If you had of asked me two weeks ago how I slept, I would have said awfully. So when given the opportunity to try one of the newest sleep trackers on the market, I jumped at the chance.
The S+ by ResMed was 2-million sleeps in the making and is the world's first, non-contact, sleep tracking system that helps you improve your sleep from the very first night. Simple to use, the S+ by ResMed monitors your breathing, movement and room conditions then syncs with your iOS or Android smartphone to provide you with tailored feedback and suggestions on how to get better sleep.
I have now been using the S+ for a week and wanted to share my thoughts in case anyone is considering a purchase.
I shall start with the price - at £129.95 (currently - I have seen it on offer for less) the S+ is not cheap. However for many, a good nights sleep is more than worth this (and as you will see from my bed-side table, I will throw my money at gadgets to help me sleep).
Once you have the product in hand, the set up is extremely simple - you are provided with a quick-start guide and full instructions, both of which explain everything you need and the app (which is the S+ interface) is easy to find on the app store.
I know looks aren't everything but when it is going to be on display in your bedroom, they do play a part in decision making and as you can see, the product looks modern and high tech.
It is also easy to charge and comes with a lengthy charging cable and double USB plug (which is fab, as without it I wouldn't have been able to charge my phone at the same time).
As I came to learn, the S+ works by detecting the movement of your upper body while you sleep, so it needs to be (and it is) fantastically sensitive.
When you set it each night, you get the chance to check it is working by seeing your breathing pattern and I can attest to it working brilliantly (having held my breath for silly amounts of time to try and trick it).
Each day you get a 'sleep score' and a graph and after a few days use, you also start getting messages from the S+ Mentor.
My scores have shown I sleep quite well with my main recommendation from the S+ mentor being to exercise, which I most definitely have to agree with!
I think part of my scores being so high from day 1 is because having the monitor plugged in made me a bit more conscious of my night time routine. My tablet (which serves as my TV) was put away in the draw to reduce the light emitted by the screen and I set the sleep timer on my audible app rather than just letting it run (until Gary comes to bed and turns it off), so it didn't wake me as I was just falling to sleep as it often does.
As I mentioned above, I thought I was a bad sleeper because I am constantly tired. The app has confirmed I do wake quite a few times in the night but other than that, I now feel like I can go to my doctors and discuss my tiredness and be confident in saying I am doing most of the right things to help me sleep.
Other features of the S+ include
Mind clear, which is the ability to record messages to stop you worrying about them over night. I haven't had cause to use this yet but when my to-do list starts to worry me I will.
Smart Alarm, now this I like. You set a time period for which to be woken and the alarm will wake you when you are sleeping lightest during this period.
Finally, there is Relax to Sleep, where a noise of your choice is played quietly to relax you, slowing down as your breathing does. I would LOVE this feature if there we more options for the sound. The most relaxing is Air but this still seems a bit too lively to me. Some rain or a thunderstorm would be brilliant!!
Bed time essentials : S+ / Lumie / Book / Lucas Paw Paw / Algenist mask / Alegnist Oil
If I have piqued your interest, you can find more details on the S+ by ResMed on their website, you can follow them on social media @fixmysleep and you can buy the S+ from Amazon
Do you use a gadget to help you sleep?
Tessa