Hypnograms: How To Read A Hypnogram

Breaking Down the Hypnogram

The hypnogram is divided into two charts. The first chart provides a quick overview of your night's sleep. The x-axis represents the hours of the night in two-hour increments, and the y-axis is divided into four stages of sleep. Deep sleep is at the top, followed by light sleep, REM sleep, and sleep onset times and awakenings at the bottom. Each stage is represented by a different color, and the detailed breakdown chart is located below the first chart. By examining the hypnogram, you can see how often you moved through different stages of sleep and how often you woke up during the night.

The second chart provides a more detailed view of your sleep, with data broken down into half-hour increments. This chart shows you how much time you spent in each stage of sleep, how long it took to fall asleep, and when you woke up in the morning.

How to Interpret Your Data

The hypnogram gives you a general sense of your nightly sleep behaviors. If you see that you are getting minimal deep sleep but an overabundance of light sleep, you can take steps to increase your deep sleep. If you notice that you are waking up frequently during the night, you can create a sleep-friendly environment to reduce interruptions. Remember, the hypnogram is only part of the equation and should be viewed in conjunction with your sleep summary data. By looking at both pieces of information together, you can get a better understanding of your nightly rest.

What to Do With Your Data

The experts at SleepScore Labs can evaluate your nightly data through the Sleep Guide, providing you with personalized insights and actionable advice to address your specific sleep issues. By comparing your data against that of other sleepers with a similar profile, they can provide customized solutions for you. By taking advantage of the Sleep Guide, you can make meaningful improvements to your sleep patterns.

The hypnogram is an essential tool for understanding your unique sleep patterns. By learning about the different stages of sleep, how we move through them during the night, and our habits, we can make meaningful improvements to our sleep. The more nights you track, and the more Sleep Guide advice you put into action, the more progress you will see in your hypnogram. By taking advantage of all the helpful features of your sleep tracker, including your nightly hypnogram, you can improve the quality of your sleep and wake up feeling refreshed every morning.