I've used the Oura ring to track my sleep for 6 months — here's how I'm now getting a full 8 hours

I've had my Oura Ring Gen 3 for six months now, and in that time, my daily sleep and readiness scores have come to dictate what I get up to from day to day. Do I need to take it easy and rest up or can I go hell for leather and role play as Wonder Woman? Oura lets me know as soon as I wake up.
The Oura Ring Gen 3 had helped me to regulate my irregular sleep patterns by giving daily feedback on metrics. the ring also tracks workouts and daily activity, all bundled into actionable insights to help you feel your best.
I get far more out of Oura than any other fitness tracker I've tried, like the Apple Watch Series 10 and the AmazFit Bip 6. I find the feedback you get from Oura to be fully actionable, and I can build on the feedback. And that's exactly what I've done.
The key to getting actionable feedback from Oura is adding tags in the app. It gives the app insights into my daily life, and tells me what I am doing that's impacting my sleep scores. Pretty cool, right?
I don't add tags for absolutely everything because that would be a lot of work! But if I'm feeling slightly under the weather, go for a long run, drink alcohol or do anything out of the ordinary, I'll make sure to note it.
The app also lets you know what sort of things have effected other users. So if you have a rough night, it will prompt you to add a tag that may have contributed to the tossing and turning.
For me, this meant I can actively avoid activities I know are going to keep me up at night, but also keep doing things that have given me high sleep scores. So let's get into what I've found out.
This is one I never would have thought about before using the Oura Ring. If I eat a meal or even a small, carby snack less than three hours before I head to sleep, I can be sure to have a disrupted night.
Eating late can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle of the body, and Oura flags this in the app as a main cause for a restless night.
I have always been one for an evening run rather than an early morning gym class, but that's all changed since using the Oura Ring.
Exercising late at night can mean your body takes longer to wind down before drifting off to sleep, giving you fewer hours than you need. Oura says that even exercising one to two hours earlier can help you to see positive changes.
So I took this advice on board and started doing my exercise in the morning and doing gentle yoga in the evening, so I was still getting some movement but at a lower intensity.
Alcohol at social gatherings is the norm for many people so it will come as no surprise that Oura says it is the tag most used by its members.
Alcohol increases your resting heart rate, putting stress on the body. So after a few beers you're probably going to be waking up every few hours, therefore massively disrupting your sleep stages.
As part of the Community discoveries feature on the Oura app, I can see that a tag of 'No alcohol' decreases resting heart rate scores by an average of 3%. Adversely, tagging 'Party' increases heart rate by an average of 6%. This seemingly small increase is enough to disrupt sleep and offset you for the next day.
Everyone knows that in the height of summer it is pretty much impossible to get to sleep. Especially between trying to kick off your sheets and finding the perfect balance of cozy and cool.
But I had this confirmed to me by my ring as on nights where I had the air conditioning in my room set to around 67°F I had restful, deep sleep and woke up with high sleep scores.
On the other end of that, as the weather has become warmer on the way to summer and I don't have the air conditioning on I wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to get back to sleep.
The Oura Ring measures your temperature while you sleep to give cycle predictions. During different phases of your cycle HRV (heart rate variation) and core body temperature are affected. These can have a direct impact on your sleep and readiness.
Through feedback from what many would call the best smart ring, I have been able to recognize when in my cycle I need to take it easy to ensure my HRV is impacted as little as possible, making for a restful sleep. This is also true for finding where I can put a little more effort into my workouts without it impacting my readiness scores.
By looking at my own metrics, and the metrics from community discoveries, I have been able to get consistent sleep and readiness scores. Of course, there are days when lower scores can't be helped, but my feedback is far less erratic and the prompts from the ring have helped me to build a successful routine.
By exercising and eating my evening meals earlier, staying cool at night, being mindful of alcohol consumption and of where I am in my cycle, I am getting my eight hours regularly… and I feel so much better for it.

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Tom's Guide

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CNET

2 days ago

• CNET

Oura Ring Can Now Track Blood Sugar. I Tested It For a Week and Got These 3 Surprising Takeaways

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Most people will see glucose levels rise and drop throughout the day. According to the American Diabetes Association, a general target range for adults without pre-diabetes or diabetes is between 70 and 140mg/dL (note that Oura also follows this range, and it's what users can expect to see in their graphs). It's also worth highlighting that 70 to 100mg/dL is considered normal for fasting (particularly in the morning before having food), and under 140 mg/dL is common, especially after meals. "Clinical studies show that even in healthy individuals, a moderate glucose spike (rise above 140mg/dL) can occur on a daily basis. In fact, research suggests that healthy adults will live above 140mg/dL for about 30 minutes, up to 2 hours a day, which is usually 1 to 3 short-lived glucose spikes", says Renee Fitton, registered dietitian and director of education at L-Nutra, a nutrition technology company. Oura Fitton further explained that the number and frequency of glucose spikes depend on various factors, primarily what and when you're eating. These spiked can also be affected by other factors like stress level, exercise, dehydration and even whether you have a sunburn. Many glucose monitors use a custom range that adapts to your body's baseline and patterns over time. When looking at your graph, it's important to keep in mind that context and trends matter more than one-off spikes. For example, seeing a spike after dessert isn't a sign that something is wrong. It's a sign that your body is doing its job. What matters most is how quickly your glucose returns to baseline and how often your levels stay elevated over time. "I would not see signs for concern for occasional (one to three times per day) moderate spikes (less than 160mg/dL) that resolve within about 30 mins. When reaching more frequent, especially if they are higher spikes (for example, above 180mg/dL), that take a long time to resolve (over 60 minutes), then there may be concerns about metabolic health," Fitton explained. "A completely flat glucose curve is not something that we aim for; you want some gentle ups and downs as a sign of healthy metabolic flexibility." How I set up the Stelo monitor with my Oura Ring You can order the Stelo sensor through ($99 for two sensors). I received a small box with the sensors and easy instructions. Applying it to the back of my upper arm took less than 2 minutes and was surprisingly painless. And yes, there is a small needle involved. I'm terrified of needles, so I spent some time mentally preparing to prick myself, but to my disbelief, I didn't feel it at all. The sound the ejector makes is pretty loud, though. I sometimes think the sound acted as a diversion to my brain, and that's why I didn't feel anything. 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I had a pressed juice in the morning that contained pineapple, beets, carrots, ginger, cucumber and lemon. It's nutrient-dense, but it also spiked my glucose above what's considered my healthy range for about 6 minutes (a small window and still considered optimal for my age and overall metabolic health). This was enough to make me rethink how and when I consume fruit-heavy beverages. The next day, I experimented with having a fruit smoothie instead of juice. I made a homemade smoothie with berries, banana, plant-based protein powder, peanut butter, soy milk and oats. This smoothie kept my glucose completely in range (zero minutes above my personal threshold). The added protein and fiber from the fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter and protein powder helped slow the absorption of natural sugars into my bloodstream. Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET What I learned: Even natural fruit juices can cause glucose spikes, especially when consumed on an empty stomach and without any protein or fiber. Smoothies that include protein, fat and fiber can help keep spikes at bay and help stabilize your energy levels. Balance your meals with protein, fats and fiber Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET Later that week, I had sushi rolls with a side of edamame for dinner. To my surprise, my glucose levels stayed within range the whole time. Oura Advisor (Oura's AI coach) even pointed out that this food combination offered protein and fiber, which likely contributed to the steady glucose levels. This moment was really encouraging for me. It made me realize that I don't need to drastically change what I eat. By just being more intentional about how I pair my foods, I can drastically improve the impact they have on my blood glucose. Pairing your foods with healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil can also slow digestion and therefore the absorption of sugars. Fitton explains that this is primarily due to what happens in our digestive tract, even before the nutrients get to our bloodstream. Protein, fiber and healthy fats work in their own way to slow the absorption of simple carbohydrates into the bloodstream, making a slower, more gradual release of sugars into the blood. These factors turn what could be a glucose spike into a steady rise that your body can clear gradually. "The biggest area of concern when managing our blood sugar levels is limiting refined carbohydrates. When you do choose a refined-carb item (a plain cracker, white flour tortilla, cookies, etc.), try to pair it instead of eating it solo: add cheese, nut butter or a handful of edamame to blunt the glucose rise, and choose a higher-fiber version of your carbohydrate source when possible (for example, whole-grain crackers) so the carbs come packaged with their own speed limit," Fitton says. Cake and a walk equal steady blood sugar? One of the more surprising things I learned was that blood sugar stability isn't just about what you eat. It's also about what you do after you eat. One afternoon, I had a slice of cake for a snack. No fiber or protein added, just the cake (I had lunch a few hours before). Instead of my blood sugar spiking, my glucose levels remained steadily in range. The caveat? I took a brisk walk after having my dessert. It wasn't anything strenuous, just a short 15-minute walk around my neighborhood. But it was enough to help my body process and use the glucose more efficiently. "The body knows that exercise demands more energy, and so it helps open up our cells to soak up sugar (energy) and remove it from our blood. A 10-minute walk burns about 30 to 40 calories, and your body will get that energy from circulating glucose or stored glycogen," Fitton explained. After eating cake and going for a walk, my blood sugar saw a slight spike, but stayed within range. Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET Taking a walk after meals has long been recommended by experts for metabolic health, but seeing the effect in real time made it click for me. I do think that having the cake after having a balanced meal with protein and fiber also contributed to my steady levels of blood sugar. Sometimes, it's not about completely eliminating our favorite treats or carbs, but more so about timing, food pairing and movement. 3 ways I learned to flatten my glucose curve without sacrificing my favorite meals Before using the glucose sensor with Oura, I assumed blood sugar spikes were mostly about foods and how they impact your body. I also thought the only way to manage them was to cut carbs or drastically change my diet. But over these two weeks, I experienced firsthand how and when I eat (and move) matter just as much as what I eat. I learned that these three strategies helped keep my glucose levels in check. Pair carbs and sweets with protein, fiber and healthy fats When I had a berry smoothie with protein powder and soy milk, my glucose levels stayed steady. In contrast, when I had a fruit smoothie earlier that week, my blood sugar levels spiked and crashed more quickly. Takeaway: Carbs on their own, especially refined and processed carbs, can spike blood sugar quickly, but adding protein or fat slows digestion and leads to a more gentle spike. Food pairing examples: Apples and peanut butter, toast with avocado, rice with beans or another it out (especially after sweets) When I had cake as a snack, I was sure my graph would spike dramatically, but it didn't because of my walk (and eating a balanced meal before). A simple walk, even just 10 to 15 minutes, can help offset blood sugar spikes. This small but simple habit helps me now enjoy treats without the crash later. Timing your food matters I also noticed that when I ate higher-carb foods earlier in the day, my body processed them better than when I had them later at night. Breakfast smoothies and bowls kept my levels stable, while the same smoothie after 9 p.m. caused more spikes. "When it comes to blood sugar management, we see that in the morning our body usually has a spike in cortisol (a stress hormone) that can actually help our body take up sugar very quickly and quickly manage blood sugar. Eating in the morning will also calm the cortisol response, reducing the stress on your body. If you wait too long to eat, excess cortisol can create inflammation and also produce larger glucose spikes when you do eat," explained Fitton. Fitton further explained that, conversely, in the evening, the sugar management systems in our bodies start powering down and are not as good at helping blood sugar get into the cells. So it is important to try not to eat too late; otherwise, you'll probably see blood sugar go up and stay up for longer. That doesn't mean you can't eat carbs or treats at night, but eating them earlier in the day when insulin sensitivity tends to be higher can make a real difference.

Business Insider

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• Business Insider

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