Sleep tracking is an integral part of Garmin’s multi-sport watches. However, we’re guessing there are some people that refuse to go to sleep with a big digital watch on their wrist. The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor is a dedicated sleep band designed to accommodate that crowd.
Unlike smartwatches and GPS watches that you wear on the wrist, this one’s designed to be worn on your upper arm, which most people should find a lot more comfortable for wearing overnight. If you’ve ever found wrist-worn trackers to be quite obtrusive during sleep, this definitely makes for a more attractive alternative.
The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor consists of an armband that’s meant to be worn on the upper arm, as well as a removable electronic module that houses all the sensors. It can monitor light, deep, and REM sleep stages, complete with scoring metrics that detect how well you sleep through each one. A heart rate sensor continuously samples your heart rate throughout the night to get a comprehensive read on your resting heart rate and any heart rate variability during your sleep, while respiration tracking keeps tabs on how many breaths you take per minute, registering any variations. There’s also a pulse ox sensor that can track blood oxygen saturation while you sleep, although this feature is not available in all countries (we guess it depends on local laws).
A built-in thermometer keeps constant measurements of your skin temperature, allowing it to detect any changes that can provide insight into how the environment is affecting your sleep or the onset of potential illness. They also use these readings for women’s health monitoring, incorporating it to gain insights into menstrual cycles, period predictions, and ovulation estimates. Suffice to say, this thing seems to do a lot more than track your sleep cycles.
The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor can also monitor your energy levels, allowing it to tell you whether you’ve had enough sleep or you still need more rest time, as well as stress levels based on your sleep patterns. All the data is recorded on the Garmin Connect app, where you can get detailed metrics to help paint a clear picture of your overall sleep health. If you wear a Garmin sports watch during the day, it can even combine data from both for an even more comprehensive assessment of your overall wellness. The wearable comes with a smart alarm that will only wake you with gentle vibrations when it detects you’re at a lighter sleep stage to ensure you don’t wake up tired. The rechargeable battery, by the way, can keep it running for up to a week between charges.
The band comes in two sizes, with the smaller one measuring 12.8 x 2.5 x 0.02 inches (length x width x thickness) and the larger one coming in at 17.8 x 2.5 x 0.2 inches. It’s made from a blend of nylon and spandex, so it’s equally hardwearing and stretchy, while being machine-washable (just make sure you remove the electronic module). The band only comes in one color: black.
Want one? The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor is available now, priced at $169.99.
