alert during the day, but it’s when your brain solidifies memories, your body heals and grows, and your immune system works harder. Sleeping poorly, especially long-term, can raise your risk of all kinds of health problems.

Withings ScanWatch 2 The Withings ScanWatch 2 is a stylish all round health tracker, but its sleep functions are a standout. It uses a technique called polysomnography, considered the gold standard for sleep analysis. The smartwatch tracks your heart rate, sleep cycles, duration, regularity, and interruptions, to give your Sleep Score. A Respiratory Scan analyses your continuous blood oxygen levels, heart rate, motion and breathing rate, and can identify signs of breathing disturbances like sleep apnea (again, check with your doctor). The ScanWatch 2 can even help you wake up easier. It waits for you to enter a light sleep stage around the time you set to get up, and will rouse you with a light vibration.

Sleep is a vital part of your health, and new tech can track your sleep patterns to help you develop healthier habits. It’ll make sleep analysis so easy you can do it… well, in your sleep! Words Michael Irving

Withings Sleep Analyser The Withings Sleep Analyser is an easy alternative to wearables. You simply slide this pad under your mattress, calibrate it – and go to sleep. From there, the analyser uses two sensors to monitor your sleep – a sound sensor that listens for snoring or breathing interruptions, and a pneumatic sensor that measures your respiration, heart rate, and body movements. This info lets it analyse your sleep cycles and build a Sleep Score. It’s even able to detect sleep apnea with medical grade precision, and tell how severe it is. A PDF health report can be assembled in-app to share with your GP.

Sleep on it The most familiar option for sleep tracking tech is the smartwatch, but other emerging wearable sleep trackers include earbuds and rings. If you prefer not to wear anything to bed,

With long-term use, trends become clearer, giving a more complete picture of your sleep health – and what aspects might need work. Some trackers can also pick up signs of disorders such as sleep apnea. That alone shouldn’t be taken as a formal diagnosis of course, so discuss promptly with your doctor.

some devices slide under your pillow or mattress and monitor your sleep from there.

Scoring in your sleep Sleep trackers generally work by monitoring your heart rate overnight, and using motion sensors to check how much you’re moving around. Some track more advanced metrics like body temperature, respiration, and blood oxygen levels. This data lets trackers figure out how long you take to fall asleep, how often you wake up, and how long you spend in different stages, like light or deep sleep. You’ll usually be given a “Sleep Score” that ranks how restful your night was on a scale of 1-100.

Better bedtimes Sleep Score needs improvement? Stick to a routine – try to go to sleep and get up around the same time every day, even on weekends. Avoid caffeine too late in the day, and don’t forget to fit some physical activity in too.

14 OCTOBER 2024

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