In the fast-paced world that we live in, we don’t often pay attention to the quality of the things we do. We just want to get it done and sleep is not an exception. But ignoring the quality has consequences and not sleeping well can have serious ones. Find out how to have a truly good night of sleep by becoming familiar with some important sleep metrics.
What do we all have in common? Well, many aspects can indeed be pointed out but, if there is one that stands out, that is comfort.
That’s probably why so many concepts involving this notion of comfort are applied nowadays. And we’re not talking just about things such as comfortable shoes, clothes, cars, or even beds.
How we measure comfort is very different and, based on factors such as culture, personality, geography, and many others, it can be subjective. The concept goes beyond things all the way down to food.
You’ve probably heard about the concept of comfort food meaning food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically having a high sugar or carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.
However, despite its latitude, no one is comfortable when basic needs are not met.
Can’t fight Maslow’s pyramid, right?
The need for air, water, food, clothing, shelter is the basis of the pyramid, thus are also crucial pillars for comfort. And these are simple to measure. Either one has it or not. But sleep, the last but not the least of the basic needs is not that crystal clear.
Sleep Metrics
How many hours do you need to sleep? How can you measure sleeping quality to achieve maximum comfort? According to Sleep Tracker, 12 metrics are relevant to keep in mind when discussing this subject. We’re focusing on 3 that are not so often mentioned. Those are:
- Sleeping efficiency
- Light Sleep
- REM sleep
Sleeping quantity is not the same as sleeping efficiency. Spending 8 hours in bed and 6 of those hours asleep yields a sleep efficiency of 75%. With a sleep efficiency of 85% or higher, you are doing well.
The not so often mentioned light sleep or REM sleep are very interesting metrics. The first is commonly known as a nap and it is considered the least restorative of sleep stages but also the easiest one to wake up from. The latter refers to the eye movement that we do when dreaming. REM stands for rapid eye movement and its proportion generally increases during the second half of the night.
Sleep tracking technology
Even though these metrics are not commonly known or easy to understand and measure, the rise of sleep tracking technology has been a great ally for those who are trying to improve their lives by also improving their sleep condition.
The pandemic contributed to a general growing awareness to stay healthy and monitor fitness activities with smart wearables that also allow one to track sleep patterns and others. Gym-goers, for instance, are now interested in their global progress, analyzing not only their weight but also body fat percentage and sleep quality.
In fact, according to Business Insights, the global fitness tracker market is projected to grow from $36.34 billion in 2020 to $114.36 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 15.4% in the forecast period 2021-2028.
Ergomotion® has long forecasted this scenario and is a leading market player when it comes to smart sleep solutions. Our new ErgoSportive™ App offers the possibility to monitor the most important sleep metrics in real-time, providing accurate data and trends such as average respiration and heart rate, turnover times, snore intervention times, and much more. Get to know all about it here.
A good night’s sleep gives you the comfort you need to have a better day. There are no miracle recipes, but a proper sleep tracker can provide you with the valuable insights you need to optimize your sleep experience.
Get in touch to know more about how we can help you on this matter with our Smart System and many other Ergomotion solutions.
