We often keep our eye out for great connected technology product, especially those that integrate with Android. The arena of connected technology is growing, and one great example of this is the quantified-self movement.
These days people are into tracking everything, steps, reps, calories eaten, calories burned, glasses of water drunk… you get the idea. Sleep tracking is very popular category amongst these with many smart ‘things’ available to help you track your sleep.
I’m not always the best sleeper (more so in the Queensland Summer) , so I’ve extensively looked at many sleep tracking options. You have a myriad of options available to track your sleep, smartwatches, smartphones, smart monitors, motion sensitive pucks, sensor strips that you lay across your bed, and more. From reviews, some of these work well, others not so much.
One solution stood out from the crowd for me, and that is a product called ‘Eight‘ (originally Luna for those who may have followed them in the early days). Eight is a fitted sheet for your bed that contains all of the sensors you need to track the sleep of 2 sleepers (independently). It also has an integrated bed warmer and of course, the whole thing can be controlled, and automated, from your Android (or iOS) device.
Eight features a removable and washable upper polyester layer (I have to admit, I wish this was cotton), Sensors and heating discs, and a control ‘puck’ that provides all of the smarts and connectivity. So what does it track exactly?
- Your temperature in Bed
- Your usual bedtime
- What time you ‘fall asleep’
- Your usual wake up time
- What time you get out of bed
- How long you sleep
- How much you move during the night
- Your heart rate
- Your respiration rate (breathing rate)
- Ambient room temperature
- Room humidity
- Roon noise levels
- Room light level and
- Local weather forecasts.
Here’s the big question wit hall of that data does it integrate to Google Fit? We’ve been in touch with the team behind the Eight and they have revealed that Google Fit integration is on their development roadmap and they are expecting to add the feature later this year.
The system also integrates with other smart home products  including NEST, IFTTT as well as having an open API for others to work with. The puck can communicate via either WiFi or Bluetooth
How do you get your hands on one of these you’re asking? The Eight isn’t quite shipping yet, the original campaign was crowd funded so they are getting those units out first. If you want to get one they are shipping to Australia with a $50 USD shipping charge. The unit is compatible with 240 V mains power however, you will need to use a power adapter, something those of you who have ever bought overseas will be used to.
The Eight comes in several sizes, double, Queen, King and California King, they range in price from $249 – $289 USD. There is a special offer right now to get $35 off any order.
This still makes the  total package around $274 USD which may just be a bit too steep for anyone not committed to tracking and possibly improving their sleep. The company is hoping to get a review unit out to us once they have shipped to all of their backers so we may be able to give you a far more in-depth look at the Eight.
Are you interested in Sleep tracking? Let us know which products you use below.
$274 USD to tell you you didn’t have a good night’s sleep?
Smartwatch solutions seem to do a reasonable job, do many other jobs as well, and are much cheaper. They certainly track when you go to sleep, when you are in deep sleep, when you are restless, and when you wake up.
For those who don’t have a smart watch or not planning on getting one, it’s still not a bad price. Also it looks like you get more data about your sleep patterns that a smart watch can at this point of time.
This is a niche product for sure, but if it delivers it seems to be incredibly high quality. Their team appear commited to being platform agnostic as well