Run one-variable self-experiments

Trackers tell you how you slept, not why. Finding the why is your quest.

Everyone has the ability to run self-experiments. Start by changing one thing. Is it your bedroom temperature? Your partner? Sensitivity to light? Exercising too late? Eating too late? Caffeine after noon? One at a time.

Stack wins: none of the individual levers (lavender, kiwis, sound machines, magnesium) will knock you out on its own; each has a small documented effect and you're looking to accumulate them.

The Lab tab implements exactly this: a baseline window, an intervention window, one variable, and a comparison of total sleep, morning feel and resting heart rate. The Day log feeds the 'with vs without' comparisons that tell you what to test next.

Sources · 4

Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adultsMah J, Pitre T · 2021Magnesium shortened sleep onset by ~17 min; evidence quality low-to-moderate — cheap and safe, not miraculous.Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problemsLin HH, Tsai PS, Fang SC, Liu JF · 2011Two kiwis one hour before bed for 4 weeks improved onset, duration and efficiency — the study behind Galpin's kiwis.Effect of inhaled lavender and sleep hygiene on self-reported sleep issuesLillehei AS, Halcón LL, Savik K, Reis R · 2015Lavender inhalation plus sleep hygiene improved sleep quality more than hygiene alone — a small, safe 'stackable win'.Self-monitoring in weight lossBurke LE, Wang J, Sevick MA · 2011Consistent self-monitoring of diet and weight is one of the strongest predictors of weight-loss success — the 'baker' approach.

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Frequently asked questions

Run one-variable self-experiments?

Trackers tell you how you slept, not why. Finding the why is your quest.

Is SleepShred free?

No. SleepShred Pro is $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with no free trial and no ads. Everything stays on your iPhone.

Track it, don't guess it

SleepShred turns this research into a 20-second daily habit: log your night, see which of your own behaviours move your sleep, and screen for the disorders nobody diagnoses.

Get SleepShred for iPhone

Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.