This post was originally posted on Blogger October 25, 2024.
In the latter half of 2022, I began using “Fabulous”, a habits and routines app based on behavioral science and created by Duke University; “Rise”, a different kind of sleep app, that does more than just track your sleep; and started doing low impact exercising and meditation in “Apple Fitness Plus”. Since then, I have found a few other apps and devices to help me with what I struggle with on a daily basis, and I will be sharing my experience and review of those apps and devices in future posts.
Rise is a sleep app that distinguishes itself from the competition by focusing on two key aspects of sleep health: sleep debt and circadian rhythm. Rather than simply tracking your sleep duration, Rise provides personalized insights and recommendations based on these scientific principles, aiming to help you improve your sleep quality and energy levels throughout the day.
Science of Sleep Debt and Circadian Rhythm
Sleep Debt: This refers to the accumulated sleep deprivation you build up over time when you consistently don't get enough sleep. It's like a sleep deficit that needs to be repaid. High sleep debt can lead to fatigue, impaired cognitive function, mood swings, and even long-term health problems. As the first month of school came and went, I had a little pep talk with myself on working towards better sleep health. For the last few weeks I’ve kept my sleep debt low, and currently it’s at 1 hour.
Circadian Rhythm: This is your body's natural 24-hour internal clock that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, hormone release, and other bodily processes. It's influenced by light exposure, meal times, and other external factors. Aligning your sleep schedule with your circadian rhythm is crucial for optimal sleep and energy. In working on my evening and bedtime routines I am learning that it’s much easier to work with your circadian rhythm than against it, and that a consistent bedtime routine is just one thing you can do to help you get better sleep.
How Rise Uses This Science
Rise utilizes phone sensors and optional wearable devices to estimate your sleep patterns and calculate your sleep debt. It then combines this data with your self-reported sleep times and provides personalized recommendations for:
Optimal sleep timing: Rise identifies your "Melatonin Window," the time when your body naturally produces melatonin, making you feel sleepy. It suggests sleep and wake times that align with this window to improve your sleep quality. This has actually been really useful for me and has helped improve my sleep. By having a consistent time each night to wind down before bed, and a suggested bedtime, I am cueing my body that it’s time for sleep.
Managing sleep debt: Rise tracks your accumulated sleep debt and advises on how much extra sleep you need to "repay" it. It also helps you prioritize sleep by suggesting ideal times for naps and bedtime. I find knowing how much sleep debt I have is incentive to keep it low and also serves as a visual and factual reminder that I need to prioritize my sleep.
Energy forecasting: By analyzing your sleep data and circadian rhythm, Rise predicts your energy levels throughout the day. This helps you schedule important tasks for when you're likely to be most alert and avoid activities that require focus when your energy is low. Rise calls these “energy peaks” and “energy dips”, which are just what they say they are. Everyone’s circadian rhythm is on a 24 hour clock, and Rise predicts your energy peaks and dips according to your sleep, wake time, and quality of sleep. I like to plan my chores during my morning energy peak. Rise also suggests doing something physical, getting fresh air and sun, during energy dips, as those activities help your sleep quality. By doing something active during your energy dip, you can actually increase your energy and improve your sleep. I usually do exercises or stretching in the afternoons during my energy dips.
Pros:
Science-backed approach: Rise's focus on sleep debt and circadian rhythm provides a more holistic understanding of your sleep health than basic sleep trackers. It explains the science in an encouraging way and gives you real life suggestions and helps you to create routines that are based on your circadian rhythm.
Personalized insights: The app offers tailored recommendations for sleep timing, naps, and daily activities based on your individual sleep patterns and sleep debt. The lower the debt, the better your energy peaks and dips will be.
Energy forecasting: The ability to anticipate your energy levels throughout the day can be helpful for planning and productivity. This is something I rely heavily on, especially when I’m not sleeping well. It helps me find the right time of day for my daily activities, like chores, being social, exercise and rest.
User-friendly interface: Rise is easy to navigate and understand, even for those unfamiliar with sleep science. It’s one of the first apps I check in the morning.
Integration with other apps: Rise can connect with other health and wellness apps to provide a more comprehensive picture of your overall well-being. I have it connected to Apple health and it shares data with it.
Cons:
Reliance on estimations: Rise's sleep tracking relies on phone sensors or wearable devices, which may not be as accurate as clinical sleep studies. Sometimes it can be off, but in my experience, wearing an Apple Watch while you sleep is quite accurate.
Subscription model: Rise requires a paid subscription to access all its features, which may be a barrier for some users. Sadly, like most other useful apps, there is a subscription. I will say, for me, it’s well worth the price.
Limited behavioral interventions: While Rise provides insights and recommendations, it doesn't offer in-depth tools or guidance for addressing underlying sleep disorders or behavioral factors that may be affecting your sleep. I am hoping that they expand their app to include those things.
Tools:
Rise is broken into 5 sections on the bottom of the screen: Sleep, Energy, Tools, Progress, and Learn. Under the “Tools” section, there are some useful features:
Sleep Routines: Rise offers customizable sleep routines with relaxing activities like meditation or reading to help you wind down before bed.
Personalized sleep and wake times based on your Melatonin Window: Rise helps you align your sleep schedule with your natural circadian rhythm for optimal sleep.
Sleep debt tracking and management: Rise monitors your accumulated sleep debt and provides guidance on how to "repay" it for improved energy levels.
Sleep Sounds: Choose from a variety of calming sounds like white noise or nature sounds to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Smart Alarm: Rise's smart alarm feature wakes you up gradually during a lighter sleep phase, helping you feel more refreshed and less groggy.
Sleep Insights: Access detailed graphs and charts that track your sleep patterns over time, including sleep stages, sleep debt, and circadian rhythm.
Energy forecasting: By analyzing your sleep data, Rise predicts your energy levels throughout the day, allowing you to schedule activities for when you're most alert.
Educational Content: Rise provides a library of articles and tips on sleep hygiene, sleep disorders, and other sleep-related topics.
These features are all designed to help you get better sleep and lower your sleep debt. I love knowing when my peaks and dips are going to be, as it helps me plan my day, including getting chores done, and self care and business activities, as well as getting outside and some fresh air, or exercise, during my energy dip. If I stay up too late one night, I’m disappointed in myself for adding to my sleep debt because I can see numerically how much those couple hours cost me, and how far it sets me back. I have to work really hard at getting it back. By staying up too late, I also throw off the next day or two days and I feel a loss for the progress I made because not only was my sleep affected, it usually throws me completely off my daily routines and it’s the butterfly effect. So I’ve learned it’s better for me to kind of challenge myself to get good sleep. My sleep debt is at 1 hour right now, and I’m super proud of that. It’s taken me weeks of mostly getting good sleep to lower it.
Other features I use frequently are noting my melatonin window, and finding the best time to do certain activities based on your sleep. Rise can integrate with other health and wellness apps through your smart watch. Here's how it works:
Connect Rise to your smart watch: Open the Rise app and go to Settings. Tap on "Connect with _____________" and follow the on-screen instructions.
Connect other health and wellness apps to your smart watch: Follow the instructions in the other apps to connect them to your health and wellness apps.
View your combined data: Once you've connected all your apps, you can view your combined health and wellness data in your smart watch health app. This includes your sleep data from Rise, as well as data from other apps for your smart watch.
Here are some of the benefits of using Rise with other health and wellness apps:
Get a more comprehensive view of your health: By seeing all your health data in one place, you can get a better understanding of how your sleep, activity, and nutrition are interconnected.
Set more personalized goals: With more data to work with, you can set more personalized goals for your health and wellness.
Track your progress over time: You can see how your health and wellness are improving over time by tracking your data in your health and wellness apps.
Here are some things to keep in mind when using Rise with other health and wellness apps:
Not all apps are compatible with your smart watch: Make sure that the apps you want to use are compatible with your smart watch before you try to connect them.
You may need to adjust your privacy settings: You may need to adjust your privacy settings in both Rise and your smart watch to allow them to share data with each other.
Your data may not be perfectly synchronized: There may be some slight discrepancies between the data that you see in Rise and your smart watch health and wellness app.
Overall, using Rise with other health and wellness apps can be a great way to improve your sleep quality and overall health. Rise is a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve their sleep quality and energy levels. Its focus on sleep debt and circadian rhythm, combined with personalized insights and energy forecasting, sets it apart from other sleep apps. While it's not a substitute for professional sleep assessment or treatment, Rise can be an effective way to gain a better understanding of your sleep patterns and make informed decisions about your sleep habits.
In conclusion, Rise has proven to be an invaluable tool in my journey to improve my sleep health and overall well-being. Its science-backed approach, personalized insights, and user-friendly interface have empowered me to make informed decisions about my sleep habits and daily routines. While the app has some limitations, its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks. By helping me understand and manage my sleep debt, align with my circadian rhythm, and optimize my energy levels, Rise has significantly enhanced my quality of life. I wholeheartedly recommend Rise to anyone seeking to improve and learn healthy sleep habits.