5 Ways the Oura Ring Can Help Fix Your Sleep Problems

Did you know that poor sleep affects nearly one-third of adults worldwide, leading to chronic fatigue and health issues? As a busy parent struggling with sleep, I discovered the power of Oura Ring sleep tracking with the Gen 3. Note that Oura has recently unveiled its latest innovation, the Oura Ring Gen 4, offering even more advanced features.

I have always had a strong interest in wearable technology and actively tested different smartwatches over the years. However, that was mainly because of the fitness features, and then health capabilities have become more advanced, especially over the past 5 years. Sleep analysis is an important health measurement that will impact the other values as well. This was something I became really interested in understanding, but also looking into the correlation between HRV, heart rate and sleep stages. I struggled with sleep from time to time, waking up tired and not understanding why. After having smartwatches, I wanted to test a smart ring, mainly because its more comfortable to wear during sleep, and better accuracy. If you are interested in my complete review of the Oura Ring, and not just sleep, check out Oura Ring Review: The Ultimate Smart Ring for Health and Wellness Tracking

Life as a busy parent means we can’t always control our sleep patterns, but I’ve come to believe that small changes can make a big difference in how we feel every day. Here’s how the Oura Ring made a difference for me.

1. I Learned My Sleep Patterns

I thought I was sleeping well because I spent enough time in bed, but the Oura Ring showed me I wasn’t getting enough REM sleep. This explained why I felt so drained. I started going to bed earlier, avoided using my phone before bed, and saw my restorative sleep improve.

Before using the Oura Ring, I didn’t realize how much deep and REM sleep I was missing. Deep sleep is critical for physical recovery, while REM sleep is essential for cognitive functions like memory and problem-solving. Research shows that deep sleep deficits can increase the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, while REM sleep is closely linked to emotional health and learning capacity.

Since improving my REM sleep, I’ve noticed a boost in my energy levels and mental clarity. Tasks that felt overwhelming before are now easier to tackle.

Uncovering the Science of Sleep: How the Oura Ring Transformed My Nightly Rest

The Oura Ring breaks down sleep into light, deep, and REM stages, giving me a clear picture of what’s happening while I sleep. This data helped me see I wasn’t getting enough deep sleep and encouraged me to adopt new habits, like cutting out late-night screen time. A recent study published in Sensors and presented at Sleep Europe 2024 showed that the Oura Ring is the most accurate sleep tracker compared to Fitbit and Apple Watch. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found it best at tracking wake, light, deep, and REM sleep, matching results from gold-standard sleep tests. Here’s how the Oura Ring helped me.

2. I Spotted What Was Disrupting My Sleep

The Oura Ring revealed key insights into my sleep patterns. One night, I noticed my resting heart rate stayed low at 36 BPM, but my sleep efficiency was just 78%, and my restfulness required attention. After reviewing the data, I realized that my late-night habits, including eating a heavy meal, were affecting my REM sleep (only 48 minutes) and overall restfulness. Since then, I’ve adjusted by eating earlier in the evening, and my sleep has significantly improved. The Oura Ring’s detailed metrics, like sleep contributors and timing, have been essential for optimizing my rest. I halso realized watching TV right before bed is not the best thing for my sleep either.

I’ll never forget the first time I realized how much late-night screen time was costing me. My Oura Ring revealed just 48 minutes of REM sleep that night – no wonder I felt like a zombie!

3. I Fixed My Sleep Environment

Before using the Oura Ring, I had no idea how much my sleeping environment was affecting my rest. The Oura Ring’s data showed that my body temperature would spike on certain nights, disrupting my sleep. Initially, I thought it might just be my bedding or room temperature. But as I dug deeper, I used my Airthings indoor air quality monitor and discovered that high CO2 levels in my bedroom were another factor leading to poor sleep quality.

Seeing the combination of data from the Oura Ring and the Airthings monitor gave me the insights I needed. Not only was my room too warm, but the air quality was less than ideal. Armed with these insights, I made some simple but effective changes. I started lowering the thermostat, switching to lighter, breathable bedding, and most importantly, opening the window to let in fresh air and reduce CO2 levels.

This experience reinforced how crucial it is to have the right tools to identify and solve these hidden issues. The Oura Ring and Airthings monitor together gave me the insights I needed to create a sleeping environment that truly supports restorative rest.

4. I Built a Better Routine

One of the biggest takeaways from using the Oura Ring was how inconsistent my sleep schedule had become. The app highlighted how going to bed and waking up at irregular times was negatively affecting my ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. At first, I thought, “How much of a difference can a routine really make?” But I decided to give it a try.

I started setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time—even on weekends. It wasn’t easy at first; life gets busy, and sticking to a schedule felt limiting. But over time, I noticed that I was falling asleep faster and waking up more naturally, without feeling the need to hit snooze. The Oura Ring’s sleep scores showed steady improvement, which kept me motivated to stick with the routine.

5. I Stayed Motivated with Sleep Scores

Leading US Hospital Study Confirms Oura Ring as the Most Accurate Consumer Sleep Tracker

ŌURA’s new sleep algorithm, built with advanced machine learning and one of the largest sleep datasets, is setting new standards in sleep tracking. It achieves 79% accuracy compared to polysomnography (PSG), the gold standard for sleep studies, which has an 83% accuracy rate due to differences between human scorers. In a study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Oura Ring was more accurate than the Apple Watch (5% better) and Fitbit Sense (10% better) for classifying sleep stages. Unlike its competitors, the Oura Ring didn’t overestimate or underestimate sleep stages and had the highest sensitivity for detecting deep sleep (79.5%) and wake time (68.6%). This makes it a reliable tool for understanding sleep and its impact on health, helping users improve their well-being with accurate insights. Read more on that on Oura’s homepage.

Final Thoughts: Transforming My Sleep, One Night at a Time

What started as a simple curiosity about my sleep patterns has turned into an eye-opening journey of self-improvement. The Oura Ring has not only helped me identify and fix issues affecting my sleep, but it’s also kept me engaged and motivated to prioritize rest. Each morning’s sleep score has become a small ritual, reminding me that even the tiniest adjustments, like earlier meals, cooler bedding, or a consistent wind-down routine can have a big impact on how I feel. If you’re exploring other options beyond smart rings, check out Best Sleep Monitors 2024: Top 5 Trackers to Enhance Your Sleep Quality Now, where I also dive into smartwatches.

It’s amazing how something as simple as tracking your sleep can make you more mindful of your overall health. For me, the Oura Ring Gen 3 has become more than just a gadget—it’s a daily coach, a motivator, and an ally in my quest for better rest. And knowing it’s backed by leading research only reinforces my trust in its insights. Whether you’re curious about your own sleep or looking to take small, meaningful steps toward better health, I can’t recommend it enough.

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Sources:
https://ouraring.com/blog/2024-sensors-oura-ring-validation-study/?srsltid=AfmBOoqrYRyMp7jmiSnn7VzqcDnrO-oe_VKT0_6hlrcu5hQv7gzNbSKu

https://www.helpguide.org/wellness/sleep/sleep-statistics

https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240223/Nearly-one-third-of-adults-struggle-to-meet-recommended-sleep-duration-study-reveals.aspx