I Tried an AI App for Sleep Analysis. I Learned a Lot About My Quality of Sleep

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose stress levels affect their sleep. But I've noticed that even when I'm doing "all the right things" healthy sleep can feel challenging to understand and maintain. I'm a minimalist at heart so I was looking for an easy way to learn about my sleep patterns without a multistep system or purchasing a product. That's how I found SleepSpace, an AI-powered app that can analyze sleep patterns and provide personalized recommendations via a chatbot, called Dr. Snooze, which is a bridge to personalized care with human sleep experts. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. SleepSpace was founded by Dan Gartenberg, who is the company's CEO as well as a sleep adviser at CPAP.com. While the company was founded in 2009, its first AI features didn't deploy until 2022. The app focuses entirely on sleep, which Gartenberg says gives optimal outcomes, and it can integrate with wearables (think Apple Watch, Oura, Whoop) to provide a holistic view of sleep patterns over time. I was curious to see how it would respond to me without the extras – no wearables, no additional products. Just me, my phone and SleepSpace's app. No additional setup was required, other than deciding where to place my phone so it could track the sleep sound disturbances, quality and any other callouts. How SleepSpace works You can trial SleepSpace across a seven-day period, and then choose to commit to a $25/month or $99/year subscription. Here's how to get started: 1. Download SleepSpace for iOS or Android, create an account and connect your wearables or HealthKit/Google Fit – if applicable – so the AI has your sleep data. You don't need a wearable to access SleepSpace, but you do need a mobile device. SleepSpace's chatbot, Dr. Snooze, is always standing by for your sleep questions. SleepSpace/Screenshot by CNET 2. Before bed, start a sleep session and place your phone on the nightstand or on the mattress – its microphone will track sounds and its motion detector will track your tossing and turning. The first night, I resorted to my pillow because I wanted to access different relaxation and sleep sounds until settling on my favorites from the app, Ocean Waves and Brown Noise. 3. In the morning, review your personalized sleep score and ask the AI chatbot for instant, science-based recommendations. SleepSpace uses machine learning models to support personalized feedback but doesn't rely on an LLM like Gemini to get answers. I had sleep interruptions without a clear indicator why – coffee, maybe – yet I found that Dr. Snooze was able to answer my questions. With a SleepSpace subscription, when Dr. Snooze can't answer your questions, you can call on a human sleep expert, like Gartenberg, or live coaches, to step in to consult. "By keeping the bot strictly focused on sleep, we reduce the risk of hallucinations and misinformation, ensuring a high standard of accuracy," Gartenberg said. "When the AI cannot provide sufficient depth, a human expert steps in within 48 hours, adding an extra layer of personalized care" and a level of accuracy in sleep tracking. (For using the app in its rawest form, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well my sleep – and all of its inconsistencies – tracked on the app.) Gartenberg also noted that SleepSpace uses sleep staging algorithms, trained on polysomnography (sleep study) data to give users a holistic view of their sleep patterns. You can learn more about SleepSpace on its website and for more questions, head to the FAQ section. Should you try SleepSpace? SleepSpace helped me better understand the things that derail or complement my sleep. For example I need my socks on, my neck covered, layers, an ice-cold room without a direct fan, brown noise playing… just to fall asleep, let alone stay asleep. The app's AI analysis put all of that into a clearer perspective. I don't own a physical sleep tracker so having something next to my head that can pick up on the noise in my room, plus how often I wake, was eye opening. SleepSpace broke down how many awakenings I averaged a night (four), my quality of sleep (78%), the time I woke up (always after the initial alarm) and a guide for expected energy peak and drop, which I found to be pretty on target. I knew I was a light sleeper, but four wakeups on average a night across a 7-hour period told me I'm restless. At the end of my weeklong trial I walked away knowing that I had more insights into what was happening in my sleep – but I also knew more about my energy peaks and when I was waking up, plus I got tips to help reduce waking through the night (surprise, late-afternoon coffee had to go). I see benefit in trying out SleepSpace, especially if you're not already tracking your sleep health. It's highly personal, but more importantly, it's actionable.