Latest news with #sleeptracking
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Garmin's new sleep tracker offers a week of battery life
Sleep tracking is nothing new in Garmin's fitness watches, but the company's latest wearable is a dedicated smart sleep band. The Index Sleep Monitor offers week-long battery life with continuous pulse ox tracking for monitoring your blood oxygen saturation while you sleep. Garmin's tracker is worn on the upper arm — which should hopefully make it more comfortable — where it tracks a variety of metrics: skin temperature; light, deep and REM sleep stages; and variations in your heart rate and breathing. The data is then combined to provide an overall personalized daily sleep score that can be viewed in the Garmin Connect app. If you already use a Garmin smartwatch but don't sleep with it on your wrist, the Index Sleep Monitor is designed to add the missing metrics to the insights you're already getting from the watch. Skin temperature tracking gives you a better idea of how your sleep environment affects the quality of your sleep, while flagging potential illnesses indicated by temperature changes. This metric also extends to menstrual health tracking, with skin temperature changes useful for tracking cycles, past ovulation estimates and offering what Garmin describes as 'improved period predictions.' Garmin's Index Sleep Monitor will also monitor your energy levels, providing you with its 'Body Battery' measurements that advise you to take more rest when the reading is coming in low. Again, these insights should be more accurate and reliable when combined with a compatible smartwatch worn during the day. The sleep band will also track your stress throughout the night, and features a smart alarm that attempts to wake you gently during lighter sleep stages so you'll feel less tired. The Index Sleep Monitor is available in S-M and L-XL sizes and costs $170.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Health
- Bloomberg
Garmin Launches $170 Health-Tracking Arm Band for Wear During Sleep
Garmin Ltd. on Wednesday launched an arm band for wear during sleep that can track vital health metrics, stepping up competition with companies like Whoop Inc. and other emerging players. The company's $170 Index Sleep Monitor — a first for the fitness devices maker — is worn on the upper arm like a blood-pressure cuff and tracks blood oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, respiration rates, breathing patterns and skin temperature. It also provides sleep metrics like hours slept and data on different stages of sleep.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Garmin Ditches Screens For Dedicated Sleep Tracking Wearable
Garmin Index Sleep Monitor Sleep tracking is hugely popular these days, and Garmin is out to cater for just that audience with the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor. Quite a departure from Garmin's Forerunner and Fenix watches, the Index Sleep Monitor is a screen-free device worn around the upper arm, and is only meant to be attached when you go to sleep. While the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor initially appears to have little in common with a Garmin watch, plenty of the stats on offer here are shared with the brand's watch series. Each night you'll get a sleep score, out of 100, and see a graph that outlines the stages of sleep you were in as the hours rolled by. That's deep, light, REM and awake. Garmin's algorithms are pretty good at noticing when you're under the weather, or drank enough alcohol to affect your sleep quality. The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor will report your breathing rate, skin temperature and blood oxygenation. Skin temperature readings are also used to power menstrual cycle tracking, including estimates as to when you will begin ovulation. Similarly, from heart rate data, the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor can extrapolate stress scores. And the entire breadth of stats will feed into Body Battery, one of Garmin's most engaging stats. A conventional optical heart rate reader harvests metrics Body Battery looks into how worn out your Garmin thinks you are. One of the interesting elements to see in the Index Sleep Monitor is how useful the Body Battery and stress scores will be, in the context of a band you only wear overnight. Stress? Most of us reach the peak of our stress levels while awake, and the Body Battery feature usually is only useful when your Garmin is worn all the time. It sounds like Garmin is primarily pitching Body Battery for those who also own a Garmin watch, and just don't want to wear it overnight. 'Users who wear a compatible smartwatch while awake can get a more complete picture of their energy levels—day and night,' says Garmin. Garmin Index Sleep Monitor comes in two sizes The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor also features its own version of one of Garmin's latest features, smart wake. This uses a vibrate motor to wake you up when you're in a sleep stage that won't leave you feeling groggy. But it works within a window, so you won't be late for work because of it either. 'Wearing this smart sleep band every night can provide in-depth sleep insights and a more complete picture of fitness and recovery so users can wake up ready to seize the day,' says Susan Lyman, Garmin's Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing. As with heart rate chest straps like the Garmin HRM 600, the brain module of the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor can be removed, letting you safely wash the strap. It's made of a stretchy fabric that is 70% nylon and 30% spandex. Garmin says you'll be able to use the tracker for a week before needing to recharge the battery, based on eight hours of sleep a night. The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor comes in two sizes, costs $169.99. It's currently listed as available in '3-5 weeks' on the U.S. Garmin store.
The Verge
3 days ago
- Health
- The Verge
Garmin's new sleep-tracking armband lasts a full week between charges
Garmin has announced a new sleep-tracking band that can be strapped to your upper arm, which could make it more comfortable to wear overnight. The Index Sleep Monitor tracks sleep stages, heart rate, and even your breathing to create a 'comprehensive view of overall fitness and recovery,' with a personalized sleep score delivered every morning so you know how well you slept, according to Garmin. The Index Sleep Monitor is now available through Garmin's online store in S-M and L-XL sizes for $169.99. The tracking is handled by a small, removable electronic module that features motion sensors and an optical heart rate sensor that Garmin says will run for up to seven days between charges. In addition to tracking your light, deep, and REM sleep stages throughout the night, the Index can also measure your respiration rates, and, when paired with blood oxygen saturation measurements (a feature not available in all countries) it can help you 'better understand shifts in breathing patterns while sleeping.' A thermometer monitors skin temperature, which can provide insights into how your environment is affecting your sleep while also flagging possible illnesses. Those temperature measurements also provide more insight into women's health monitoring, including menstrual cycles, 'improved period predictions,' and past ovulation estimates. However, Garmin says the Index is 'not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition.' The company also says it should not be used as a conception or birth control tool. Other health-related metrics that are monitored and made available through the Garmin Connect mobile app include estimates on stress levels based on sleep patterns, a Body Battery measurement letting you know if you're low on energy and need more rest. Heart rate variability (HRV), which is a measure of the varying times between heartbeats, can also be used to assess if your body is dealing with increased stress or fatigue helping you know if you need to address issues with your sleep. These are all metrics that can be measured using Garmin's other smart wearables and many smartwatches, but only if you're wearing them every single night. For those who prefer to charge their watches at night so their battery is full every morning, the Index Sleep Monitor provides an alternative way to track sleep metrics that's also free of distracting notifications. The Index Sleep Monitor does have vibration capabilities, but they're instead used as part of a smart alarm feature that only tries to wake you during lighter sleep stages.
Digital Trends
4 days ago
- Health
- Digital Trends
Samsung reveals upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 features as it looks to improve your health
If you've been looking forward to the follow-up of the Galaxy Watch 7 then good news, as Samsung has revealed some of the new features coming to its next generation smartwatch. Expected to be called the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, the South Korean firm has published a post on its site detailing new features for 'the upcoming Galaxy Watch'. Recommended Videos The new features are geared towards improving 'sleep, heart health, fitness, and nutrition', so let's take a look at what the next Galaxy Watch will be packing. Bedtime guidance Samsung is improving its sleep tracking with new tools which will suggest the best time for you to go to bed based on your lifestyle. Your watch will also send your reminders to encourage to you follow the optimal routine for your bedtime. Vascular Load The new Galaxy Watch will measure your vascular load – the stress on your vascular system – while you're sleeping. Being able to track the stress on your system while asleep with allow your Galaxy Watch to monitor heart health. When asleep, stress on your vascular system should decrease as your body rests, but if it doesn't it could be a sign you need to see a medical professional. Samsung says this data can be analyzed alongside other metrics collected by the watch, to help create and maintain positive habits for a healthier lifestyle. Running Coach The new Running Coach feature sounds a little bit like Apple's Workout Buddy it announced for watchOS 26 at WWDC 2025 just last week. Samsung's implementation, as the name suggests, is focused on running (where as Apple's version covers a wider set of workouts). It'll provide you with encouragement and motivation to get running and hit your goals, To get started, you'll need to go for a 12 minute run wearing your Galaxy Watch. From that short session, the system will give you a running level between one and 10. From there, Samsung says your watch will be able to deliver detailed training plans – such as training for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon. You'll be set a series of challenges to help hit your end goal, unlocking the next challenge on the competition of the previous one. Running Coach will be able to provide your with intense, yet injury-preventive training, which could be a great feature of beginners. Antioxidant Index And finally, the last new feature in Samsung's teaser announcement is Antioxidant Index. The new Galaxy Watch will be able to measure carotenoids (antioxidants found in green and orange vegetables and fruits) in your skin, using a light-activated BioActive sensor. Antioxidants can help promote healthy aging, as they neutralize harmful 'free radicals' which can build up from specific lifestyle choices, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, sun bathing and a lack of sleep. By being able to monitor your antioxidant levels, you'll be able to make changes to your lifestyle to improve or maintain your index reading. Will my current Galaxy Watch get the new features? Looking at the small print of Samsung's post, it all depends on which Galaxy Watch you own. If you have the high-end Galaxy Watch Ultra it looks like you'll be treated to all the new features, while Galaxy Watch 7 users will get access to the Running Coach. You'll need the 'later released Galaxy Watch Series', or the Galaxy Watch Ultra, if you want to take advantage of the Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index features. For existing Watch owners, supported new features will arrive via the One UI 8 Watch software update. When will the Galaxy Watch 8 launch? Reports currently suggest the Galaxy Watch 8 will be revealed alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, with rumors pointing towards a possible July launch event. This would make sense, as the Z Fold 6, Flip 6 and Galaxy Watch 7 were launching on July 10, 2024, and we regularly see manufacturers repeat annual launch cycles. Samsung has already been teasing the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and with the Galaxy Watch 8 teasers now appearing, all signs point to an imminent launch.
