The Basics: Sleep Needed

What is Sleep Needed?

In the context of fitness tracking and health monitoring, Sleep Needed is a metric that quantifies the amount of sleep you require to achieve your health goals. It's a personalized measurement that goes beyond a fixed, one-size-fits-all recommendation for daily sleep duration. Instead, Sleep Needed takes into account various factors to provide users with a tailored understanding of how much sleep their body requires on a given day.

The Numbers Behind Sleep Needed

Bevel calculates your Sleep Needed by considering the following key elements:

• Sleep Goal: Your sleep goal, set by you within the app, serves as a baseline for Sleep Needed. Experts recommend that adults aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. It's helpful to test how you feel after different amounts of sleep in this range and set your sleep goal accordingly.

• Recent Strain: Physical activity plays a significant role in determining the amount of sleep your body needs. The more strenuous your recent workouts, the higher your body's demand for restorative sleep.
• Sleep Debt: If you've been consistently falling short of your sleep goal, Bevel takes this into account. Accumulated sleep debt influences your Sleep Needed, signaling that your body requires additional rest to compensate. Bevel calculates a weighted sum of sleep debt from the past 7 days and distributes the additional sleep needed across the following 4 days.
• Sleep Efficiency: Based on your historical data, Bevel calculates your Sleep Efficiency to determine the extra time you should sleep based on your periods of wakefulness.

Bevel synthesizes these factors to calculate your Sleep Needed dynamically. For instance, if you recently engaged in a high-intensity workout, your Sleep Needed might be higher to facilitate muscle repair and overall recovery. Conversely, if you've consistently met your sleep goal and maintained a balanced routine, your Sleep Needed may be lower.

Why Does Sleep Needed Matter?

Recognizing the factors that impact your Sleep Needed metric can empower you to make informed decisions about your daily activities. You may consider:

• Balancing Workouts: After an intense workout, take note of your elevated Sleep Needed. Consider adjusting your schedule to allow for additional rest on those days.
• Strategic Napping: On days when you need higher amounts of sleep, incorporating a short nap into your routine can contribute to your overall recovery.
• Consistent Sleep Patterns: Recognizing the impact of sleep debt on your Sleep Needed emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistent sleep patterns. Aim for a regular sleep schedule to minimize the accumulation of sleep debt.

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Sleep Needed is a valuable tool and goes beyond the traditional approach to sleep tracking, offering personalized insights that align with your unique lifestyle and physical activities. By incorporating this knowledge into your routine, you can improve your health and unlock the full potential of your fitness journey.