Editor’s Note: Our intern Emma is a good sport. She willingly agreed to give Verlo’s SmartWake Sleep Monitor a try, and compare it to her FitBit, which she had been using to monitor her sleep quality. Here’s what she discovered. 

With all the different sleep monitoring technology available, it is hard to decide which is the best choice for you. One of the reasons I got a FitBit in the first place was to monitor my sleep because I was curious as to what my quality of sleep was and how it affected me during the day. (I’m not really a person who works out, and I would assume that if I’m being active I would know it and wouldn’t need a glorified watch to tell me so the main goal for me purchasing a FitBit was to see how I was sleeping.) Now, having used both, I can confidently say that using SmartWake by Verlo Mattress is the way to go. Here’s why:

FitBit

1. Wearing the FitBit while I slept took some getting used to because it’s kind of bulky.

2. After using it for a couple of weeks, I noticed that it wasn’t entirely accurate. When I would sync my phone and FitBit, it would tell me that I was falling asleep at 9:30 pm – when I knew I was actually awake watching television while lying in bed until midnight. My conclusion on this issue is that anytime I was relaxed, my FitBit thought I was sleeping.

3. My FitBit also didn’t share a lot of information regarding how I was sleeping. It only told me when I was asleep, restless, and awake.

4. I’m pretty horrible about remembering to charge things. Because I was wearing my FitBit all the time, the charge only lasted about 2 full days.

5. If I didn’t sync my FitBit every day, the data would be lost.

SmartWake Sleep Monitor

1. SmartWake fit between my mattress and foundation so I didn’t have to worry about incorporating bulky materials into my sleep experience.

2. While testing this product, I used the SmartWake and my FitBit at the same time to compare the results. In comparison, the FitBit said I was falling asleep much earlier than I was, which wasn’t giving me an accurate representation of how much sleep I was getting. The SmartWake was very accurate and consistent of when I last remembered falling asleep.

3. SmartWake also offered a lot more information regarding my sleep than my FitBit did. SmartWake told me when I was in a REM, light, and deep sleep stage, and also when I was awake but just lying in bed before I fell asleep. It did all this while monitoring my heart rate, respiratory rate and movement. I felt like it was similar to having a doctor conducting a sleep study every night! SmartWake also gives you a sleep score, which indicates your quality of sleep.

4. You don’t ever have to worry about charging your SmartWake because it plugs into your wall.

5. All of your SmartWake data is synced to your phone without you having to do a thing.

Conclusion

If you are looking for some technology to monitor your sleep, SmartWake is the right choice to make.