If you want the short list, these are my top sleep tracker picks for seniors, and you’ll find the details on each one further down.
Trouble sleeping is common for older adults. Getting up at night, pain, sleep apnea, restless legs, and insomnia can all leave you tossing and turning.
A sleep tracker shows how you or someone you love is really sleeping. I started tracking mine when I got a new fitness watch, and I was surprised by how much time I spent awake.
This article covers trackers and monitors for sleep.
The Best Sleep Trackers And Monitors For The Elderly
Here are my recommended sleep-tracking monitors for older adults based on ease of use and the data given. In the next section, you’ll learn which features of sleep trackers matter most if you are shopping for yourself.
SLEEPON Sleep Tracking Device
The Go2Sleep Tracker was designed with sleep apnea in mind, and it also measures a wide array of sleep data, including oxygen levels, heart rate, and overall sleep patterns. It can’t diagnose sleep apnea, though. If you snore loudly, wake up gasping, or feel sleepy all day, talk to your doctor.
The data recorded can then be viewed on a mobile app, tablet, and even Windows and Apple computers. Because it’s stored in the “cloud”, you can even view the data remotely.
Not every senior is going to want to wear an athletic-looking watch. So, this device is a silicone ring that helps sync with your mobile phone to provide the necessary information – even in near real-time.
You should sync the ring with your phone before bed, and the unit will monitor ten different health metrics while you sleep. Of course, with this style of device, it will need to be manually put on at bedtime to work properly.
The SleepOn Go2Sleep tracker provides the most data from any sleep monitors provided here. The company also provides a 30-day window to use the device and decide if it’s for you.
Here’s a quick video that shows you a little more about how to use it:
Beautyrest Sleeptracker Monitor
This quality, non-wearable sleep tracking device for seniors is placed between the mattress and the box springs and provides lots of information about your sleep quality. It can even record data for two people in the same bed.
Using what I can only determine is magic, it monitors heart rate, breathing rate, REM sleep, and all stages of sleep activity. Like most of these products, this activity is synced to an app on a mobile phone.
This device works with any kind or brand of mattress – it doesn’t have to be a Beautyrest. The tracker is Alexa-enabled so that you can even integrate it into your smart home. The device also has an alarm to wake you up at the optimal time.
The app turns the readings into personal sleep reports. The unit can track the sleep patterns of two sleepers separately. Over time it learns your sleep patterns and offers sleep coaching tips based on them.
Google Fitbit Inspire 3
The Google Fitbit Inspire 3 is a wearable tracker that handles sleep along with the rest of your day. It tracks your sleep automatically, so there is nothing to start or stop at bedtime.
Each morning it gives you a Sleep Score, along with a detailed look at how the night went. It also has a smart wake vibrating alarm, which wakes you with a buzz on your wrist instead of a loud noise. A sleep mode is there too.
Beyond sleep, it tracks all-day activity and heart rate around the clock. It also offers a daily Stress Management Score, relax breathing sessions, and irregular heart rhythm notifications. A 3-month Google Health Premium membership is included, and both small and large bands come in the box.
Here is what to watch for. It needs a phone to show your results, either an Apple iPhone on iOS 16.4 or higher or an Android on OS 11.0 or higher. If you don’t use a smartphone, this one isn’t a good fit.
It also does a lot, and some people only want sleep numbers. If so, you may find the extra scores and features more than you need. The heart rhythm notifications are not a substitute for a conversation with your doctor.
Amazfit Bip 6 Smart Watch
The Amazfit Bip 6 is a smartwatch that tracks your sleep along with heart rate and daily activity. It works with both iPhone and Android phones.
The battery is rated for up to 14 days, so you are not charging it every night. That matters for sleep tracking, because a watch sitting on the charger overnight can’t record anything.
The 1.97″ AMOLED display is described as easy to read, even in bright sunlight. The build is lightweight aluminum, and it has 50m water resistance.
It also does a lot more than sleep: GPS with free downloadable maps, Bluetooth calls and texts, and more than 140 workout modes.
The trade-off is that this is a full smartwatch. If all you want is a simple sleep record, much of it will go unused, and the extra settings and phone app take some getting used to. It suits someone who likes a watch that does many things, not someone who wants one button and one job.
What Does A Sleep Tracker Do?
A sleep tracker or monitor is a device that monitors and records the sleeping quality, patterns, habits, and stages of sleep. The sleep tracker will look at some of the physical signals of sleep, including respiration and heart rate, which are closely linked to sleep stages.
Tracking breathing during sleep can point to possible problems like snoring or pauses in breathing. A sleep tracker can’t diagnose sleep apnea or fix your sleep on its own. If the numbers worry you, or you snore loudly, wake up gasping, or feel tired all day, take the reports to your doctor. A sleep study is how sleep apnea is diagnosed.
How Do Sleep Trackers Work?
Most sleep monitors have a movement-detecting device called an accelerometer built into the unit. It will assess how much a person moves while sleeping to analyze sleep quality and duration.
Some trackers have a microphone to detect noises like snoring, while others may contain a thermometer to show how the room temperature affects a person’s sleep.
Wearable vs. Non-Wearable Sleep Monitors
There are wearable and non-wearable sleep monitors. While wearable and non-wearable trackers collect similar data, they may do it using different methods.
A wearable tracker will touch the sleeper’s skin and directly monitor the person’s heart rate, respiration, and movement. These are usually part of an overall fitness tracker watch that seniors can wear on their wrists.
On the other hand, a non-wearable device will rest on or under the mattress to monitor vibrations and gather data. These devices use an algorithm to process sleep data and display the data in an app to help the user access such data.
Features To Look For In A Sleep Tracker
Sleep trackers come in different types with different features. The best sleep tracker for your senior will depend on his/her personal preferences, needs, and intended uses. With hundreds of sleep monitors on the market today, choosing the best product may not be easy.
Here are some factors to consider when you are shopping for the best sleep monitor for a senior or elderly person:
Sleep Tracking
A reliable sleep monitor will capture a lot of important data, including the heart rate, respiration rate, time awake, snoring, sleep interruptions, time sleeping, and the individual’s body temperature.
Some trackers can also monitor the room temperature while sleeping, noise level, light, and humidity in the room. You need to pay close attention to the product features of each product before selecting the best one that matches the needs of your senior.
Sleep Analytics
Sleep analytics will use the data collected by the tracker to determine sleep quality and patterns. They provide detailed charts to show you how your older parent’s sleep has changed over time.
They will also show you how different factors are linked to sleeping patterns and provide a daily sleeping score. Generally, this information is presented on a mobile app or cloud-based web app.
Smart Alarm
Waking from deep sleep can be harder than waking from light sleep. A smart alarm lets you pick a wake-up window, such as the half hour before your usual time.
The device will analyze the data to determine when your senior sleeps lightly and wake him/her at the right time.
Battery Life
Battery life matters for a wearable sleep tracker. If the watch or ring has to charge every night, it can’t record your sleep while it sits on the charger. A longer battery means fewer gaps in your sleep record and less to remember.
Comfort
Comfort is important if you plan to invest in a wearable sleep tracker for yourself or an aging parent. Consider the tracker size, so it fits right and isn’t uncomfortable on your senior.
I hope this article provided the information you needed on what to look for in a quality sleep tracker for a senior or elderly adult. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any further questions.
My mother is 99 years old and is in good health except for some forgetfulness but her sleep patterns are abnormal. Her body clock is out of sync. Her doctor wants me to gather data on how many hours per day that she is sleeping including naps. She lives alone in her apartment in an independent living facility. Are there any devices that could tell me how many hours a day she is sleeping including the naps that she takes on the couch and record it remotely on my computer or on the device itself because I will not be able to visit her daily to check the device everyday? Thank You.