What Your Smartwatch Sleep Pattern Means

Sleep is a non-negotiable part of life. Whether you love or hate it, getting some sleep is essential to feeling like your best self, and a smartwatch sleep pattern can help you achieve this state. 

However, if your rest isn’t high-quality, you’ll be left feeling cranky at best. Luckily, this is where a handy smartwatch sleep analysis comes in. Smartwatches provide solutions to a whole host of problems, and today they can even get your sleep schedule back on track, too. 

If you’ve been tracking your sleep with a smartwatch but don’t know what the readings mean, don’t worry. We’re here to help. Scroll down to find out how to read your smartwatch sleep pattern with ease. You’ll be feeling like Sleeping Beauty in no time.

How To Read Smartwatch Sleep Pattern Information

Interpreting your sleep tracking may sound easy, but once you’re facing a graph and numbers, it doesn’t feel so simple. Here’s a rundown of the basic elements.

REM Sleep

The portion of sleep with the most brain activity and dreaming occurs. 

Your body is still in this sleep mode, but your eyes move rapidly. Also, your heart rate increases and your breathing can become irregular. 

REM is needed for memory management and emotional regulation. Think of this stage as your brain clearing out any details it doesn’t need. 

Protein synthesis is also rife during REM sleep. This is the process where cells create proteins using RNA, DNA, and enzymes. REM also strengthens creative problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and your mood.

Adults usually spend 20%-25% of their sleep cycle in REM sleep.

Light Sleep

As the name suggests, light sleep is shallow and not very restful. We are usually not in this sleep stage for long, as it’s a transition into a deep sleep. In light sleep, you may be aware of stimuli around you. 

Typically, adults experience that 40%-50% of their sleep per night is light sleep. If your statistics are higher than this, you may need to work on producing a more relaxing atmosphere.

Deep Sleep

Unlike light sleep, in deep sleep, you aren’t even slightly aware of what’s going on around you. In this portion of the sleep cycle, your heart rate is regular, your muscles relax, and your breathing becomes slow. 

Dreams don’t occur in deep sleep. But your body is very active. In deep sleep, a growth hormone is released, which helps with cellular repair and rebuilding. 

For healthy sleep, 13%-23% of your sleep cycle should be deep sleep. This decreases as you age, and kids or babies need much more.

What Is A Sleep Cycle?

A sleep cycle is the pattern of sleep stages we experience every night. Sleep cycles tend to last between 90 to 120 minutes, and these involve REM sleep, deep sleep, and light sleep. 

The average person experiences anywhere from four to six sleep cycles per night, and it’s normal to wake up between cycles. If you’re frequently waking up or experiencing results outside of this range, you might want to check if stress is affecting your sleep.

Smartwatch Sleep Patterns – The Takeaway

Making sense of your smartwatch sleep data might feel impossible. But after you’re familiar with the metrics, understanding your sleep patterns is easy. You can use this data to improve your mental health, physical energy levels, and overall productivity. So, get tracking now!

Learn more about smartwatches and mental health here.

Last Updated on April 5, 2023