Review Nokia Sleep: The mat that measures sleep and sleeps through developments
31.5.2018
Translation: machine translated
Nokia Sleep should not only measure sleep phases, feel my pulse and be a snoring policeman, but also be able to trigger smart things in the house. For me, it is probably the biggest light switch in the world that is missing a crucial feature.
Until now, my personal sleep analysis was rather simple. Soggy in the morning = bad night, halfway out of bed = good night. Everything else eluded me. That has changed. Today I woke up with a sleep score of 56. That's dramatically low and it doesn't help that I managed a whopping 97 on Sunday. At least I save some energy because I no longer have to operate the light switch myself, as the smart air cushion under my mattress does that for me. But first things first.
First impression: Feels good!
In the past, I've held Nokia products to my ear; this one I'm supposed to slide under the mattress. In front of me is a grey mat, 63.7 cm long, 19 cm wide and 5 mm thick. On it is a textile-covered cable that winds its way over about three metres to a white USB power supply unit. Everything feels high quality. Nice to know, but the part disappears under 18.5 cm of foam until further notice. That's why I want to see what's hiding under the fabric cover first.
Inside and how it works
A three-tube mini air mattress is revealed. When I lie on the bed, the tubes are compressed. If I move, the pressure distribution changes. So far this is understandable. The brain of the construction is hidden in a white box. Using the principle of ballistocardiography, it is supposed to measure the movements and vibrations from which it derives the waking, deep, light and REM sleep phases and records my heart rate. A snoring sensor is also listening, but this can be deactivated.
Installation and configuration
Nokia Sleep is slid under the mattress at chest height. It doesn't matter whether it's a spring, latex, foam or memory mattress, the manufacturer has tested it with mattress thicknesses from 10 to 40 cm. Once the mat is in place, it can be connected to the power supply and configured using Nokia's "Health Mate" app. This takes less than five minutes. Create an account, add Nokia Sleep as a new device and connect it to WiFi - done. The device then calibrates itself with a slight hum and is ready for use.
The first smart sleep of my life
The basic principle of the Nokia Sleep appeals to me. The mat is invisible and unnoticeable. I don't have to wear a wristband or start the recording, I can just go to sleep and forget about it. I can also leave my mobile somewhere in the flat and synchronise the data via WLAN. This has to happen within 24 hours, Nokia Sleep doesn't store the sleep data for longer. Once it's in the app, however, it's safe. I'm looking forward to the first smart sleep of my life.
Rebuke from mum Nokia
After the premiere night, I wake up curious and immediately reach for my mobile, where the app greets me with a warning: Starting the day with the display in front of my nose is probably not good for me. Yes, Mum Nokia. Swipe and go. I want to see data, and it seems plausible to me.
I went to bed at 11.31pm and fell asleep quickly. At 4.35am my little girl woke me up during a light sleep phase and I got up briefly. Afterwards, we falsified the result together because she curled up next to me on the sensor. I was too tired to save my treasure trove of data. Together we achieved a sleep score of 77 that night, which is in the green zone. The scale ranges from 0 to 100 and takes into account the following factors, for each of which more detailed information can be retrieved:
- Sleep duration
- Depth of sleep
- Regularity
- Interruptions
- Duration of falling asleep
- Duration of getting up
Sleep duration and depth are weighted most heavily. In addition to the rating and explanations of the individual sleep phases, the average heart rate is also displayed and the snoring sensor indicates that I am a silent sleeper. There are also numerous offers to delve deeper into the Nokia health world, track steps during the day or improve my sleeping behaviour with good tips. But I don't want to be reminded to drink herbal tea or read a book. I remain pubescent and don't allow myself to be nagged any further.
Smart Home integration - probably the biggest light switch in the world
I am particularly interested in another function: the ability to start other smart processes via the IFTTT (IF This Than That) service. In addition to a Nokia Health Mate account, this also requires an IFTTT account and a certain amount of equanimity when it comes to sharing and exchanging data. I dutifully confirm and also release my Philips Hue account to turn Nokia Sleep into what is probably the world's biggest light switch. The IFFT app knows when I go to bed or get up and can trigger other actions via corresponding applets.
Things I would like to do with it:
- When I go to bed, turn the time back so far that I can sleep for at least 8 hours (fails due to lack of access rights to a few billion other devices)
- When I get up, let the sun shine (unfortunately, the solar system is not IFTTT-compatible)
Things I can specifically do with it:
- When I go to bed, I switch off the light. That works, after a few seconds the Hue lamps go out.
- When I get up, I switch on the light. This works with a delay of just under 20 seconds. Probably to make sure I've actually got up. I don't want to be standing next to the bed in the dark for that long.
I could think up more light-couch-stand-up relationships myself, but my imagination is exhausted and my needs are covered. I don't have a smart heating system that I could regulate automatically via Nokia Sleep. And I don't want to mute my smartphone as soon as I go to bed. All nice gimmicks and certainly useful for some users, but not a reason for me to buy it.
Wake up, Nokia! Where's the alarm clock function?
What I would like is an intelligent alarm clock function. I toyed with the idea of a sleep phase alarm clock for a while, but then I didn't want to sleep with a sweatband and have one of these next to my bed. [[productlist:334464]]
If Nokia Sleep already tracks my sleep phases, why can't I use the app to wake me up at the best time within a predefined period? With the Nokia Steel HR, for example, this has been possible since a software update. [[productlist:6341629]]
Nokia Sleep is not quite that precise
During my week of testing, I noticed several times that Nokia Sleep was way off the mark. On one occasion, I lay awake for longer and looked at the alarm clock for the last time at 0.20 am. At a time when I should have been somewhere between light and deep sleep. Other times I get up briefly without my flight from bed being registered. And the smart mattress was also unable to distinguish 100% correctly whether I was already awake in the morning or tossing and turning in light sleep. Before the last night, I recalibrate Nokia Sleep and install the free version of the "Sleep Cycle" app as a second night watchman for comparison. It listens in on my mobile next to the bed.
A rude awakening
Nokia's Health Mate is nice and tidy, but Sleep Cycle at least recognises more accurately when I've woken up. Being beaten in this basic discipline is not a good track record for Nokia's sleep monitor. As a result, I no longer really trust the weekly evaluation, which provides me with information on "sleep hygiene" and my "social jet lag" in the "Sleep Smarter" programme.
Conclusion
The Nokia Sleep approach is interesting. You don't have to wear anything on your body or have your smartphone to hand in the bedroom. Once installed and stowed under the mattress, the mat does its job - but not well enough. It lacks measurement accuracy and useful applications for the smart home functions. For me, the greatest potential is wasted with the lack of an alarm function in the app, which is why Nokia Sleep can't stay under my mattress.
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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