To borrow a classic rationalist idea: if you know you’re going to change your mind about something later, why not update your beliefs now and get it over with?

So, here’s my proposition: if you already know that using a Whoop band or Oura Ring would lead you to change your habits in a specific way, why not just make those changes now?

For those unfamiliar, Whoop and Oura are high-end fitness trackers that require an expensive monthly subscription. They provide detailed metrics on various aspects of your health, such as sleep duration and quality, heart rate variability, fatigue, and overall physical well-being. These devices are popular among those looking to optimize their health based on precise data.

But here’s the twist: you can benefit from these insights without ever wearing a tracker. How? By assuming you are broadly similar to other Whoop/Oura users and simply paying attention to what the people who use these devices have found, and adopting the same habits yourself.

If you spend some time on the Oura or Whoop subreddits, you’ll notice that users tend to converge on the same set of lifestyle recommendations. What’s notable isn’t just that people are reporting benefits from following these suggestions, but that they’re doing so based on what appears to be reliable data. Despite the individualized nature of the information these devices provide, users are independently arriving at the same conclusions about what works. It’s like they’re collectively uncovering a set of universal health truths, guided by the data on their wrists and fingers.

So, what are these divinely data-driven commandments?

1. Thou Shalt Be Aware: The biggest impact reported by users isn’t any specific intervention, but simply the heightened awareness of how daily choices affect sleep and physical state.
2. Thou Shalt Not Drink (As Much): If there’s one thing that unites the tracking tribes, it’s the realization that alcohol is the arch-nemesis of good sleep and recovery. Many users report drastically reducing their alcohol intake after seeing the negative impact in their data.
3. Thou Shalt Fast Before Bed: Eating close to bedtime, whether it’s a late-night snack or a late dinner, has a significant impact on sleep quality.
4. Thou Shalt Embrace the Darkness: Make your bedroom as dark as possible, or wear a sleep mask.
5. Thou Shalt Chill Out: Keep your bedroom cool (or take a cold shower before bed to cool down).
6. Thou Shalt Take Magnesium: While many supplements are recommended for sleep, magnesium is the sole supplement that has strong support among Whoop and Oura users.

None of these recommendations are groundbreaking, but two things stand out:

First, just because you know these are good habits doesn’t mean you’re actually doing them. There’s a big gap between knowing and doing, and these devices seem to help users bridge that gap.

Second, you’ll notice that many common sleep tips are missing from the Whoop and Oura communities. Why? Because they aren’t backed by evidence—at least, not in the context of what these devices measure. Focusing on the above recommendations can enable you to ditch many of the other sleep interventions you’ve been neglecting.

One more point to consider: it’s common for Whoop and Oura users to give up on their devices after a year or two, even though they had a positive experience and recommend it to others. Why? Because once they’ve incorporated these core insights and internalized the importance of good sleep and recovery, there’s not much more to do. I believe you can achieve nearly the same results without ever using a tracker, just by learning from the experiences of others.

So, why spend hundreds on a wearable? Just do what the people who use them do, skip the gadget, and enjoy the benefits for free.