To those that measure their deep sleep

[yello]

How much do you get? (Deep sleep that is)

I bought one of those watches that measures stuff. I got it to keep an eye on my ticker, I've had it just over a year. The watch that is, I've had my ticker much longer, from new in fact. Anyways, this watch tracks deep sleep (how accurately is another matter) Mine fluctuates greatly.

Some nights, I get as little as 10 minutes in a full 8 hour plus sleep. I usually get around 20 to 30 minutes but on rare occasions it can be as much as 90 minutes.

Seemingly no rhyme nor reason to the differences, that I can see anyway. Just one of those 'interesting' measures I know not what to do with.

 

[Jody]

It's usually less than recommended at around 20-40 minutes a night.

Alcohol, caffeine and other substances can affect duration and how many cycles a night.

 

[Threevok]

Mine has always been erratic - but I stopped worrying about it long ago.

8 hours is a myth anyway - one that nobody can accurately pinpoint the source of.

 

[yello]

Hmm, yes. Cycles is another interesting one. I usually ever have the 1, and it's very early in the sleep cycle. So much so that I'm almost straight into it. Had 3 last night, the last one was measured at less than 10 minutes, and less than an hour before I got up.

 

[Jody]

but I stopped worrying about it long ago.

This as well. I just put mine on charge now and go to sleep

 

[Gwylan]

My, I have missed something else not to do.
My ignorance of my sleep pattern is blissful.
I am confident that if sleeping ever got into the Olympics I would be a contender in several classes. Spontaneous, freestyle, flexible, power napping and so on.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I'd be very sceptical of any readings from a watch unless I could verify it against something more substantial.

However, monitoring sleep is a very useful thing to do as sleep plays such an important part in our overall health and especially mental health.
It's entirely possible to log sleep without any technology in terms of approximate length and also how we feel in the morning. Are we rested? Feeling positive or negative?
I've seen "sleep diaries" recommended for people to record not just their sleep but also their moods as well as what they had to eat or drink in the hours before sleep. They can be useful tools to pick out patterns that we might not otherwise see.

I'd imagine that drilling down into a lot of unverifiable "data" is probably a lot less helpful than a general awareness of our sleep and how we can influence the quality of it.

 

[a.twiddler]

Interesting to match up the readings with how you actually feel from day to day. From my experience with using a smart watch a few years ago to record some trips, a wrist worn device isn't particularly accurate for measuring heart rate, and if that's what it uses to estimate your sleep patterns, you could do better if you want to delve into it more seriously.
For myself, I ditched the smart watch. Just something else to worry about charging and faffing about with to spoil the spontaneity of the ride. Unless you've got a medical condition it's probably unnecessary. I find I've got enough things to worry about while I'm awake, without worrying about my sleep patterns too. I'm quite relieved just to wake up nowadays, and find everything still works!

 

[yello]

Not worried in the slightest. Just interested. I have loads of good sleep, no alarm clocks or kids to wake me, just the light of the morning sun.

Tbh, I don't think the watch is accurate. There are comments to that effect on relevant forums. Just me being curious in tech, I'm kinda geeky like that.

 

[Venod]

I find it interesting, comparing night to night info, not sure how accurate it is but it seems a good reflection of how I sleep (very lightly) I usually have about 30 minutes of deep sleep not long after nodding off, occasionally I have another short session of deep sleep, but not often, its mostly light sleep interspersed with REM and awake bits, I am also very restless most nights.

 

[vickster]

I find wearing the Apple Watch while trying to sleep/asleep bothersome as I’m not used to wearing!
It’s pretty accurate at measuring heart rate however and has been very close to recent hospital testing

 

[yello]

I find it interesting, comparing night to night info

Yes, I think that's where I'm at. It's the stato in me I guess.

Accuracy is a question, yes, but not one that overly bothers me. It's the night to night comparisons that I do, so so long as it is consistently inaccurate then that works for me.

 

[cougie uk]

My average deep sleep apparently is 1hr 17 this week and I'm averaging 7hr 20m a night. My REM is 1hr 45 and that's when you dream ? Can't remember any dreams this week. I could dream a full film each night. Must try.

 

[kynikos]

It's usually less than recommended at around 20-40 minutes a night.

Alcohol, caffeine and other substances can affect duration and how many cycles a night.

You cycle in your sleep? ...I'm impressed

 

[Gwylan]

Words fail me.
Why buy a piece of equipment that claims to measure something.
Might as well spin a pendulum over your navel to tell yesterday's weather.

Until now I believed that cyclists were a pretty rational lot. I may have to reconsider that.