Who: Kati, 42, and Jon, 45; Boise, ID
Surprising Oura insights: Kati and Jon, who had early access to Circles, leveraged the feature to understand how different their personal baselines can look. It’s also helped them start the day off with conversations about their Oura scores, which has helped them feel close, especially when Kati is traveling.
What are some of the most surprising things you’ve learned about yourself since being an Oura member?
K: In recent years, I’ve been guilty of living in the “all or nothing” mindset, and Oura has helped me shift away from that towards balance. I have found greater appreciation and empathy by listening to what my body is trying to tell me. Rest, relaxation and meditative time are just as important — if not more so — as my active time.
Plus, sleep hygiene isn’t just a buzzword or trending topic; it’s legitimate. Since I’ve focused on what unlocks better sleep, the changes have been substantial. The most incredible change is that I haven’t struggled with brain fog the way I used to!
J: I have wanted to improve my sleep quality in general, and have found Oura helps me focus on subtle pre-sleep changes in my routine to help maximize my sleep quality. I realized how much my evening activities, food intake, alcohol, and exercise impact my sleep that night.
RELATED: How Does Alcohol Impact Oura Members?
What’s your formula for a good night’s sleep?
J: Don’t overindulge at dinner, avoid the wine/beer, and find a good podcast to listen to instead of late-night viewing or scrolling.
K: Go to bed at the same time each night, avoid screen time and late-night meals, absolutely no alcohol, a cool room, and a book.
Tell us about your experience using Oura Circles.
J: Kati and I are competitive with everything we do, so it’s nice to start the day with a double crown win when I can. We talk about our scores every day. Our Oura score breakdown conversations are as routine as our morning coffee.
K: Jon and I share our Readiness Scores and Sleep Scores. In the morning, we used to ask each other “What’s your score?” but now we can see our Scores and instead talk about how we’re feeling or celebrate when we get crowns.
I also love that Circles unlocks the ability to check in on each other when I’m traveling. Oura has created new conversations that we’d not have had with one another otherwise.
READ MORE: How Oura Members’ Readiness Scores Change Throughout The Week
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your partner since using Oura Circles?
J: That I can only hope to get the quality of sleep she does. This girl lives in the 90s (for her Sleep Score) daily. I clearly have Sleep Score jealousy!
K: The Circles feature has opened my eyes as to how personal and varied each person’s baselines truly are. While it’s fun to think of Circles in a competitive spirit, it has also taught me what a solid day for Jon looks like vs. me, and that takes getting to know his baselines and how they might be different from mine. But, he’s right. I’m a rockstar sleeper!
What’s the first Score you look at in the morning?
J: Sleep. I really look at the sleep quality segmentation focusing on my REM and Deep Sleep numbers first.
K: Readiness. For me, even more so than sleep, my Readiness Score predicts the kind of day I’m about to have. I know I’ll be on point when I’ve got a crown. When I don’t, I think about what I might have done differently the day before — am I stressed, did I have a drink, did I work out hard, etc.? It’s all part of the process of living in balance, and Oura helps me think about the day ahead and make choices that make me feel as good as possible.
What’s your advice for other Oura members?
J: Don’t let your scores dictate your attitude for the day. It took me a long time of minor tweaks to my routine to see the positive score changes I was looking for.
K: Progress, not perfection. As Jon said, it’s about getting to know yourself and your changing needs. Giving yourself space to test small habitual changes that might make you feel great tomorrow and the next day!
RELATED: Oura Helped These Members Get Engaged With Their Health — And Each Other!
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