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Oura Ring users?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by mountainpete, Jan 28, 2021.

  1. Jan 28, 2021 at 8:33 AM
    #1
    mountainpete

    mountainpete [OP] Explore more

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    By chance does anyone here use a Oura Ring?

    If yes, any feedback on usefulness? Specifically how have you used the sleep tracking information to change your habits?

    Yes, I get that you are sharing data and privacy, etc. I am trying to establish if what I get in value in return exceeds what I have to give up in data privacy.

    Thanks!
     
  2. Jan 28, 2021 at 9:13 AM
    #2
    NoRcptn

    NoRcptn Better than mediocre poster

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    I hope this doesn't derail or deter from your question as I have zero experience with an Oura. However, a few forays into sleep tracking has given me a little insight.
    First, you really have to ask how you want to track and are there any other metrics that are curious for you like accurate HR, Vo2, Kcals, etc.
    Are you into fitness, cardio, weightlifting? Rings mostly bother me during work or fitness using my hands so this would only be an option nighttime for the ring anyway.

    I've used a few for mountain biking and fitness. I can tell you, without a doubt, infrared HR tracking (via Suunto, Garmin, Oura) is not very accurate under exercise. A chest strap HR monitor for electrical activity captures quite a bit more in terms of accuracy and true HR. The accelerometers used for movement are ok, but again a generic calcultion. This is why fitness trackers will say you've completed 10 floors or 10k steps while riding in a bumpy car or spending too much time in the bathroom. ;)

    Generally my understanding is movement and resting HR is calculated for the algorithm for sleep trackers. Now that being said, I think the Oura does not monitor HR continuously, but does so at intervals of 5 minutes or so. I don't believe the HR is tabulated during the day, but I could be wrong. This leads me to believe as a generalization it's going to tell you if you're moving a lot during the night by comparing the accelerometer to your resting HR. Generally, both increase during light sleep. So from what I've read it doesn't do it any better or worse than others, but they all have their homegrown algorithms to calculate it.

    I'm personally using a Garmin Fenix 6 currently. It's excellent for a variety of tracking parameters. But, for sleep tracking, it can be hit or miss. There are some pretty good ones out there, by the reviews, anyway like the Whoop band. But generally they require a monthly subscription, which I'm not inclined to do.

    I can say the body battery on my Garmin has been fairly accurate and really helping me with recovery insight and estimates as it tracks activity, movement, and sleep and gives me a rough idea of how much I've recovered over the course of a day or night. It's been pretty spot on for how I feel , comparatively.

    DCrainmaker.com usually has incredibly detailed reviews on trackers in general if you want to peruse them.

    I geek out over some of this stuff and really like seeing the metrics as it gives me an idea of where I am, goal accomplishment, and where I want to be. Honestly though for me, it's just an expensive motivator. But, admittedly, I'm addicted to it.

    Edited****
    I did originally get some sleep data that helped me change some pre-sleep routines such as caffeine intake, sugar, alcohol consumption.
    On a base level you can say- cut out caffeine after 12pm, don't drink alcohol, get rid of electronics a few hours before, read a book, and use black out curtains to significantly improve your sleep.

    What I did was cut out alcohol altogether (helped tremendously) and measure that against my sleep tracker and resting HR, but more importantly how I felt in general. This proved to be effective and quantifiable. But just how I felt in the morning was justification enough and did not need a device to tell me. But again, I geek out a little and liked the data to back up my claim.

    and as a side note, I wasn't drinking more than a beer or two around evening dinner. But even a single IPA disrupted my sleep enough to make me pause on why I was doing it. Benefit was an almost instant drop of 10lbs in two weeks. There's a lot more to that to unpack in another post. :monocle:
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2021
  3. Jan 28, 2021 at 11:04 AM
    #3
    mountainpete

    mountainpete [OP] Explore more

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    This is fantastic information. Very, very, very helpful.

    Overall, my goal is less advanced. I use an Apple watch for fitness and tracking during the day - I feel that the data I get from it covers my current use case as "more than good enough for me". I have tried to sleep with a watch but it just doesn't work for me.

    Post cancer (I won't go into details and 10 years post), I still struggle with maintaining patterns that connect to sleep and hormones. I am hoping that the combination of resting heart rate, movement and body temp tracking while sleeping can help me connect waking activities to better sleep. I feel like I am missing something in my routine/pattern that is negatively effecting me.
     
  4. Jan 28, 2021 at 11:53 AM
    #4
    NoRcptn

    NoRcptn Better than mediocre poster

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    I'm just digging into this, going a little deeper every few months. I think you're on the right path as far as analysis and trying to find the pattern.
    There are so many variables it takes time and best to try one thing for a few days before introducing the next option.
    Is snoring , sleep apnea and issue?

    Along with changing my diet and other intakes pre-bedtime. I dabbled in to circadian rhythms and seeing if my daily patterns could be altered.
    with sun exposure and Vitamin D. I used the Dminder app for sun exposure. This is an app that GPS' your area for long/lat with amount of time for sun exposure based on skin type and some other variables. Winter sucks and the sun is lower and I'm not longer in an area that enhances Vit D exposure. I'm sure it's worse in Canada right now. Basically trying to introduce just enough sun exposure, vitamin D (helps hormone regulation among all the other stuff) and kicking around with altering my sleep times. 90% of the time I set an alarm and am up at 5am a little bit before dawn and try to be in bed around 9. I feel like the sun exposure worked really well with an altered time schedule. I was getting more restful sleep and not nearly as restless/frequent wake cycles. And to qualify it, being the winter months it has changed from my summer sleeping. Now the variable is, is it sun exposure? shortened days? lower activity level? I've tried to keep same schedule and activity level so best guess it the natural vitamin D helped to some degree, with the other bedtime rituals.

    Theres quite a bit of information and data driven results on red light therapy to obtain the same amount exposure indoors for not optimal Latitudes or environment. I have not tried these as they can be pricey. But a quick google search should illicit some valid results.

    Here is some info on Vit D/Sleep, not social media opinion.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213953/


    As far as pure sleep tracking, there are less costly devices out there like the Masimo sleep for example. But most of them mirror a watch or wrist style wearable which sounds like you're not comfortable with. Keep looking. There's probably a point to try a few different devices and see how they work for you and a store with a good return policy is a benefit.
     
  5. Jan 28, 2021 at 12:01 PM
    #5
    mountainpete

    mountainpete [OP] Explore more

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    You have thought this through!

    For me, snoring and sleep apnea aren't a problem. I was tested in the past and have no issues. Vitamin D is an issue - I have experimented with very higher than recommended doses of D with the support of my doctor and as I work in the basement I also use a sun lamp. I absolutely have a correlation between vitamin D and mood, but the lamp feels more like a placebo - but I admitted lack tracked consistency.

    Right now I am leaning towards getting the Oura and trying it.
     
  6. Jan 28, 2021 at 1:04 PM
    #6
    NoRcptn

    NoRcptn Better than mediocre poster

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    Yeah give it shot! I’m constantly trying and tweaking stuff as my way of vetting out new ideas or theories for body function.
     

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