The Best Sleep Trackers
These days, it feels like we have a device to track everything. Where we are, where we’re going, what we buy, who are friends are, how many steps we make each day, and on and on. It can feel like we have a device monitoring and logging absolutely every aspect of our lives. Some people find it a bit invasive and strange. However, most have accepted this new way of life. After all, it makes everything more convenient to have a digital log of all aspects of our lives. Who needs memory?
Of course, that means that even sleep is trackable and quantifiable these days. That’s right, you don’t even have to be conscious to have a device monitoring your behavior! Sleep Trackers aren’t just here; they are here to stay. While they might sound a bit odd and seem like an unnecessary extravagance, it’s actually quite amazing just how many benefits a sleep tracker can bring to your life, especially for anyone who has difficulty getting strong and satisfying shut-eye.
It used to be that when you were suffering sleep issues, you would have to go to a special clinic where you would be hooked up to a variety of machines and supervised throughout the night. Granted, those clinics still exist for anyone struggling with significant sleep issues. However, if you’re someone who simply wants to get a better sense of the duration and quality of their sleep, then that’s entirely possible to do so at home with a sleep tracker!
Of course, the big challenge is figuring out which sleep tracker is right for you. You’ll need a specialty device to properly monitor your sleep patterns and not every sleep tracker on the market is created equal. That’s where our sleep experts come in. The good folks here at The Sleep Judge have taken the time to research, test, and discover the finest and most effective sleep trackers on the market.
Not only will find a list of our favorite sleep trackers below, but below that you’ll find a definitive buyers guide that will teach you everything that there is to know about sleep trackers. In other words, by the time that you are done reading this article, you’ll be ready to bring home the sleep tracker that you deserve. After that, your sleep will never be the same again. So what are you waiting for? Read on and start improving the quality your sleep today!
| Rank | Product |
| #1 |  Best Overall Sleep Tracker — Beautyrest Sleeptracker
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| #2 |  Best Wrist Sleep Tracker — Fitbit Versa 2
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| #3 |  Best Ring Sleep Tracker — Lookee Ring
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| #4 |  Best Advanced Sleep Tracker — Withings Sleep Tracker
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Best Sleep Trackers
Best Overall Sleep Tracker — Beautyrest Sleeptracker
If this is your first fore into sleep tracking technology and you’re looking for something that offers the advanced features that you crave in an affordable and approachable package, then the Beautyrest Sleeptracker is the device for you! This is a non-wearable monitor with sensors that rest between your mattress and your bedframe, making it completely unobtrusive in a way that will not affect your sleep schedule. These sensors are powerful enough to pick up on heart rate, breathing rate, sleep duration, and body movements between two separate people simultaneously. The AI based tracking system will monitor the data and offer concrete advice to both sleepers on how to improve their shut-eye. In other words, this sleep tracker will offer everything that you could possibly want in a simple and approachable package.
Pros
- Fits under any mattress.
- Measures a variety of forms of sleep data.
- Offers personalized sleep coaching based on your personal sleep data.
- Monitors sleep data for two separate sleepers simultaneously.
Cons
- Not wearable, so pulse and personal data might not be quite as accurate.
Best Wrist Sleep Tracker — Fitbit Versa 2
That’s right, the Fitbit Versa. Sure, this device is generally intended for fitness monitoring. However, it also can monitor your sleep data and does so about as well as any sleep tracker that can be worn on your wrist. The Fitbit Versa 2 monitors all of the typical sleep stats like heart rate and movement. It will then apply all that data within the dashboard to provide organized information about your sleep stages and patterns, even offering ways for users to set sleep goals and monitor them closely. Are there sleep trackers that provide even more detailed data, analysis, and advice? Sure, but they don’t offer all of the other Fitbit benefits like text messages, a four day battery life, a built in MP3 player and all of the health tracking services. When it comes to sleep trackers that worn on the wrist, nothing tops the Fitbit Versa 2.
Pros
- Tracks and analyzes sleep data
- Users can set and monitor sleep goals.
- Also offers all of the other benefits of a Fitbit.
Cons
- Expensive
- Not a dedicated sleep tracker.
Best Ring Sleep Tracker — Lookee Ring
The Lookee Ring is a small and powerful sleep monitor that is worn unobtrusively on a finger. It tracks all of the usual sleep data and offers a graphic sleep report/analysis available through a free app. This does everything that any other elite ring sleep tracker does. However, what makes the Lookee Ring special are the features designed specifically to help those suffering form sleep apnea. In addition to the typical sleep monitors, The Lookee Ring can also measure blood oxygen levels and will gently shake the users finger when it goes below a certain level to encourage and change of position to minimize snoring and increase blood oxygen. This makes the ring a potentially life saving and certainly life changing device for those with sleep apnea. Not a bad bonus feature for a ring sleep tracker that would have already been elite without it.
Pros
- Small and unobtrusive to wear.
- Monitors, analyzes, and graphs sleep data.
- Special features to help those with sleep apnea.
- 1-year warranty.
Cons
- Expensive
- No other applications other than sleep tracking.
- Ring could not be worn discretely.
Best Advanced Sleep Tracker — Withings Sleep Tracker
Finally, if you are someone fascinated by sleep data and wants the most possible options to monitor your sleeping patterns, then the Withings Sleep Tracker is the best option for you. This sleep tracker monitors all of the typical sleep data, while also monitoring snoring patterns, which is quite rare for a non-wearable sleep tracker. The data is compiled into a variety of charts that provides sleep scores that users can monitor and attempt to improve their sleep patterns. There are also a variety of sleep coaching options available. It would be hard to find a sleep tracker that can provide this much concrete information and analysis. Even better, it can work with your Alexa and offer home automation capabilities tied to your sleep data. So, if you’re a tech nut with a desire to monitor your sleep data in as much detail as possible, the Withings Sleep Tracker is your only choice.
Pros
- Unobtrusively slides under any matters.
- Gathers relevant sleep data.
- Provides advanced sleep data analysis beyond what most sleep trackers can achieve.
- Compatible with Alexa.
Cons
- Complex sleep data analysis may be too complex for beginners.
- Not a wearable sleep device, making pulse and movement data slightly less reliable.
Things To Look Out For
Here are some things to consider when choosing which sleep tracker is right for you.
Wearable Or Non-Wearable
This is the biggest distinction that you’ll find between sleep trackers. Would you prefer to wear your sleep tracker (typically on your wrist or through a ring) or have it beside you as you sleep? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Obviously a wearable tracker will be able to monitor your pulse and movement more directly and accurately. However, non-wearable sleep trackers tend to be dramatically less expensive, are focused exclusively/extensively on monitoring your sleep activity and have developed surprisingly accurate ways of monitoring heart rate without contact. A lot of it comes down to what you want in a tracker and your budget. There are excellent sleep trackers available in both styles and across a variety of price points.
Track Sleep Quality, Not Just Quantity
Advanced sleep trackers aren’t just capable of tracking when you’re sleeping, but also how you’re sleeping. Based on your total sleep time and your heart rate, your sleep tracker will be able to monitor how much time that you spend in each stage of sleep (light, deep, and REM). This will help you assess where specific issues are arising within your sleep cycle so that you can act accordingly. Admittedly, this is the area of sleep tracking that many scientists doubt these devices can monitor accurately, but that’s up for debate and your sleep tracker will still provide a useful guide to recognizing patterns in your sleep cycle.
Advance Sleep Tracking
Of course, sleep isn’t just affected by biological factors. There are a number of factors that can affect how and when we sleep. That’s why advanced sleep trackers can also monitor environmental factors such as room temperature, light level, or temperature. These could play a major role in your ability to get a good night’s sleep, so it might be worth exploring trackers capable of reading these sorts of things.
Snoring
Some sleep trackers even have microphones built in to monitor if you snore and how the nature of that snoring affects your sleep patterns. It can also identify any irregular breathing that may also be disturbing you throughout the night. So, if you think this might be an issue, then it’s yet another reason to invest in a non-wearable sleep tracker.
Smart Alarms
Another intriguing capability of sleep trackers is what is known as a smart alarm. You’ll be able to select a 30 minute window in which you’d like to awake and your sleep tracker will monitor your sleep cycles to determine the best moment in the 30 minute period to wake you up during the “light” phase of the sleep cycle and ensure that you aren’t quite as groggy in the morning. Yet another reason why monitoring your sleep can be a useful practice!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do sleep trackers actually work?
Obviously we wouldn’t have written this article if we didn’t believe that these devices are valuable addition to your sleep health. However, this is still fairly new technology. So we understand your skepticism. It’s a difficult question to answer. This tech is moving quickly on the consumer market, often without significant testing. However, there’s no denying that a good sleep tracker can provide valuable insight and information about your sleep tendencies and health. It is definitely worth pursuing if you worry about your sleep habits. Obviously a professional should be contacted if you suffer from any significant sleep issues, but these devices are an excellent way of getting a sense of your sleeping habits for the first time.
How do sleep trackers work?
There are a variety of different sleep trackers that use a variety of different means to track sleep. However, the most common means of sleep tracking is through actiagraphy, specifically through accelerometers. This are the miniature motion detectors used in phones and fitbit-style devices used to measure motion and analyze motion to provide such data as the number of steps that you take in a day. This technology can also be used to monitor when your movement ceases to log your sleep time. Combine this with a heart rate monitor and you have a fairly effective means to track the quality and quantity of sleep that you have each night.
How expensive are sleep trackers?
As with most advanced electronics, this will depend on what you’re looking for in your sleep tracker. Prices can range anywhere from $50-$300, but obviously the $50 tracker will have far fewer capabilities and options than the $300 tracker. So, it’s important to research you needs and budget accordingly.
Isn’t there an app for that?
Yes, there are some sleep tracking apps available for iPhone and Androids. However, these apps can’t track sleep with nearly the same detail or accuracy from your phone. So, they are not a substitute for a more dedicated (or at least wearable) sleep tracking solution. Sure, some advanced apps can give you a sense of sleep tracking by placing your phone under your pillow, but they won’t be nearly as effective as a more dedicated sleep tracker.
Will I need to clean my sleep tracker?
It’s probably a good idea. Of course, it depends on which type that you have. Non-wearable sleep trackers will only need dusting and perhaps a light rub with a damp cloth. Wearable trackers could do with an occasional quick rinse with a soap-free cleanser, especially if you get sweaty while wearing them.