15: How Data Tracking Can Support Your Health & Hormones in Perimenopause

Perimenopause can feel unpredictable—one day you’re sleeping fine, the next you’re wide awake at 3am. Your energy, cycles, and moods may shift without warning, leaving you wondering what’s really going on.

In this episode of Midlife and Glowing, Alicia and Nicole share how simple data tracking tools—like wearables and cycle tracking apps—can help you better understand your body and support your hormones. This isn’t about obsessing over numbers. It’s about gaining insights that make midlife health easier to navigate.

You’ll learn how tracking can reveal hidden patterns, give you more confidence in conversations with your provider, and empower you to make small but powerful adjustments to your lifestyle and self-care.

00:00 Welcome to Midlife and Glowing
00:14 Introduction to Health Tracking
00:45 Understanding Bio Tracking
02:07 Comparing Wearable Devices
03:21 Exploring Popular Trackers
08:51 The Importance of Sleep and HRV
17:30 Tracking Activity and Cycle
22:06 Using Data to Improve Health
30:53 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

📌 Resources:
Popular health tracking apps → https://dailyglowlife.com/data-tracking-in-perimenopause-using-wearables-to-understand-your-body/
Our free Daily Glow Rituals Guide → https://stan.store/thedailyglowlife/p/daily-glow-rituals-guide
Related episode: https://youtu.be/I5jogJ7BQxI

Transcript

Nicole: 0:00

Hey there, and welcome back to Midlife and Glowing. I'm Nicole.

Alicia: 0:03

And I am Alicia, and today we're diving into something that might sound techy or even a little intimidating at first, but we promise it's really just about helping you feel more in tune with your body. We're talking about health tracking and wearable data.

Nicole: 0:17

Yes. This is like your body's way of giving you a progress report. When your hormones are shifting and your symptoms don't always make sense. Data can help connect the dots and give you insight into what's really going on.

Alicia: 0:29

And to be totally honest, I haven't been using any of these trackers yet, so I'm coming into this conversation with curiosity and lots of questions. I know Nicole's been using a few different tools, so I'm excited to learn what's worth paying attention to and how to get started without getting overwhelmed. Okay, so what is bio tracking and why should we care?

Nicole: 0:49

So when we say bio tracking, we're talking about wearable tools and apps that collect real time info from your body, like your heart rate, your HRV, which stands for heart rate variability, sleep patterns, blood sugar, temperature, oxygen saturation, they can track quite a few metrics.

Alicia: 1:06

Yeah. You know, I see so many women wearing the tracking rings and the watches. So why do we need to pay attention to this data and how would it support a woman in midlife?

Nicole: 1:16

Well, the data helps you learn and understand how your body is responding to your lifestyle. How your stress, nutrition, movement, sleep and other daily habits are actually impacting how you feel and how those factors are influencing your metabolism, your energy, your mood, your gut, your immune system, and really just your overall wellbeing. In midlife and perimenopause it's especially helpful to have this kind of data because when you're feeling off, it's not always obvious why. Having data helps you understand or figure out not only what is happening to your biology, but what you might need to adjust so you can feel better. It really gives you a more clear picture into your body's response to your lifestyle and habits, so you can adjust them to support you in the best way possible, and you can figure out if those adjustments are actually working or not.

Alicia: 2:07

Okay, so let's break down some of these tools. I know you've used the Oura Ring and now I think you're using the RingConn. What's the difference between these two?

Nicole: 2:16

Yes. Uh, well, they are pretty similar, both track things like HRV, which again is heart rate variability, sleep stages, temperature, oxygen saturation, and they use an algorithm to tell you what your overall stress looks like, which helps you determine if you can power through or if you need to power up. And in all honesty, as far as I can see, the only difference between the two in my personal experience with them has been that Oura charges a monthly subscription and RingConn does not. Now. Oura has been around for a lot longer than RingConn, so that might be a factor for people in terms of trust and you know, reputation. But from what I've experienced, they are very similar in the data that they track. I will say that I saw something not too long ago that Dexcom, which has CGM technology, which is continuous glucose monitoring. They are partnering with Oura to be able to have CGM data sync up somehow with the Oura ring data. Now, I don't know where they are in that process, but it's something to consider for people that track glucose and want their data to kind of talk. But those aren't the only two options. There are a lot of other data trackers. Other popular ones include the whoop band. They are very focused on recovery and strain, so it's great for athletes or tracking physical stress and recovery. And that's not a ring. It's actually a band that you wear on your wrist or your arm. The Apple Watch that tracks heart rate, HRV, your cycle, your activity level, sleep stages, and they even have mindfulness reminders.

Alicia: 3:48

You know, I did have an Apple watch quite a while ago. Um, but I didn't actually use it for tracking a whole lot. Maybe just like the heart rate, I noticed the heart rate would go up when I was watching my son's hockey game. Uh, but otherwise I would use it for the walkie-talkie feature, which was actually kind of funny.

Nicole: 4:06

That's nice. Hey. So the, the Garmin Vivosmart is another one that tracks oxygen level sleep stages, stress. A lot of these track a lot of the same metrics, right? The Fitbit is a more budget friendly tracker that looks at steps, sleep stages, heart rate and more. But again, these are just a few of the big ones. There are so many more apps that track various data points that we aren't personally familiar with. The temp drop is another app that uses a wearable sensor for cycle and ovulation tracking based on basal body temperature. There's an app called Zoe that comes with various testing tools like a stool test and a CGM. And then based on your testing results, it provides a personalized nutrition plan. There's options like Welltory and HRV4training, which are apps that use HRV data, either from your smartphone's camera, so you don't even need a wearable or from other wearables, and they translate that data into understandable metrics for stress, energy levels, productivity, and nervous system health.

Alicia: 5:06

And what about blood sugar? I've seen people wear those like little patches on their arms.

Nicole: 5:11

Yes, yes. Those are continuous glucose monitors or CGMs, so companies like Dexcom that I mentioned earlier, and then Abbott and there are others as well, but they offer over the counter CGMs that don't require a prescription, that track glucose levels in real time, which lets you see how your body reacts to food and other lifestyle factors. So if you eat something and your blood sugar spikes, you'll know and you can adjust your meals to keep your energy and hormones more balanced. But it's not just food that impacts your glucose levels. Stress and lack of sleep also have a very significant impact on glucose regulation, as does meal timing, activity levels. These all play a role in glucose regulation. So with the CGM, you get to see in real time. how your lifestyle is impacting your glucose levels. This is really helpful for women in this stage of life that are struggling with metabolism in particular and having difficulty with weight because glucose levels and insulin play a really big role in your metabolism, and having access to that data really allows you to understand where you need to make adjustments with your lifestyle so that you can see changes in your metabolic health. But basically CGMs are just a little sensor that typically lasts for 10 days to two weeks that you place on the back of your arm. There's a little filament that goes into your arm that tracks your extracellular glucose levels, so you can see again in real time what your glucose is and how it changes in response to your lifestyle.

Alicia: 6:39

I can see how that would be super helpful.

Nicole: 6:41

Yeah.

Alicia: 6:42

Okay, so what about cycle tracking? I know I just use an app on my phone, but is there something else that can give you a little bit more information?

Nicole: 6:50

Honestly, it really depends on where you are in life and what your concerns or goals are. For perimenopausal women that are not trying to get pregnant. Just tracking cycle length with one of the apps that you're talking about can be helpful enough. And in most of your cycle tracking apps, you can add notes like how heavy a period was or how long it was, and that data can really help you understand where you are in the perimenopause journey. If you're pretty regular with your periods, you're probably not super close to menopause. As we get closer to the couple years before menopause, that's when things really can start to shift dramatically in our actual cycle. So it's helpful to have the data of how regular your cycles are and what your symptoms are like, so that as that approaches and you start to see changes, you'll have a little bit more clear picture of what might be happening. But for a lot of midlife women, just the basic numbers is enough. Women that are trying to get pregnant might find tracking that includes temperature helpful because it can help you understand when you've ovulated. So it might help with your fertility planning by queuing you into optimal timing for intimacy. The RingConn has cycle tracking and the Oura ring does too. And they use temperature trends, but you do still have to adjust the dates as needed. Like my RingConn will get pretty close, but it might not get the actual day that I get my period right. So I might have to go into the app and adjust the date a little bit. But they both do have that type of information, which again, is helpful. I mean, I do still have a regular app that I've been tracking my periods in you know, for years and years. So I do still keep track of it in that app just because I have so much past data in that app. But if I didn't and I was just starting out and I was using something like the Oura Ring or the RingConn, that would be enough. It's the trends that you wanna look at basically when it comes to what's helpful in midlife and perimenopause as long as we're not talking, the desire to get pregnant if you're just looking at your cycles to see kind of where you are and what's happening in your body, just having that basic data usually is enough.

Alicia: 8:47

Okay, so what can you track and why does it matter at this stage in our life? I know I've heard you say stuff about your REM sleep or your HRV and I always just smile and nod because I really don't actually know what they mean and why you're so excited about them.

Nicole: 9:03

Oh my gosh. I know it can sound like a whole nother language at first, but tracking your body's data is really just a helpful way to show you how your body is handling life right now, basically. At this stage of life with hormones shifting our resilience to stress can change. So having this kind of data is like having a dashboard. It can help you spot patterns, see what's helping or not helping, and then you can make adjustments based on the data so you can feel and function your best. That's really the goal. So what I'll do is I'll share five data metrics that I think are most helpful in midlife. First is resting heart rate. A higher resting heart rate can mean your body's under strain or not recovering well. Ideally you want a resting heart rate in the fifties or sixties, and that's measured in beats per minute. So a resting heart rate of 55 means at rest, your heart beats 55 times in a one minute span. But again, that's ideal. Up to a hundred beats per minute is actually still considered within the normal range for heart rate. The second metric is HRV or heart rate variability, and this is a measure of how much time varies between each heartbeat. Your heart doesn't beat at exactly the same rate with each beat. The time between beats changes slightly from one to the next, and that variation is controlled by your autonomic nervous system. We've talked about this before. That's the part of your body that manages stress and recovery without you thinking about it. We've talked about the sympathetic system, which you can think of, like your stress response, and then your parasympathetic system, which you can think of like your body's relaxation response. These are both parts of the autonomic nervous system, so really your HRV is a way to track how your autonomic nervous system is functioning. Okay? So a higher HRV usually means your body is more adaptable and resilient. It's a sign your nervous system is in rest and repair mode more often. And then a lower HRV will be a sign that your body is under more stress. Could be from workouts, poor sleep, maybe you're getting sick, more emotional stress, or even just regular life changes.

Alicia: 11:11

So you're saying a higher HRV is better.

Nicole: 11:15

Yes. Yeah. This can get a little tricky because I think a lot of times we hear heart rate and we know that a higher heart rate means a little bit more stress, but HRV is the opposite. You want a lower heart rate, generally, obviously not too low, for heart rate, you want, you know, like I said, in the fifties, sixties for HRV, higher actually means better. It actually means you are more resilient, more recovered and more adaptable to stress. And then a lower HRV again is a sign that you might be under more stress. So yes, for HRV higher is actually better. Now, when it comes to actual numbers, though, the tricky part is that HRV is highly individual. What's good for me might be very different for you. So instead of chasing a magic number. The goal is to track your own baseline and notice trends. For example, if your average HRV is around 40 and suddenly it drops into the twenties for a few days, that could be a clue to you that you need more rest or that your immune system might be fighting something. If you do want general reference points for women in midlife, an average HRV in the thirties and forties is good, whereas high into the sixties would actually be great. For younger people or highly trained athletes, they might see averages in the seventies. Eighties or even higher. The main thing is, though, higher than your own normal is usually a good sign of recovery and lower than your own normal is a sign to go easier or support your body. But with this metric in particular, you really can't get stuck in the comparison trap because it's highly individual. I will say that, so I had been using the Oura ring for quite a while, but Chris started tracking with the whoop band and. I was always so annoyed because he, you know, when it comes to my health, I take it pretty seriously and I do quite a lot to stay healthy. Right. So when I first started tracking, it was six months after dad died and my HRV was in like the twenties. It was like pretty low. Right. And I was like, you know, doing everything I can to, to get it up. And then Chris starts tracking with the whoop band and he gets an HRV overnight of like 120. And again, I do a lot for my health. I'm not saying he doesn't, but like not even half of what I do. So with this metric, like I said, you can't get stuck in the comparison trap because it could get really annoying otherwise. So, just compare yourself to your own normal. But anyway, the third thing that can be really helpful to track with wearables is your sleep. So most wearables will break your sleep into stages. The main ones people pay attention to are deep sleep and REM sleep. So deep sleep is the physically restorative stage. That's when your body repairs muscles, builds bone, strengthens your immune system, releases growth hormone and detoxes your brain. It tends to happen more in the first half of the night, so if you're cutting sleep short or getting to bed really late, you miss out on some of the deepest, most restoratives sleep cycles. REM Sleep, which stands for rapid eye movement, is more about the brain. This is when you process memories, regulate emotions, and do a lot of mental filing, if you will. REM is also important for creativity and learning, but with this stage of sleep, it usually happens in longer stretches towards the second half of the night. So if you wake up too early or sleep in short chunks, you might be missing REM sleep.

Alicia: 14:45

Okay. I wanna ask the obvious question. So I guess I didn't realize it stood for rapid eye movement. And you know, like sometimes when you see people sleeping, you can tell their eyes are going in there. So that's REM sleep.

Nicole: 14:59

That's REM sleep, yes. When you see their eyes moving.

Alicia: 15:00

Okay.

Nicole: 15:01

That's REM sleep exactly.

Alicia: 15:03

So they're thinking about stuff and

Nicole: 15:05

There things are happening. Things are happening. That is considered a more active stage of sleep. And with REM sleep, typically you will be in more of a, have higher sympathetic activity than you do with deep sleep. So deep sleep is definitely associated with more parasympathetic, you know, deeper recovery, whereas REM sleep, that's a little bit more of an active stage of sleep. So your brain is definitely more active in that stage.

Alicia: 15:29

Okay, so if you're a person that talks in your sleep, you're likely doing that when you're in REM sleep.

Nicole: 15:34

Actually, you know, I gotta say, I actually don't know the answer to that question because the interesting thing is that basically your muscles are paralyzed in REM sleep. So I don't know if you can talk, I would have to look that up.

Alicia: 15:47

Well, as someone who's married to a, a sleep talker, I will say that a lot of times the talking comes with movement. So if you can't move your limbs, then I'm assuming then that that can't be REM sleep.

Nicole: 16:01

Right. That would be my assumption as well.

Alicia: 16:03

Hmm. Well, we'll have to look into that just for curiosity's sake. because I don't know what's going on in his brain.'cause sometimes it's the most off the wall things that are said, which I won't get into that for his sake.

Nicole: 16:17

We have some good memories

Alicia: 16:19

Yeah.

Nicole: 16:20

that probably sounds weird. Why would I have good memories of your husband sleep talking? People probably would wanna know. Okay. Family trips where we're all

Alicia: 16:28

Yeah.

Nicole: 16:28

sleeping in a, a close space where we can hear

Alicia: 16:32

Everything. He's uh, maybe that's why I am not getting great sleep too. I'll blame him.

Nicole: 16:39

It's his fault.

Alicia: 16:41

Yeah, He is a lot to handle when he sleeps. Oh my gosh.

Nicole: 16:46

So in terms of what to aim for, for those different stages of sleep, for most adults, deep sleep is about 15 to 25% of your total sleep time. And then REM sleep about 20 to 25%. So in an average eight hour night, that's roughly an hour and a half to two hours of each. But just like HRV, it's individual and night to night variations are normal. But if your tracker is showing consistently low deep or REM sleep, that's your cue to look at sleep hygiene, things like your bedtime, light exposure, talking spouses, alcohol, caffeine, and stress levels. The goal isn't perfection, but making sure your body's getting enough of both physical and mental recovery time. The fourth metric to look at is step count or activity level. Most wearables track your daily movement, usually as a step count or an activity score. Now, the point here isn't to obsess about a specific number, but to get a general picture of your activity level.

Alicia: 17:46

You know, that's funny because I just saw something, I don't know on social media, you know, like a gal was like videoing her tracking watch or whatever it was, and it was dark outside and she was walking around walk, like pacing her driveway. To get her steps in. And I know a lot of people do that. They're like obsessive about getting in those steps. I mean, I, I don't track it, but I do try to get a lot of steps.

Nicole: 18:15

yeah, yeah. You know, I think it's one of those things where know yourself, you know, like, know what's important to you and how you operate and if you know that you tend to obsess about things like that. Maybe it's not for you, you know? But, you know, hey, for some people that is a helpful way to keep their activity at a good place and they wanna be accountable to themselves, you know, so maybe it's not a bad thing, it's just kind of what's important to you and what feels good and, and also how you feel, right? Like, how is your health, you know, do you need to be more diligent with activity based on what your health goals are? Um, but yeah, I, I would say the point here. Like I said, is definitely not to obsess about a specific number, but to get a general picture for midlife women, regular movement is huge for metabolism, bone density, cardiovascular health, and even hormone balance. As estrogen drops, we naturally lose muscle and bone more quickly, and that daily movement can help slow that down. It also improves mood, sleep quality, and energy of course. Tracking your steps or activity gives you a reality check. You might think you're on your feet all day, but sometimes the data shows you're only at 3000 steps. Seeing that can help you make those small changes, like adding a short walk after lunch or taking the stairs those things can add up over time, but the point isn't to obsess over the number, just using it as a gentle reminder to keep your body moving throughout the day. This

Alicia: 19:35

reminds me, at my previous job many years ago, we were, you know, trying to promote wellness and, it was part of my responsibility in my role at that time. And, this was so long ago, so like when I think the Fitbits kind of first came out, there were like these little things that you clipped on to your like pants. So we gave them to our employees and then we were doing step challenges and rewarding. So that was like a super fun and engaging way to, you know, promote wellness and promote steps and, you know, I think it would be kind of fun too, to like, I think some of these you can sync up with friends, can't you?

Nicole: 20:18

yeah. You definitely

Alicia: 20:19

So,

Nicole: 20:19

can. I have seen that where you can do a little challenge amongst

Alicia: 20:23

yeah. That could be fun. I'll have to get on my whatever one I'm gonna get and then maybe we can have a challenge. You're going down, girl.

Nicole: 20:35

I would, I would concur. You probably would get me, you would definitely get me.

Alicia: 20:40

Oh, I can't sit still.

Nicole: 20:43

And last but not least, the fifth metric that I think can be helpful for midlife women is cycle tracking. Many wearables now have built-in cycle tracking that can combine data like temperature, heart rate, and even breathing rate to help you see where you might be in your cycle. For women in perimenopause, cycles can get unpredictable, especially as you get closer to approaching menopause. So your periods might come closer together, further apart, or skip entirely. Having this kind of tracking, whether it's this or just a basic tracker, again, helps you spot subtle shifts that signal hormone changes. So, for example, a small rise in your overnight temperature for several days can mean you've ovulated. Changes in your resting heart rate or HRV can sometimes show when your body's gearing up for your period. Over time, you can see patterns, so like shorter luteal phases, or more anovulatory cycles that tell you your hormone levels are changing, and give you cues as to where you are in the perimenopause journey. So why does this matter? Well, because it helps you connect the dots between how you feel and what your hormones are doing. If you notice your sleep tanks or your mood changes during certain parts of your cycle, you can plan around it, whether that's adjusting your workouts, your work schedule, or your self-care. And even if your cycles are irregular, you can still track symptoms alongside your data so you have a more clear picture of what's normal for you right now. So that's where I'd start. I'd start with a wearable that can track those data points. Now for women that do that, but still struggle with understanding and improving metabolism, that's when I'd use a continuous glucose monitor. Again, these look at your blood glucose levels, and this can be huge for understanding and improving metabolism in midlife, and it can also be great for stabilizing energy and mood. Where your blood sugar goes your energy and mood follow. So using a CGM for a month or two allows you to gain some really valuable insights so that you can make adjustments as needed to support your overall health and improve your metabolism if that's a goal for you. Another good time to use a CGM is if you've had blood work done and it shows pre-diabetes numbers in your glucose levels. This would be a blood glucose level between 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter, or if your numbers have been creeping upwards in the normal ranges. So for example, one year, maybe you're at 85 milligrams per deciliter, and then the next year you're at 92, and then the next year you're at 97. So you're seeing that number creep up, but it's still technically within the normal ranges. But as that creeps up that's when you wanna start to get a handle on your blood glucose and using a CGM is a really great way to do that, you just get great insight into how your lifestyle is impacting your glucose levels that you wouldn't otherwise get without that data.

Alicia: 23:26

Right. So that kind of like shows how important getting your yearly blood work done. So you have those metrics to gauge

Nicole: 23:34

Yes

Alicia: 23:34

How you're doing.

Nicole: 23:36

exactly. Yeah. It's all about patterns when it comes to our health. It's all about patterns and really taking control and ownership of your health too. You know, because, and I'm not knocking any physicians here, but technically 97 still falls within the normal ranges of blood glucose levels, right? So, physicians that don't have a functional medicine mindset, they might look at that and think, oh, that's fine. That person is fine because their blood glucose falls within the normal ranges. But looking at the trends, and that's where you can get involved in your health and look at your numbers.

Alicia: 24:07

Yeah.

Nicole: 24:07

Look at your glucose numbers and look to see if it's at a pretty good stable 85 ish, you know, or lower. Or is it starting to creep up? And that's when you can start to take control of your health and say, okay, things are creeping up. I'm still technically normal, but I can see that it's trending upwards. That's when you wanna get a handle on it because your lifestyle very much has a direct influence on your glucose numbers, and that has an influence on your energy, your mood, your overall health. Your blood glucose levels are a very impactful metric to pay attention to.

Alicia: 24:43

Yeah, that's something that we have to do every year for my husband's insurance. We have to have our, um, biometric screenings done and I actually, I save them every year so I can, you know, kind of go and see where I'm at, gauge where I'm at. Okay. So all of this data tracking is so fascinating to me. You know, as someone that was in the world of analytics for a while, I love data, so I'm actually shocked. I haven't like, jumped on board yet of tracking and, and getting the data for myself because it's something that I'm super interested in. So.

Nicole: 25:15

Yeah.

Alicia: 25:15

Anyhow. So if someone is struggling with sleep, fatigue, brain fog, tracking this kind of data could actually help uncover the reason why.

Nicole: 25:24

Yes, exactly. Looking at the data, gives you cues into what's happening in your body. And once you see the patterns, again, it's about the trends or patterns Once you see that pattern, you can start adjusting. Maybe adding more magnesium, shifting your meal timing, changing up your workouts. It helps you get ahead of the crash. Ultimately, you can see with data how your body is responding to your lifestyle. So if you're tired or struggling with sleep, data tracking can not only help you piece together what aspect of your lifestyle might be the cause, but also how well the changes you implement are helping. I will say though, don't expect overnight results if you make changes. Any changes you make, you should give three to four weeks to determine if it's helpful or not. We've talked about this before on this podcast, lifestyle changes aren't magic pills. They take time.

Alicia: 26:13

So let me play the role of someone brand new to this, because I am. Is the tech part of this going to stress me out?

Nicole: 26:21

Totally fair and no. Most of these tools are designed to be user friendly. You don't have to analyze charts, just look for trends and the basic scores. Like if your HRV keeps dipping or your readiness score is low, it's a cue to rest. For example, my RingConn screen gives me an overall wellness score, and then it has a score for my sleep, a score for my stress, they call it the relax status, a vitals score and activity score. So if you don't want to dig into the nitty gritty of what your HRV did throughout the day, you don't have to, you can just look at the major scores the technology will give you. And, you know, I mentioned what the RingConn shows me, Oura ring is the same. It has like, I think they call it a readiness score. And I'm pretty sure the whoop band has a, a similar metric. So they take your data. Put it into an algorithm and give you a score for whether it's your readiness, your stress, your activity, et cetera. So you can just take a look at the big scores if you want, as your data that you're looking at, that's totally fine. The same thing goes with the glucose monitors. For the most part, they make the data pretty easy to understand. But if you need more support or you have questions there, I did actually write an ebook on how to use CGM data to optimize metabolism and energy. It's called the CGM Blueprint, A Guide to Using Glucose Data to Supercharge Your Metabolism and Boost Energy. So we'll make sure to link that in the show notes for people that are needing a little bit more support with that kind of technology.

Alicia: 27:50

Okay, next question. Do I have to track everything?

Nicole: 27:53

Well, the technology will track everything no matter what, but if it's overwhelming for you, you can choose to just look at the big picture or the numbers that you're wanting to focus on. Maybe you start with just optimizing your sleep, so you just hone in on those numbers and go from there. Start small and choose one area to focus on at a time if it feels overwhelming.

Alicia: 28:14

Okay. So as we kind of brought up before. I could see tracking getting a little obsessive or maybe overwhelming.

Nicole: 28:21

Yes,. It can be if you're chasing perfect numbers. Or checking your app 10 times a day, but that's not the goal here. We're not talking about tracking to judge yourself or to compare yourself to others. We're talking about tracking to understand yourself. It's just information you get to decide what you do with it. So for example, if your HRV dips and your sleep score is low, it's not a you failed moment. It's a nudge to look at what's going on. Maybe you need an earlier bedtime. Maybe you need a recovery day instead of an intense workout. The key is using the data as a guide, not as a report card. Think of it like the dashboard in your car. You don't stare at it while you're driving, but if a light comes on, you know it's time to check something. That way it's helpful and not overwhelming, but know yourself. Data tracking isn't for everyone. If you know that you tend to obsess about things or beat yourself up. If you don't have perfect scores, maybe it's not for you. The important thing with this kind of data is that we're not chasing a perfect number. We're looking at our trends so that we can make adjustments. With this type of data consistency and patterns over time matter more than daily spikes or dips. HRV you wanna aim for improvement. Again, not a specific number. Glucose, you want fewer sharp spikes that is gonna lead to better hormonal and metabolic health. With sleep, you wanna focus on quality and duration. Resting heart rate. Lower means you're more rested and regulated. So look at patterns and if again, if you know yourself and you know that you do obsess about things like this, then maybe it's not for you.

Alicia: 29:58

So what if I'm looking at my numbers and they look bad? Should I worry about this?

Nicole: 30:03

Well, not necessarily one off night or a single low score isn't a crisis, it's just a snapshot. These numbers naturally go up and down based on so many factors. Your stress, if you're traveling, your cycle, even what you ate or drank the night before, or even the timing of what you ate or drank the night before. What matters more is the trend over time. If you consistently see your sleep, HRV or recovery scores dipping week after week. That's when it's worth looking deeper and making some changes. The goal is to spot patterns so you can respond early, not to panic over one reading. That said, if you aren't feeling well and your numbers are confirming that something is off, it's never a bad idea If you're concerned about that, to check in with your healthcare provider if you feel like something isn't right.

Alicia: 30:53

Okay, so how do you personally use your data?

Nicole: 30:57

Well, for me, I like to use my numbers like little check-ins with my body. So in the morning, I'll glance at my sleep data to see if there's a pattern. If my deep or REM sleep was low, I might pay attention to what I did the night before. Maybe I ate too late or I was on my computer too late. I also check my resting heart rate and HRV from overnight. If my HRV is lower than usual or my resting heart rate is higher. That's a sign my body might need a little extra recovery, so maybe I'll make extra efforts with my nervous system regulation that day, or make sure I hydrate and get to bed early. And then during the day, I'll glance at my step count to make sure I'm not sitting too much. If I'm way under, I'll take a quick walk or move around a little bit more. So it's not about hitting perfect numbers, it's about, connecting the dots between what the data says and how I feel, and making small tweaks so I can feel my best. For me, I really like data. I'm a big, huge fan of data, um, like yourself. So I really like to see these things. I wouldn't say by any means that I'm obsessive about it or you know, I definitely don't beat myself up if something is off. I just use it as information. So the other cool thing is I've noticed with certain things you can manipulate how your data is. So for HRV and heart rate, I've noticed that in the evenings if my stress scores are a little bit higher, or if my heart rate is really high for some reason, and my HRV really low. If I do that extended exhale breathing technique that we shared, I think it was in our week three glow bite. If I do that technique, I will literally watch in real time as my heart rate comes down and my HRV comes up. So it's kind of cool to have the data to be able to see, because extended exhale breathing is such a simple thing to do, and I think a lot of people think these things are too easy. Like how could just changing your breathing pattern for a couple minutes. Make a big difference, but you can see with the data that it actually does, which is pretty neat. I've also noticed that brown noise helps my deep and my REM sleep, sauna therapy has improved my heart rate and my HRV numbers. Having the data helps you see how any adjustments that you're making to your lifestyle are affecting you. So for me, that's how I like to use the data.

Alicia: 33:06

Okay. I'm definitely sold. I, I think I need to try one of these. You'll have to help me pick one out.

Nicole: 33:11

You got it. Done.

Alicia: 33:13

Okay. I have one final burning question to our audience. Is it Data? Or data? Because I notice we both say it differently.

Nicole: 33:22

We do say it different. I did notice that too.

Alicia: 33:24

Yeah. Yep. I'm a data, so what do you say, It's all the same, but it's just funny.

Nicole: 33:31

It is. Just Remember, data isn't about control or doing everything right, about creating a deeper relationship with your body. We're not talking about tracking everything just for the sake of it, but learning to listen to your body in a new data informed way. This really can just give you leverage when it comes to optimizing your health.

Alicia: 33:52

Yes, and feeling more confident in how you support yourself, especially in a time where things can feel unpredictable and unfamiliar.

Nicole: 34:00

Yes, you deserve to feel steady, clear, and supported, and if a ring or a little patch helps you get there faster, we're all for it.

Alicia: 34:08

We'll link some of Nicole's favorite trackers in the show notes if you're curious or wanna explore a little more.

Nicole: 34:13

And if this sparked your interest in adding gentle supportive routines to your day, grab our daily glow rituals guide. It's full of science-backed rituals to support your hormones, mood and glow. No fancy tools required.

34:25

Thanks for hanging out with us on Midlife and Glowing. If you love this episode, it would mean the world to us. If you'd follow the show, leave us a review or share it with a friend who's glowing through midlife right alongside you. Let's make it our best era yet. We'll see you next time.