Dr. Matthew Walker

And then when you split it four ways, light non-REM, deep non-REM, REM sleep or wakefulness, which are really the four states that you can be in, which is a four class algorithm. then the accuracy is about maybe 75%. And that seems to be about best in class right now. Now you may say, well, hang on a second, that doesn't sound so impressive, 75%. Think about this though.

And then when you split it four ways, light non-REM, deep non-REM, REM sleep or wakefulness, which are really the four states that you can be in, which is a four class algorithm. then the accuracy is about maybe 75%. And that seems to be about best in class right now. Now you may say, well, hang on a second, that doesn't sound so impressive, 75%. Think about this though.

I have about $50,000 worth of a spaghetti monster at my sleep center to get 100% accurate gold standard sleep recording. And then you can come along and within the space of some development cycles of technology, you can boil it down to a ring this size for several hundreds of dollars, and you can get 75% of the way there? That's bloody remarkable, you know?

I have about $50,000 worth of a spaghetti monster at my sleep center to get 100% accurate gold standard sleep recording. And then you can come along and within the space of some development cycles of technology, you can boil it down to a ring this size for several hundreds of dollars, and you can get 75% of the way there? That's bloody remarkable, you know?

I have about $50,000 worth of a spaghetti monster at my sleep center to get 100% accurate gold standard sleep recording. And then you can come along and within the space of some development cycles of technology, you can boil it down to a ring this size for several hundreds of dollars, and you can get 75% of the way there? That's bloody remarkable, you know?

Different algorithm, and unfortunately, different site of location. So I think the reason that Oura, and I wasn't with the company when they first made the choice to go with a Ring, By the way, the other reason I like the company and the ring itself is because of the form factor. We don't put wristwatches on when we go to sleep or headbands or chest straps. We take things off.

Different algorithm, and unfortunately, different site of location. So I think the reason that Oura, and I wasn't with the company when they first made the choice to go with a Ring, By the way, the other reason I like the company and the ring itself is because of the form factor. We don't put wristwatches on when we go to sleep or headbands or chest straps. We take things off.

Different algorithm, and unfortunately, different site of location. So I think the reason that Oura, and I wasn't with the company when they first made the choice to go with a Ring, By the way, the other reason I like the company and the ring itself is because of the form factor. We don't put wristwatches on when we go to sleep or headbands or chest straps. We take things off.

But rings, we're accustomed to that. So I like the form factor too, which is a low friction, no friction device. I would say though that for the Oura Ring in terms of its sensing capacity, when you get closer to the vasculature of the finger, it's more accurate than it would be necessarily on the wrist itself and the sensor.

But rings, we're accustomed to that. So I like the form factor too, which is a low friction, no friction device. I would say though that for the Oura Ring in terms of its sensing capacity, when you get closer to the vasculature of the finger, it's more accurate than it would be necessarily on the wrist itself and the sensor.

But rings, we're accustomed to that. So I like the form factor too, which is a low friction, no friction device. I would say though that for the Oura Ring in terms of its sensing capacity, when you get closer to the vasculature of the finger, it's more accurate than it would be necessarily on the wrist itself and the sensor.

So that's why, firstly, because the, so you get a better sensing location, number one. And number two, I think the algorithms are different. So that's why you'll get probably quite wildly different numbers from those two devices. But again, I think overall, sleep trackers, largely good. Two more caveats. The first is that that absolute accuracy of 75% is its absolute accuracy.

So that's why, firstly, because the, so you get a better sensing location, number one. And number two, I think the algorithms are different. So that's why you'll get probably quite wildly different numbers from those two devices. But again, I think overall, sleep trackers, largely good. Two more caveats. The first is that that absolute accuracy of 75% is its absolute accuracy.

So that's why, firstly, because the, so you get a better sensing location, number one. And number two, I think the algorithms are different. So that's why you'll get probably quite wildly different numbers from those two devices. But again, I think overall, sleep trackers, largely good. Two more caveats. The first is that that absolute accuracy of 75% is its absolute accuracy.

However, its relative accuracy is much higher.

However, its relative accuracy is much higher.

However, its relative accuracy is much higher.

Correct. You've nailed it. So don't follow nightly headlines, absolute accuracy, follow weekly trend lines, which is to say that this thing is 75% accuracy at separating all of those different categories, but it's consistently inaccurate night after night after night. So it's power is when all of a sudden you see deviations in your trend because it can't be the ring that's deviating.

Correct. You've nailed it. So don't follow nightly headlines, absolute accuracy, follow weekly trend lines, which is to say that this thing is 75% accuracy at separating all of those different categories, but it's consistently inaccurate night after night after night. So it's power is when all of a sudden you see deviations in your trend because it can't be the ring that's deviating.

Correct. You've nailed it. So don't follow nightly headlines, absolute accuracy, follow weekly trend lines, which is to say that this thing is 75% accuracy at separating all of those different categories, but it's consistently inaccurate night after night after night. So it's power is when all of a sudden you see deviations in your trend because it can't be the ring that's deviating.