What's The Difference Between Hatch Sleep Clock and Other Sleep Trackers?

Key Takeaways:

• Sleep trackers can be helpful tools for understanding your sleep and what can affect it.  
• If you want to get better sleep, then sleep data and sleep scores alone may not be enough.
• Hatch Sleep Clock detects your sleep from your nightstand, then provides personalized insights and recommendations to improve it over time.

Thinking of getting a sleep tracker? Kudos to you for wanting to better understand your sleep. The sleep data provided by a sleep tracker can offer helpful insight about your sleep patterns, including how long you sleep, when you wake up, and how your sleep changes from night to night. That said, with all the sleep trackers out there, it can be hard to choose the best option for you. 

If your goal is to sleep deeper and longer — not get a report card about how much you tossed and turned — then you may need more than your run-of-the-mill sleep tracker. We created Hatch Sleep Clock to not only track sleep, but also provide personalized insights and recommendations that actually help you get more of it — so you can wake up feeling like the best version of yourself each day. Below, learn more about how Hatch Sleep Clock works, and how it measures up to other sleep trackers. 

Table of Contents

1. How to Choose a Sleep Tracker
2. Hatch Sleep Clock vs. Other Sleep Trackers
3. FAQs
4. References 

How to Choose a Sleep Tracker

Sleep trackers use sensors to collect information about your body and movement while you sleep to estimate things like when you fall asleep, how long you sleep, when you wake up, and how much time you spend in different sleep stages. The exact technology varies by device. Wearable sleep trackers, such as watches and rings, typically use a combination of movement and physiological signals, while contactless sleep trackers like Hatch Sleep Clock can gather information without requiring you to wear anything to bed.

While sleep trackers can give you a helpful window into your sleep patterns, collecting sleep data is only part of the picture. Understanding your patterns — and using those insights to make realistic changes to your sleep routine — is what can make sleep tracking truly useful. That’s where the experience can differ significantly from one sleep tracker to another.

Sleep trackers can also vary widely in price and features, so it’s worth considering what you actually want from your device. Some focus primarily on collecting sleep data, while others, like Hatch Sleep Clock, offer additional tools designed to help you build better sleep habits. When comparing sleep trackers, consider not only the upfront cost, but also included features, ongoing subscription costs, and how much value you’ll get from the information the tracker provides.

Hatch Sleep Clock vs. Other Sleep Trackers 

Looking for a sleep tracker comparison? Below, learn about how Hatch Sleep Clock compares to other sleep trackers, so you can make the best choice to both understand and improve your sleep. 

No Wearable Required 

With Hatch Sleep Clock, there’s no ring or watch to wear to bed. Instead, the device detects your sleep from your nightstand, without a camera or microphone, using a contactless sensor that can read your tiny movements from a few feet away. Learn more about how Hatch Sleep Clock works.

Wearable sleep trackers can often be uncomfortable for sleep — plus, you have to remember to put them on and keep them charged (one more thing to think about at the end of the day). A contactless sleep tracker eliminates that extra step, allowing you to track your sleep without changing your bedtime routine or wearing a device all night.

Sleep Tracking, Insights, and Personalized Recommendations

Hatch Sleep Clock doesn’t just track your sleep. It uses the data about your sleep to provide personalized insights and specific recommendations that help you sleep better. 

For example, if you experience more deep sleep on nights you listen to sound baths, your Hatch Sleep Clock may tell you: The last four nights, you skipped your bedtime playlist and your sleep averaged about 6 hours 20 minutes — about 40 minutes less than on the nights you play it.

Winding down before sleep with audiobooks, sound baths, and meditations can help quiet your mind and make for a more restful night. Try creating a bedtime playlist.”

Or, it may tell you that on mornings you wake up to a certain alarm, you snooze less — reinforcing your behavior and helping you continue meeting your goals. No matter what your patterns are, Hatch Sleep Clock gives constructive, encouraging feedback and tools that help you build and maintain routines for better sleep.

Most other sleep trackers focus primarily on sleep data, leaving you to interpret your sleep score and data and come up with new routines on your own (who needs the extra mental load?). 

No Subscription Required to Access Sleep Data and Details

Anyone with a Hatch Sleep Clock can access their sleep data and details through the free Hatch Sleep app— no subscription or required. 

Some wearable sleep trackers require a paid subscription to access certain sleep data, insights, or features, which can add to the total cost of your device over time. With Hatch Sleep Clock, your core sleep data and details are included with your device, so you can continue learning about your sleep without an ongoing fee.

No Sleep Scores 

Hatch Sleep Clock doesn’t judge your sleep based on one night. Instead, it uses your sleep patterns to provide gentle, personalized insights and recommendations to help you sleep better and longer, night after night.

Some sleep trackers give sleep scores that may feel like a report card. While some people might be motivated by a sore, they can also trigger anxiety or create pressure that might even make it harder to sleep. 

No Screen in the Bedroom

Screen time before bed can interfere with your circadian rhythm and keep you awake when you want to be sleeping. Hatch Sleep Clock makes it easy to go phone-free: Your personalized sleep audio tracks and lights play automatically when you want them to, and the device detects your sleep without a screen. 

On the flipside, wearable sleep trackers typically include apps that encourage you to check your sleep data, scores, or other notifications on a device. Hatch Sleep Clock is designed to fade into the background at bedtime, so you can put your phone away and focus on winding down.

Access to 2,500+ Original Audio Tracks Designed for Sleep With Hatch+

Whether you want to wind down with an audiobook, meditation, ASMR, or sound bath — or drift off to calming nature sounds or brown noise — Hatch Sleep Clock has it all. For the first 30 days after your purchase, you can access all 2,500+ expert-created audio tracks. After that point, you can opt in to Hatch+, which costs $5.99/month or $59.99/year. Cancel anytime.

Sleep trackers are usually just that — wearable devices that track your sleep. If you want content like sleep audio or meditations, you’ll have to spend extra money for a white noise machine or sleep app. 

Sunrise Alarm

Wake up like nature intended — gently, progressively, and with no jarring phone alarm. More than a sleep tracker, Hatch Sleep Clock also includes a full library of Sunrise Alarms that help you ease into the morning with light and sound. The result? You’ll feel rested and ready to take on whatever the day has in store. 

Wearable sleep trackers, on the other hand, are primarily designed to collect information about your sleep and other health metrics. Hatch Sleep Clock combines sleep tracking with tools you can actually use throughout your sleep routine, from winding down at night to waking up in the morning. That means one device can help you understand your sleep patterns and create routines designed to improve them.

Learn how Hatch Sleep Clock can help you create routines for better sleep with personalized insights and recommendations. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a wearable and a contactless sleep tracker?

Wearable sleep trackers are worn on the wrist, finger, or another part of the body while you sleep. Contactless sleep trackers, like Hatch Sleep Clock, collect sleep data without requiring you to wear a device, making them an option for people who prefer to sleep without a watch or ring.

What should I look for when choosing a sleep tracker?

Consider how the device collects data, what sleep metrics it tracks, whether you need to wear or charge it, and, most importantly, what it helps you do with your sleep data. A useful sleep tracker should provide information you can actually apply to your sleep habits.

Can a sleep tracker actually help you sleep better?

A sleep tracker can help you recognize patterns in your sleep, but data alone doesn’t necessarily improve sleep. Look for a tracker that turns your sleep information into actionable insights or recommendations that can help you build healthier sleep habits.

References

1. Baron, K. G., Abbott, S., Jao, N., Manalo, N., & Mullen, R. (2017). Orthosomnia: Are some patients taking the quantified self too far? Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 13(2), 351-354.
2. Schutte-Rodin, S., Deak, M. C., Khosla, S., et al. (2021). Evaluating consumer and clinical sleep technologies: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine update. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 17(11), 2275-2282. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.9580 
3. Chaput, J.-P., Dutil, C., Featherstone, R., et al. (2020). Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: A systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(10 Suppl. 2), S232-S247. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032 
4. Sletten, T. L., Weaver, M. D., Foster, R. G., et al. (2023). The importance of sleep regularity: A consensus statement of the National Sleep Foundation sleep timing and variability panel. Sleep Health, 9(6), 801-820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.07.016