Apple Watch Series 11 for $399: If you already have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, you can use it to track your sleep. Between the heart rate sensor and the accelerometer, your Apple Watch can categorize your sleep into four stages. Newer models can also measure blood pressure and temperature. It feels like a general overview compared to other sleep trackers I’ve tried, and there are no sleep scores, although this is obviously by design (it’s arguable that you need more data).
Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) for $1,000: All Garmin fitness trackers track sleep to some degree, but the Epix Pro has what Garmin calls advanced sleep monitoring, or the ability to track sleep stages, your blood oxygen saturation, your breathing rate, and restlessness. Contributor Adrienne So found that the Epix Pro often got her half an hour to an hour more sleep than she gets most nights, as tested twice by Whoop and Oura. And it doesn’t add a nap to your sleep effect.
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) for $100: The Nest Hub uses radar to track your sleep, meaning you don’t need to wear a tracker; it also has a microphone to track snoring, sleep talking, and other night sounds. I love the Nest Hub on my nightstand for smart home controls, family photos, and listening to sleep sounds or podcasts in bed, but the sleep tracker consistently overestimates my REM stages and missed wake times recorded by other trackers. When I used multiple trackers at once, the Nest Hub was an outlier. –Simon Hill
Muse S Athena Headband for $475: This headband has sensors that can track your brain activity, such as an electroencephalogram (EEG), along with an accelerometer and gyroscope, as well as a PPG sensor to measure heart rate and blood circulation. It’s primarily a meditation app designed to help you relax, but it can also track your sleep by recording your heart rate, breathing, sleep time, and how much you move to get an overall sleep score. Sadly, I found it uncomfortable to wear and often woke up to find that the sleep tracking had failed, usually because I had taken it off during the night. –Simon Hill
Photo: Simon Hill
Windings Sleep Tracking Mat for $200: Another wearable alternative, this sensor-filled mat from Wings fits under your mattress where your chest rests. You need to measure it during the initial setup, but it’s quick and easy. It tracks your movement, breathing, and heart rate throughout the night, detects snoring or other sounds, and alerts you to potential breathing problems that could indicate sleep apnea. I doubt the accuracy as it is assumed that you are trying to sleep if you are lying in bed watching TV or reading, and that may affect your score (although it is best to use your bed to sleep only if you suffer from insomnia). I’ve found waking times are often marked as light sleep. It requires an electrical outlet, but that means you don’t have to worry about charging). –Simon Hill
Withings ScanWatch 2 for $370: Wear the Wings ScanWatch 2 to bed and you’ll get 100 sleep points in the morning. It includes the same four stages as other trackers (awake, REM, light, and deep) but boasts a PPG sensor to measure your breathing rate. It can also track your heart rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels. ScanWatch 2 provides a wealth of data and advice in the Wings app. Some people may find it too big and uncomfortable to sleep in, though, and had trouble distinguishing between light sleep and when I was lying in bed. –Simon Hill
