When he was training for the CrossFit Games, now-retired athlete Mat Fraser gave his sleep routine almost as much importance as his training programme.
The five-time Fittest Man on Earth knew that getting 10 hours of quality sleep night after night could make the difference between success and failure.
If the best athlete in the history of CrossFit gives sleep that level of attention, it shows how important it is to achieving our goals. It’s also a key component of general wellbeing and has been proven as a key indicator of life expectancy.
Using devices to track the duration and quality of our sleep is a useful way of learning how our lifestyle habits impact our restful hours so we can make more informed choices.
Here, Built for Athleten looks at five of the best sleep trackers.
Oura Ring
The Oura Ring is unique in that it fits around your finger, making it a wearable with minimal obstruction. It breaks down heart rate and movement data into simple comparable numbers, including a readiness and sleep score.
Whoop Strap 3.0
Although it’s an all-round fitness tracker, the Whoop Strap’s sleep analytics are one of its major selling points because it gives a straightforward sleep score, much like the Oura. It also has a sleep coach which gives you tips on how to become more aligned with your circadian rhythm.
Muse S
Muse takes things a step further. A band around your wrist or finger can’t track the electrical signals of the brain in the same way that in-depth scientific sleep researchers can. The Muse S achieves this with a strap that fits around your forehead and gives an extra level of detail into sleep stages.
Withings Sleep
If you can’t comfortably wear a device at night, Withings Sleep offers a pad that is fitted beneath your mattress and still monitors heart rate, sleep stages and sleep duration. You can pretty much forget the pad is there making for a more natural sleep experience if you’re put off by bulky gadgets.
S+ By ResMed
S+ by ResMed claims to be the world’s first non-contact home sleep tracking system. It sits next to you and gives a good level of feedback on sleep stages, duration and breathing rates among other metrics.
