✨ Surprise Lesson from My Oura Ring

I didn’t want the Oura Ring.
Not even a little.

And yet… it ended up teaching me something I didn’t expect.

I’ve Always Trusted the Body First

Smart health technology has never really been my thing.

Part of me is old school—
I should be able to tell how I’m doing based on how I feel.

Part of me is cautious—
Who’s actually seeing all this data?

And part of me?
Let’s be honest… ego.
Do I really want a daily score telling me I’m declining with age?

So when my husband Rob gave me the ring for Christmas, my first thought was:

Why?

I’d Been Around This World Before

This wasn’t new to me.

Back in 2019, I was introduced to the world of data-driven health through Dr. Matt Dawson and the team at Wild Health—a space focused on using data to better understand the body, not override it.

And while writing The Vibrant Sage, I interviewed Allison Brager, a true force when it comes to sleep and performance, who relies on wearable technology to optimize her health.

So yes… I had been exposed to this world for years.

And yet… I still believed the body should lead.

Then Something Shifted

I started wearing the ring.

Not to rely on it…
but to observe.

And after a few months, something interesting happened.

It didn’t replace what I felt.

It reflected it.

And in one case… it revealed something I hadn’t fully seen.

What the Data Showed Me

After about four months, a few patterns became clear—some expected… and one I couldn’t ignore:

• I’m a morning chronotype (hello, 3:00 a.m. wake-ups 😅)
• My body needs about 8 hours of sleep… which really means closer to 9 hours in bed
• My REM sleep is solid
• My restlessness is real—those nights I felt like a rotisserie chicken, turning in circles… it wasn’t my imagination, I wasn’t sleeping, I was rolling

But one thing stood out more than anything else…

My Biggest Challenge: Deep Sleep

This is the restorative stage.
The repair phase. The healing phase.

And some nights?

I was getting as little as 6 minutes.

That got my attention.

Because this is where the body rebuilds—muscle, immune system, brain function.
And it’s also the stage that tends to decline as we age.

So naturally… I got curious.

The Usual Suspects

When my sleep wasn’t great, the patterns were predictable:

• Late dinner
• Alcohol
• Stressful day

No big surprises there.

But then I noticed something else…

The Real Culprit

Screen time.

Not hours of scrolling.
Not falling asleep with the TV on.

Just… a little something to unwind.
A show. A video. A quiet distraction at the end of the day.

Harmless, right?

That’s what I thought too.

My Experiment

So I tried something simple:

No screens 2 hours before bed.

That’s it.

And the result?

My deep sleep went from 20–30 minutes… to 60–90 minutes.

Not subtle.
Not random.
A clear shift.

So I’ll Ask You…

• Do you wake up feeling refreshed?
• Does it take you more than 15 minutes to fall asleep?
• Are you eating or drinking close to bedtime?
• Do you unwind with a screen at night?

You don’t need a device to answer these.

Your body is already giving you feedback—every single day.

A Simple 2-Week Experiment

Week 1:
Don’t change anything.
Just notice your evening habits.

Week 2:

• Stop eating (and drinking alcohol) at least 3 hours before bed
• Reduce or eliminate screen time 2–3 hours before sleep

Then ask yourself:

Do I feel different?

Final Thought

And maybe what surprised me most… wasn’t the data.
It was how much my body had been trying to tell me all along.

Those restless nights…
the early wake-ups…
the days we feel just a little off—

they’re not random.

They’re messages.

And when we begin to listen—really listen—
we don’t just improve our sleep.

We reconnect with ourselves.

And from that place…
we begin to live with more energy, more clarity, and more ease.

To living vibrantly,
Nancy

To Living Vibrantly,

Nancy 

Author - Speaker - Coach 

Check out my new website:  www.thevibrantsage.com 

Get a copy of my book, The Vibrant Sage: Arousing Energy for Health and Happiness here is the link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMC6CQ7W

Remember..."Getting Older Isn't An Option; How You Age Is"