Apparently I Needed Data to Tell Me I Was Exhausted
This post walks through my own midlife health journey and how a little piece of technology became a simple but eye-opening part of it. After years of burnout, caregiving, wine-at-night sleep, and waking up exhausted for no reason, I wanted to understand what my body was actually doing. This is a real account of what changed, what surprised me, and why tracking my sleep and stress helped me feel clearer, calmer, and more in control. If you’ve been wondering whether something like this could actually make a difference for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond, this is the honest take you will want to read.
WHAT NO ONE TOLD US


Let’s talk health for a second.
I’m a 53-year-old woman who has been through… a lot. Like, chapters-on-chapters kind of “a lot.” And if there’s one thing nobody prepares you for in your 20s and 30s, it’s the moment you wake up one day and your body is like, “Surprise! Everything hurts now, and no, you didn’t do anything fun to deserve it.”
Cute.
Somewhere between YouTube rabbit holes and trying to figure out why my energy was tanking, I kept seeing video after video about sleep being the root cause of half the crap we deal with. Of course I knew that… but how do you actually know if you're getting good sleep?
Sure, I slept.
My nightly glass (or two) of wine made sure of that.
But was it good sleep? Absolutely not. And the Oura Ring exposed the truth real fast.
I’ve Had All the Gadgets. None of Them Told Me What I Needed to Know.
I’ve done the Apple Watch. Great for notifications. Not great for understanding why I woke up feeling like a zombie who got hit by a truck.
Enter: the Oura Ring — the thing everyone was talking about… that I stubbornly ignored until I couldn’t anymore.
I didn’t realize it could:
track my sleep in layers
call me out when I’m stressed
tell me to sit my ass down when I’m pushing too hard
show how badly alcohol destroys my recovery
I also didn’t realize it would straight-up change my daily habits without me forcing anything.
Was it worth the price? Honestly… at first, I wasn’t sure. But between gym memberships, carb-tracking apps, water-tracking apps, meditation apps — I was already throwing money at everything except the actual problem.
So I gave it a shot.
It Opened My Eyes and Made Me More Accountable
As of today as I write this post, I woke up with:
Sleep Score: 92
Readiness Score: 91
Let me tell you — when I was drinking, those numbers were TRASH! No wonder I woke up groggy, puffy, irritated, and ready to fight the sun.
Now?
I’m aware. I’m intentional. I’m rested in a way I haven’t been in YEARS. The Oura Ring literally shows me in real-time when my habits support me and when they sabotage me.
It tracks:
deep sleep
REM
heart rate
stress levels
recovery
movement
and even when my body needs more rest
It’s like having a tiny health coach on my finger… one that doesn’t judge, doesn’t lecture, and doesn’t roll its eyes at me.
And My Favorite Part? You Can Share Data With Friends
Nothing says midlife "women supporting women" like comparing readiness scores with a friend and laughing about who needs a nap the most. One of my closest friends and I talk health almost every week. We are both in the middle of our own messy, honest, midlife wellness journeys. I told her about the ring, she ordered one, and suddenly we had this new layer of accountability that actually felt fun. It became our morning check in.
We joke about it all the time.
“Girl, that ring is telling on me today.”
Or
“I swear I did not sleep at all and the ring agrees.”
There is something powerful about having someone walk beside you, someone who gets it, someone who can laugh with you while also cheering for your growth. It turns the whole health thing into less of a chore and more of a shared experience. Accountability wrapped in friendship and understanding.
Why This Is One of the BEST Gifts for Women 50+
Because at this age, we aren’t playing anymore. We all talk about wanting to improve our health, but listen, improving anything in midlife requires more than vibes and positive thinking. We need receipts. We need to actually understand what is wrecking us and what is helping us. Half the time we are out here trying to feel better without any clue what our body is doing behind the scenes. This ring has shown me the story my body has been trying to tell me for years.
And honestly, it turns the whole thing into a game. I started learning my patterns, watching my scores, noticing what helps and what hurts. It is weirdly fun to finally see what is going on inside your own body instead of guessing your way through another day of mystery exhaustion.
Because at this age we want:
energy
better sleep
fewer aches
more accountability
a sense of control over our health
The Oura Ring gives all of that, wrapped in a simple, wearable, beautiful piece of jewelry.
This is the gift you give someone when you actually want to help them feel better — not just give them stuff.
Or… the gift you give yourself when you're done running on fumes.
👉 Shop the Oura Ring on Amazon (affiliate link)
You don’t pay extra — I just earn a small commission when you shop through my link, which helps support my work and this site.
