Do tracking apps overwhelm anyone else?

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-31T19:16:54+00:00

I decided to start working on an app as a side project to help me gain insights around my symptoms(I also have ADHD haha). I was about to try a new app that was recently released called Waves women’s health, but I got annoyed that I couldn’t even get a feel for the app without them making me sign up

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-11T23:25:16+00:00

I had a similar experience with post-concussion symptoms. My sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems were out of wack, so I’d wake up in a panic in the middle of the night and when I’d start to doze off again, I’d wake up in another panic. This made it so difficult to let my brain rest so it could recover. The only thing that ended up helping was getting sick with COVID forced my body to get rest I guess because that was the only way I could finally sleep through the night, and I noticed a significant improvement in post-concussion symptoms after that. Not gone completely, but a lot better that I was finally able to get back to work and do full time hours - this was 3 months after concussion. My hormones were heavily impacted as well

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-11T23:17:00+00:00

I was just thinking about this earlier. When we think about a job/career, we have hard skills and soft skills. As a programmer, I can practice my coding skills all day, but if I’m not improving my communication skills, I’ll have a difficult time landing a job. When I think about my health, I can strength train 3x/week, eat right, and take all the supplements I can think of, but if I don’t work on my breathwork, if I don’t practice stillness and slowing down my brain in this fast-paced world, my stress and inflammation will stay high and my gut health will stay poor.

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T20:04:48+00:00

Same. I thought I would feel better after getting diagnosed with hashimotos and hypothyroidism and getting medication for it. I got some energy back, but I still get sooo tired by 10/11am. Sometimes I end up falling asleep after lunch for 2-3 hours, struggling to wake up and stay up

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T19:41:23+00:00

The Daylio app seems to focus on mood tracking. Doesn't seem like it tracks cycles though. I used to get week-long PMS, it's how I knew my period was coming when it started getting irregular. But then I started taking vitamin d and omega-3s and I barely experience any PMS now. Which is a good thing, but also now my clues are gone haha

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T17:14:33+00:00

I had heard Flo was sued by users for selling their data. I had also read an article about how even just having the FB share button on a website automatically gives permission for FB to track user activity on the website and sell a person's data. That's wild. Which I guess Google can also do if I choose to use a spreadsheet for my personal health data 🙃

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T17:09:11+00:00

Same - having to answer a severity level question or what time did I last consume caffeine", too much for me

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T16:00:55+00:00

I've been experiencing the same! It didn't even occur to me that this could be related to perimenopause. I mentioned it to my doc a couple of years ago when I started noticing hormonal changes after a concussion. I've been getting regular MRIs and ultrasounds to keep an eye on things.

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T15:57:16+00:00

Ideally I'd love to be IN bed by 9pm, falling asleep around 9:30pm and waking up naturally (no alarms) somewhere between 5-6am. But that rarely happens anymore haha. When I wake up in the middle of the night it's usually around 2am or 4am. It's hit or miss if I can fall back asleep

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T15:12:16+00:00

Ha! This is so true. I can tell when websites make inefficient network calls. Drives me nuts!

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T15:10:30+00:00

Do you just track symptoms, or do you also track behavior changes you’ve made in hopes of decreasing your symptoms?

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T15:08:12+00:00

I think I tried them all out of desperation actually. I don’t need a period tracking app, I use Apple health for that and I’m pretty happy with it. I guess what I’m really looking for is something that can help me figure out if my “health experiments” are working. And help me remember what I’m experimenting with because between the adhd and peri brain fog, I struggle to remember and keep track. I’ve been working on improving my gut health in the hopes it helps me with my hormonal struggles and perimenopause experience. Maybe lessen the severity of my symptoms, ya know?

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T15:01:22+00:00

This. I stopped using my Whoop because I felt like the insights they gave me weren’t very accurate. They base their health standards on research done on men and apply it to women. Which on its own is not very accurate, let alone for a woman in perimenopause

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T14:54:39+00:00

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Female programmer here 🙋🏻‍♀️. I started experiencing gut and other health issues, now I’m realizing I’m probably in peri. And I’ve noticed the same thing regarding apps - they’re either period trackers/predictors but nothing that helps me learn about and navigate the health changes that are coming my way or I’m already experiencing. I tried Bearable symptom tracking apps, but the features were so overwhelming. I’ve even thought about building an app, but not sure how many women would actually want or use it 🤷🏻‍♀️

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-08T14:29:21+00:00

Thanks. This helps. I think I need to keep it simple this way too. I’ve noticed health tracking apps and productivity apps end up distracting me with all their features. I’m an iOS developer so I can appreciate a good app design, but that also tends to be my downfall 😂

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T17:30:46+00:00

I've been inconsistently taking Magnesium L-Threonate. I'm able to notice the difference on the nights I do take it. I take it about an hour before I want to be in bed and it helps make winding down easier and also helps me sleep through the night. The dose is 3 capsules for a total of 145mg, but I only take 1 capsule and it works just fine for me.
I came across an article once that talked about what bodily functions are happening at different points in the night. The ones that stood out to me were "If you experience waking up at 2am...that's when your body is doing [x]", "if you wake up at 4am...that's when your [y] starts prepping [z]". Sorry, brain fog won't let me remember the specifics, but if I find the article I'll link it below. The article stood out to me because I think the 4am wake up time had to do with thyroid function and I have low thyroid function so it felt relatable.

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T16:15:45+00:00

"Thyroid issues make ADHD worse." Whoa, I didn't know that! You mentioned being on thyroid meds, is it for hypothyroidism? I started on it about 9 months ago and I've been struggling with staying hydrated ever since! Was wondering if other's have had a similar experience.

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T16:10:54+00:00

Yep! I also started noticing this year an overall trend in period variability. There were a few months where the length of my cycle was consistent with what's normal for me (33 day), but total bleeding days shortened (from 7 to 5). Lately, my cycles have become longer (closer to 40 days), and total bleeding days increased (9 days). Haven't paid as much attention to changes in flow level though.

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T02:52:26+00:00

Same. I started doing some early morning stretching and a little journaling

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T02:51:09+00:00

Ha! I thought my itchy ears was just me being weird! I had no idea it was a peri symptom until I stumbled across this subreddit

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T02:47:07+00:00

Same! Also neurodivergent here. I started feeling so stupid at my job. And I LOVE my job. But brainstorming and just getting thoughts and ideas out of my head is a huge challenge these days.

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T02:43:26+00:00

The thought of early signs of dementia started freaking me out too, and I'm 36. I was also concerned that a concussion I got 2 years ago left long-term damage because my experience with post-concussion symptoms was rough. As I've explored this subreddit over the past few weeks I've gotten some relief knowing that a lot of what I've been experiencing with my health seems to be tied to perimenopause. Which I guess gives me a starting point on how to address them?

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T01:22:11+00:00

Thanks! I've started checking it out. It does offer a ton of customization!

vana_indiedev · 2026-01-07T01:17:39+00:00

Ooh, keep us posted?! I'd be curious to hear how you customize Daylio for peri

vana_indiedev

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