FitSugar

Trouble Waking Up? Try Sleeptracker Pro

Oct 3 2008 - 1:00pm

Some of you may have a difficult time falling or staying asleep [1], but others are the opposite. You hit snoozeland as soon as your head hits the pillow and you could end up sleeping until lunch. If that's the case, you probably have a really tough time waking up, and this little device called the Sleeptracker Pro [2] ($179) may interest you. Just as its name states, it tracks the series of sleep cycles [3] your body experiences throughout the night. Most people will go through four to five full rounds of these 90 to 110 minute cycles, which are comprised of five stages. In Stages 1 and 2, you're lightly sleeping, and Stages 3 and 4, known as Delta Sleep, are when you're in the heaviest sleep. This is when your body has the chance to rebuild itself. Stage 5 is known as REM sleep is when we dream [4].

As your body undergoes these cycles, the Sleeptracker Pro's sensors can figure out what points during the night you are "almost awake." You set the alarm for a certain window of time, say 6:15 to 6:30 a.m., and the watch gently wakes you at the most optimal moment when you're most alert. This device may be great if you tend to be coma-like each morning. The only downside is that wearing a bulky wrist watch like this may be annoying and it'll keep you up all night. If you're a deep sleeper though, you probably won't even notice it. What do you think of the Sleeptacker Pro? Is this a helpful gadget or a waste of money?

Apparently Dr. Phil is a huge fan. To hear what he had to say .



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http://www.fitsugar.com/731964