downloaded a sleep tracker app

[KyleABDL]

supposedly it tracks sound and movement throughout the night. and it makes a graph of "how well you sleep" assuming less movement and sound is a good thing.

(app is for android called "Sleep cycle alarm clock")

anyways as an experiment i did a week sleeping normal, got a readout, couple of "spikes" here and there. this was my baseline. 

 

my experimental was sleeping with my paci and diaper, i was shocked at the results, the app recorded 0 spikes the whole week. assuming i slept soundly and restfully.

noted, phone was on the same setting and position every night, and i attempted to fall asleep in the same spot each night.

 

anecdotally, my sleep felt the same either way. i didnt feel more refreshed or anything, it just seems curious that the app recorded a difference.

 

new hypothesis, was it the diaper keeping me comfortable preventing motion or the pacifier stiffling mouth breathing through the night?

[littleTomás]

I'm skeptical about the accuracy of that app. One possible test would be to turn on the app and play different noises and see what results you get. The best device that I know of for tracking sleep is an Electroencephalography (EEG). I am a collage student and have done a bit of work measuring brainwaves to track concentration and sleep using commercially-available EEG devices (mind wave and Open BCI). The software is somewhat easy to use and relatively affordable. Not sure how interested you are in this, but if you want to get a very accurate picture of how well you are sleeping, measuring brain activity is the best way. Cheaper alternatives would be something like a jawbone or fitbit that tracks your blood pressure and heart rate.

[KyleABDL]

i am, but i dont exactly have a budget for new equipment even just a fit bit. 

i agree the app is sketch, but even if it goes off motion/sound alone, even if im not sleeping any better or worse, im at least not making noise or shifting, or less.

not that the app cant be wrong, but theres a definite difference between sleeping padded + pacified than without. the app would have to be consistently inaccurate... 20? times now.

it does demand more accurate testing!