Sleeping with the Oura ring

The Oura app continues to recommend that I go to bed an hour earlier. My general impression was that my best sleep occurs when I go to bed later.

 

The trends functions did not give me quite the picture I needed, so I got out pen and paper. I discovered that although the data I have from 11 nights is messy, the app is right.

 

First, it is important to say that in the first week the app was recommending that I go to bed at a time I consider much too early. When I tried to do that I did not sleep well and the app did start recommending a later time, one which I consider feasible, at least. In the last 7 days, when I went to bed close to the recommended time I did see a shift in my resting heart rate to a more curvilinear (hammock) pattern and a large shift in the time my heart rate reached its nadir. The nadir occured earlier and at or closer to the time the app thinks is optimal (~3 am).

 

Interestingly, I think I discovered why my night-time body temperature has been elevated for several days. I typically sleep with my hand under the pillow. I did not do that last night and my body temperature was below baseline. I will have to test this hypothesis for a few nights.