T&C Tried & True :Why the Eight Sleep Pod 4 Will Change Your Lifestyle for the Better (2024)

Here at T&C, we pride ourselves on our discerning eye for quality. With , our editors will give you an inside look at the pieces they simply cannot live without.

I am definitely not a low key person, nor do I pretend to be. I want every aspect of my life to feel as luxurious as possible. It is more than abundantly clear at this point, too, that I love myself a bit of wellness tech, and am spoiled enough to have incorporated the very best of infrared devices, LED, and more into my routine over the last few years and have not looked back. I find myself saying "this is a luxury I won't do without," fairly often, but almost always related to my wellness goodies. All of which to say, after using an Eight Sleep Pod 4 for just about two full months now, I will not be returning to life without it.

But first, let me walk you back a bit. I have a chronic condition, which lends to poor temperature regulation, meaning that I used to struggle with falling asleep because I was too hot, or wake up because I was boiling. True life, I have been told that sleeping next to me is akin to sleeping next to a furnace. And after a year in my apartment, which I love, but is super warm because I can't control the heat, I decided that I couldn't take having the only workaround be a foot (or both) outside of my duvet or sleeping with my window wide open in the depths of winter. Lord knows, I am not willing to sacrifice my memory foam pillows or my mattress, which although I love them, retain heat like it's their job. Luckily for me, Eight Sleep exists.

The Pod 4 has been nothing short of a dream since arrival. Here's a little taste of how things work: once the device has been set up and the cover put on your mattress, you can use the app to control settings, and if you sleep with a partner, can even customize settings for each side of the bed. The autopilot function is set to shift temperature throughout the night through phases, starting at bedtime prep, shifting into early, and then into late. And over time, the calibration of temperatures shifts based on the data that the device collects. This, Dr. Nicole Moyen, Director of Science & Clinical Research at Eight Sleep, explains is all in service of optimizing for the best sleep possible for you. "By fine-tuning your sleep environment and prioritizing optimal sleep temperature, you pave the way for restorative rest—a cornerstone of physical and mental health. The only rule to remember is that to fall asleep, your core body temperature needs to drop by at least a degree."

Install was easily enough (it was white glove, lucky me!) and I have not felt like the mattress cover has any discernible feel under my sheets. The hub is relatively compact and very quiet. So far, so good. And the fact that I don't have to clean the filter myself? Even better. All of this doesn't even describe the change to my quality of sleep (and life) that this genius device has made. It is major.

The initial cooling factor is really lovely. I don't know what I expected originally, but it's not like having cold air or air conditioner going under your sheets. It's just a subtle cool—the kind when you slip into your sheets—but it stays that way. I've never had an easier time falling asleep, I will tell you that much.

Better still, the sleep tracking capabilities for the Pod 4 (I opted not to get the Pod 4 Ultra) are comprehensive. Not only can it detect when I am snoring, which I am now able to identify happens most when I am in light sleep, but I can see the detailed cycle of sleep stages and how much time I spend in each one every single night. I can also see that I am having far fewer awakenings than I used to and see a detailed report of health metrics such as my heart rate, HRV (great for assessing readiness) as well as my breath rate, time slept, and sleep schedule consistency, as well as the total amount I sleep a night. This has been hugely helpful in pinpointing areas of my life that I need to improve (going to bed on a schedule, for example) or other areas to be aware of (for example, the nights I have more light sleep, I have jaw pain from clenching the night before). It is the perfect companion to my drive to seek more and more awareness of my body so I can function in a way that is as healthy—and enjoyable—as possible.

All of the bells and whistles aside, why not just sleep with the AC cranking, you might ask? Well, as Dr. Moyen explained to me, different temperature ranges influence different sleep stages, and temperature regulation at its most basic not only helps people sleep longer, but at a better quality over time. "Maintaining an optimal sleep environment plays a significant role in promoting restful sleep throughout the night. The body naturally experiences fluctuations in temperature as it transitions through different sleep stages. Research suggests that cooler temperatures are conducive to falling asleep and staying asleep, but later in the night into the morning, you get more REM sleep and your body needs warmer temperatures," explains Dr. Moyen. Of note: "Throughout the night, temperatures that are too hot or cold can disrupt sleep patterns and hinder your body’s normal sleep patterns and lead to more awakenings." I can say for certain that before I added the Eight Sleep Pod 4 to my life, I was stuck in this loop.

So what is the optimal temperature for sleep you ask? Between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. "This range allows for comfortable sleeping conditions, facilitating the body's natural temperature regulation mechanisms," says Dr. Moyens, "However, individual preferences may vary, and some individuals may find certain temperature ranges more conducive to achieving deep sleep or REM sleep." And that's where the Eight Sleep comes in to take things up a notch. By leveraging advanced technology to individually optimize thermal preferences, the device can both promote the faster onset of sleep, increase deep sleep and improve REM sleep, as research has shown that being too hot or cold during sleep reduces the time spent in REM sleep and increases the duration of less restful sleep stages. My personal findings in this now two month-long experiment is that while I haven't always gotten my ideal 8 hours, my sleep quality is indeed improving, I feel sharp and rested.

Something that I have also found interesting in this journey is how the temperature regulation shifts slightly over my cycle. During my luteal phase when I run warmer, I often wake up to a slight cooling, and in other weeks, it's warming. It's like getting a bespoke micro-environment tailored to your own specific needs. Alex Zatarain, Co-Founder and VP of Brand and Marketing of Eight Sleep, confirms that this observation is indeed a function of the adaptive adjustments that the Pod 4 has been engineered to make. "The system responds to real-time data, dynamically adjusting the temperature based on your body's needs throughout the night. For instance, if it detects you waking up warm early in the morning, it will cool the bed during that period." However, the device also comes complete with longterm learning capabilities to gather patterns and preferences over time, continuously refining its adjustments to ensure you get the best possible sleep every night. To reiterate: This ongoing calibration creates a highly personalized sleep experience tailored just for you," she explains.

If I had a complaint about the experience, it's that I am now spoiled for life. If I were to be really nit-picky I would say I don't like that I don't have a way to hide the hub in my room, but I am toying with some strategic plant placement to camouflage. Besides, as I said before, the Eight Sleep is now a luxury that I refuse to live without and I will continue to use for years to come.