What is an "almost-awake" moment?
Almost-awake moments occur throughout a night's sleep. Sometimes an almost-awake moment is triggered by an outside influence like a loud noise or a dog jumping on the bed, but usually these moments happen around REM sleep. When you are almost awake, you may move around, or sit up to look at the clock, but then you usually drift quickly back to sleep. You probably won't even remember having been awake. Almost-awake moments are very brief, usually lasting less than 20 seconds.
On average, how many almost-awake moments do most people experience per night?
There really is no average, because everybody sleeps differently. Factors that can affect your number of almost-awake moments include age, diet, medication, exercise, the amount of sleep you got during previous nights, stress, and other factors. The best way to determine how soundly you've slept on a given night is by establishing a baseline. Using Sleeptracker, track each night's sleep and the number of almost-awake moments you experience. Eventually you'll learn how many almost-awake moments you can experience and still feel like you've had a good night's sleep. Once you've figured that out, you can adjust the factors that may affect your sleep until you attain the optimum number of almost-awake moments for a good night's sleep.
How can I review my sleep patterns using Sleeptracker?
In Sleeptracker's DATA REVIEW mode, you can see all of your almost-awake moments and the average time between them. If you track these moments for a few nights, you can find out how restless each night's sleep was relative to the others.
To review your sleep data, press MODE until you reach DATA REVIEW. On the screen will appear "Data 1" and the time of your first "almost-awake" moment during the previous night's sleep. Press the left buttons to scroll through all of your almost-awake moments ("Data 2," "Data 3," etc.). As you reach the end of this series of times, Sleeptracker displays "Data A," which stands for "Data Average": the average time-period between your almost-awake moments.
For example, if you sleep for eight hours and have eight almost-awake moments during that period, the time of each of those eight moments will show up in the DATA REVIEW mode. At the end of that series of times, Sleeptracker will show that you had an almost-awake moment every sixty minutes.
On the next night, Sleeptracker might show that you had seven almost-awake moments during the eight hours you slept, indicating that you slept more soundly than you did when you had eight almost-awake moments. If, on the other hand, you had fifteen almost awake moments that night, you probably did not sleep as well. Perhaps you had a change in diet, went to bed at a different time, or were under unusual stress. After reviewing several nights' worth of almost-awake moments, you can adjust the factors that may be affecting your sleep to improve your chances of sleeping soundly and waking up refreshed.
How will my sleep data be affected if I get up to use the restroom or to check something in the middle of the night?
Because many of us wake up or get up during the night, Sleeptracker is designed to record data only when you are asleep. Its internal sensors can detect when you are up and moving around. Therefore, if you get up at 2:00 AM and go back to bed at 3:00 AM, that hour when you were up will be recorded as a single "almost-awake" event at 2:00 AM. Similarly, if you toss and turn for a while during the night, that tossing-and-turning period will be recorded as a single event, and Sleeptracker will stop recording your data as long as you are awake. Once you have settled back to sleep, Sleeptracker automatically returns to data-acquisition mode.
What is Sleeptracker monitoring?
Sleeptracker looks for and records brief periods of movement that are associated with almost awake moments or very light stages of sleep. You can review your almost awake moments the next day by pressing MODE to go to DATA REVIEW. Sleeptracker will show a series of times indicating your almost-awake moments throughout the night (shown as "Data 1," "Data 2," etc.). At the end of this series, the average time between your almost-awake moments will appear as "Data A."
What is DATA A?
"DATA A": The Average Time Between Your Almost-Awake Moments
After you've reviewed your almost-awake moments in DATA REVIEW, at the end of this series of times, Sleeptracker displays "Data A," the average time between your almost-awake moments. Data A can help you know how soundly you're sleeping. If you go to bed and get up at the same times most days, your sleep patterns are likely to be consistent—and Data A will remain fairly consistent, too. Keep track of Data A for 7-10 nights to establish your personal baseline. If your sleep is consistent, Data A will probably only vary by a few minutes from one night to the next. If Data A deviates significantly from your normal baseline one night, try to think about what you did before going to sleep that might have affected your sleep cycle. Factors like alcohol, cigarettes, late evening exercise, late night eating, and spicy foods can all affect your Data A.
How tightly should I wear my Sleeptracker?
Wear Sleeptracker as you would a regular wristwatch. It should be snug enough to allow adequate contact with your wrist (not so loose that it moves around), but not tight enough to be uncomfortable.
Will Sleeptracker make me sleep better?
No. Sleeptracker can be used to track your sleep patterns to see how soundly you sleep, but it cannot control the factors that affect your sleep. It is the user's responsibility to control or change those factors.
Is Sleeptracker a medical device?
No, Sleeptracker is not a medical device and should not be used to treat sleep disorders. Anyone who suspects that he/she has a medically diagnosable sleep disorder should consult a physician.
Can I use Sleeptracker to shorten the amount of sleep I get?
No, you should not use Sleeptracker to shorten your regular night's sleep. Physicians recommend getting an average of 8 hours of sleep per night.