Simple Sleep Tracking: How to easily measure and improve your sleep quality

Todays insights is drawn from the Scientific Article:
Objective sleep quality predicts subjective sleep ratings

What we will cover today:

• Takeaways:

• Let’s learn some more about this study:

• What they did:

• What the authors found out:

• What can we learn from this study?

• Quick Answers to Your Top of Mind Questions 🙋‍♂️

Takeaways:

👉 Use a sleep diary to optimize your routine: Tracking your sleep over several nights helps you understand patterns that impact your sleep, and therefore your energy levels. This study shows that subjective sleep ratings might be a good substitute for objective measures. So, using a simple diary or questionnaire might give you valuable insights to your sleep quality. On the basis of todays study, we have developed an online questionnaire for you - try it out here!

👉 Maximize Sleep Efficiency for Peak Performance: Sleep efficiency—how well you stay asleep once in bed—strongly influences how rested you feel. Prioritize habits like a consistent bedtime and minimizing screen use before bed to improve sleep efficiency. This could helping improving both mental clarity and productivity the next day.

👉 Wake Up Refreshed by Timing Your Sleep Cycles: Waking up during lighter stages of sleep can leave you feeling more energized. Consider using smart alarms that track your sleep cycles and wake you during N2 sleep, allowing you to start your day feeling more refreshed and mentally sharp.

Let’s learn some more about this study:

_{Disclaimer: This summary is based on the article “Objective sleep quality predicts subjective sleep ratings” by Róbert Pierson-Bartel & Péter Przemyslaw Ujma and aims to provide key takeaways and a condensed overview of its content. While the essence is drawn from the original article, some parts have been simplified or rephrased to enhance understanding. Please note that we at, OptiMindInsights or any other potential writers or contributors to our summaries, do not accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this summary. The information provided should not be considered a substitute for personal research or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult the original article for detailed insights and references. The summary does not include references, but they can typically be found within the original publication. Always exercise due diligence and consider your unique circumstances before applying any information in your personal or professional life. We refer to the creative commons for reproducibility rights.}

This study explores the relationship between objectively measured sleep quality and subjective sleep ratings, using data from the Budapest Sleep, Experiences, and Traits Study (BSETS). Previous research has shown mixed results regarding how well self-reported sleep quality matches objective measures such as polysomnography. Unlike earlier studies, which mostly compared sleep between different people, this study focused on how sleep changes night-to-night for the same person. 

The results suggest that subjective sleep ratings are influenced by key objective sleep metrics, such as sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency. By analyzing within-subject fluctuations, this study provides stronger evidence that subjective sleep quality reflects objective sleep patterns, offering a clearer understanding of how individuals perceive their sleep across multiple nights. This research has important implications for both clinical practice and sleep research, underscoring the need for a more nuanced interpretation of self-reported sleep quality.

What they did:

Participants

The study involved  246 healthy volunteers. Participants tracked their sleep over seven consecutive nights using a mobile EEG headband, and completed a morning diary where they rated their sleep quality.

Objective Sleep Quality

Each night, participants wore the Dreem2 mobile EEG headband, which recorded key sleep metrics like sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and different sleep stages (N2, N3, REM). These measures provided an objective view of each participant's sleep.

Quantitative EEG Analysis

To assess specific brain activity, EEG data was analyzed for sigma and delta power, which are markers of sleep quality. Sigma power relates to sleep spindles (short bursts of brain activity), while delta power is associated with deep, restorative sleep.

What the authors found out:

The study showed a clear link between objective sleep measures, like sleep efficiency and total sleep time, and how well participants thought they slept. These connections were stronger when looking at changes within the same person over several nights, suggesting that subjective sleep quality does reflect real differences in sleep patterns.

Sleep efficiency (how much of the time in bed was spent asleep), total sleep time, and the amount of time awake after falling asleep were the strongest predictors of subjective sleep quality. Together, these measures explained about 20% of the variation in participants' sleep ratings.

The researchers tested other ways of measuring sleep quality, such as how rested participants felt in the morning, and found similar results, confirming the main findings.

The study also addressed some issues in the data, like skewed distributions of sleep metrics, but correcting for these did not change the overall outcomes.

Finally, participants reported better sleep quality when they woke up from lighter N2 sleep, compared to REM sleep. This suggests that the stage of sleep when waking up influences how refreshed people feel.

What can we learn from this study?

This study provides important insights into the relationship between objective sleep measures and subjective sleep measures. By focusing on night-to-night changes within individuals, the research shows that subjective sleep quality is moderately linked to objective metrics like sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and time spent awake after falling asleep. These results suggest that while subjective sleep ratings cannot completely replace objective measures, they do reflect actual differences in sleep patterns.

The strongest predictor of subjective sleep ratings was sleep efficiency, but time spent in specific sleep stages like N2, N3, and REM also played a role. Interestingly, participants reported better sleep quality when they woke up from lighter N2 sleep, suggesting that the final sleep stage before waking can influence how rested someone feels.

The study’s within-subject design highlights the importance of tracking sleep patterns over multiple nights to get a clearer picture of how people assess their sleep. This approach avoids the confounding effects of individual traits, such as mood or personality, that might skew between-person comparisons.

In conclusion, subjective sleep ratings offer valuable information, but they should not be used as direct substitutes for objective sleep measures. The findings underscore the importance of improving sleep efficiency as a key factor in enhancing how people feel about their sleep. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and to understand the factors that account for the remaining unexplained variance in subjective sleep quality.

Quick Answers to Your Top of Mind Questions 🙋‍♂️

🙋‍♂️ How can improving sleep efficiency help with my sleep quality?

The study found that sleep efficiency—the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed—was the strongest predictor of how well participants rated their sleep. By improving your sleep efficiency, you’re more likely to feel rested and ready to tackle the day. Strategies like reducing the time spent awake after going to bed and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can enhance both your sleep quality and next-day performance.

🙋‍♀️ Why does waking up from lighter sleep stages matter?

The study showed that participants who woke up from lighter N2 sleep reported better sleep quality compared to those waking from deeper REM sleep. Waking up during lighter stages helps you feel more refreshed and less groggy, making it easier to start the day with mental clarity and focus.

🙋‍♂️ Can I rely on my subjective sleep ratings to gauge my sleep quality?

While subjective sleep ratings are helpful, the study found that they only partially reflect objective measures like sleep efficiency and total sleep time. About 20% of subjective sleep quality can be explained by objective metrics, so it’s useful to be aware of both your perception and actual sleep data to better understand and improve your sleep.

Did today’s article get you interested in getting an easy to use objective sleep tracker?

This article gives a nice overview of some good options.

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