I’ve been using a Garmin Fenix 6 and 7 Pro for over three years. Every morning, the first thing I do, even before getting out of bed, is to check my sleep score and my body battery. In fact, I don’t just wake up. I wake up into data. Sleep isn’t just something I do anymore; it’s something I track, reflect on, and sometimes even try to optimize. And these days, I often ask myself: how can I sleep better? That question alone has changed how I start my day.
What Wearables Measure
Most smartwatches, including the Fenix 7 Pro, use sensors to track:
- Heart rate (beats per minute)
- Heart rate variability (HRV) — the variation between beats
- Movement (actigraphy — how much you toss and turn)
- Blood oxygen (SpO2) — many devices, including my Fenix 7 Pro, track this during sleep.
Based on these signals, the watch uses algorithms to estimate which sleep stage you were in: light, deep, REM, or awake. Garmin also provides a Body Battery score, a snapshot of how recovered you are, based on both your sleep and stress levels from the previous day.
But Can It Really Know If I Was in REM?
Not exactly. Unlike a sleep lab, your watch can’t directly measure brainwaves. It makes educated guesses based on patterns in your body’s signals. And while those guesses are often impressively close, they’re not perfect.
That said, what matters most is not the precision of a single night, but the patterns over time. I’ve noticed that alcohol, late meals, and even certain evening conversations can reduce my deep sleep, and I wouldn’t have known that without the data.
Tech as Mirror, Not Oracle
Sleep trackers aren’t fortune tellers. But they hold up a mirror to our habits, and when used wisely, they become tools for real insight and change.
For me, it wasn’t about chasing perfect numbers. It was about staying consistent, being curious, and noticing how my behavior shaped my rest. And how sleep shaped everything else.
There were mornings when I disagreed with the score. But over time, I found patterns. I realized what disrupts my deep sleep, how sensitive I am to caffeine, and when my body actually wants to wind down. Using the Fenix 7 Pro consistently helped me discover my sleep window, and in turn, helped me manage my energy better throughout the day.
It wasn’t always easy. But it helped me sleep better and feel like I was taking better care of myself.
Micro-action Tip: Use Tech as a Partner in Self-Care
- Don’t chase perfect numbers. Just watch for meaningful trends
- Use your tracker to test routines: try screen-free nights, different bedtimes, or meditation
- Let your device support your rhythm, not dictate it
The goal is not to obey your wearable. It’s to partner with it. Awareness is the first step toward real rest.
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