Colin Snow
Sleep is an essential component of health, and its timing, duration, and quality are critical determinants of a person's overall health. Fitbit has emerged as a popular device to track sleep and gain insights into sleep patterns. The Fitbit Charge 3, for instance, can track sleep disturbances and sleep apnea. All Fitbits can track sleep in terms of duration, and newer devices with heart rate monitors can also discern between sleep stages. The Fitbit app provides a detailed breakdown of sleep data, including sleep quality and restoration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Track sleep disturbances | Yes |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking setting | Enabled |
| Sleep stages | Light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep |
| Sleep duration | 3 hours minimum |
| Snore and noise detection | Yes |
| Sleep profile | Available on specific models |
| Sleep sensitivity setting | Normal |
| Sleep tracking accuracy | Depends on placement of Fitbit on wrist |
What You'll Learn
Fitbit 3 can track sleep disturbances through its Sleep Score beta feature
The Fitbit 3's tracking feature, Sleep Score beta, detects sleep disturbances and can help you understand your sleep quality and identify any potential sleep disturbances or disorders. The device can also track breathing disruptions to predict health risks such as allergies, asthma, or sleep apnea and alert users when they should see a doctor.
Fitbit 3 uses motion sensors to detect your movements during the night and provides insights on sleep stages, helping to identify patterns and disturbances in your sleep. It is important to note that the sleep sensitivity setting on the device does not affect sleep stages. The placement of the Fitbit 3 on your wrist is crucial for accurate sleep tracking, and the band should be tight enough to stay in place without cutting off circulation.
Additionally, Fitbit 3 has a snore and noise detection feature that uses the device's microphone to track noise levels and snoring throughout the night. This feature is intended to provide information to help manage your well-being and is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical conditions.
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It can also track breathing disruptions, which can indicate sleep disturbances
The Fitbit Charge 3 is a significant upgrade to the bestselling Charge 2 device. It is a big step towards developing FDA-regulated medical software. The new tracking feature called Sleep Score beta (SpO2) detects sleep disturbances that could indicate health issues. The SpO2 feature will track breathing disruptions to predict users' risk of health issues such as allergies, asthma, or sleep apnea and alert them when they should see a doctor.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes disruptions in breathing while sleeping. From short cessations in breathing to periods lasting a few minutes, sleep apnea affects everyone differently. The cause of these disruptions is the collapsing of the individual's soft palate, which causes a blockage in their airway. As a result, you may snore or choke throughout the night in an attempt to reopen the airway and make it easier to breathe.
High variations in estimated blood oxygen saturation levels can indicate that a person had variations or disruptions in breathing during sleep. Fitbit's Charge 3 line is the company's best-seller, with 35 million devices sold so far. The Charge 3, which the company calls their "most advanced tracker ever," costs $150, which is considerably cheaper than a smartwatch.
It is important to note that the Fitbit's sleep tracking feature is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and should not be relied on for any medical purposes. It is intended to provide information that can help you manage your well-being. If you have any concerns about your health, talk to a healthcare provider.
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The Fitbit 3 can detect snoring and noise levels
Snore Detection
The Fitbit 3 utilizes its built-in microphone to detect snoring. Once it determines that you are asleep, it activates the microphone to listen for snoring noises. The device analyzes noise levels and patterns to differentiate between regular ambient noise and snoring events. It can detect snoring from the user or even their sleeping partner. This feature helps identify potential sleep disturbances caused by snoring, which can impact overall sleep quality.
Noise Level Monitoring
Fitbit 3's noise level monitoring capability measures the acoustic pressure in the user's sleeping environment. It categorizes noise levels as "Very quiet," "Quiet," "Moderate," "Loud," or "Very loud." By understanding the noise levels in their bedroom, users can identify potential sources of sleep disturbances and make necessary adjustments for a more peaceful sleep environment.
Sleep Tracking and Insights
In addition to snoring and noise detection, the Fitbit 3 also tracks sleep patterns using heart rate variability and movement data. It estimates sleep stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. By combining this data with snoring and noise information, the device offers insights into sleep quality and disturbances. It provides a detailed breakdown of sleep duration, quality, and restoration through its Sleep Score feature.
Limitations and Recommendations
While the Fitbit 3's snoring and noise detection features are valuable, it's important to note that this data is not intended for medical diagnosis or treatment. Fitbit emphasizes that users should consult healthcare professionals for specific sleep-related conditions. Additionally, enabling the snoring and noise detection features may increase battery consumption, so Fitbit recommends ensuring the device is charged above 40% before bedtime.
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It can also track your sleep stages and patterns
The Fitbit 3 can track your sleep stages and patterns. This feature is available with a Fitbit Premium subscription. To access it, open the Fitbit app and tap the Sleep duration tile on the Today tab. You can then tap Sleeping heart rate to find stats for your most recent sleep session. To check sleep stats for other days, choose the desired week, month, or year using the tabs.
The Fitbit estimates your sleep stages by using your movement and heart rate patterns. When you don't move for about an hour, your tracker or watch assumes you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time when your movements indicate sleep behaviour (like rolling over), help confirm your sleep status. While you sleep, your device tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV). These numbers fluctuate as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages.
Sleep stages require at least 3 hours of sleep. If you slept for less than 3 hours, you won't receive sleep stages. Your device's battery might be critically low. To check your current battery level, refer to the Fitbit instructions. Your device needs at least 3 hours of sleep data to estimate your sleep stages, so you won't find sleep stages for shorter naps.
The Fitbit Sleep Score is a quick way to gauge your sleep. It is based on heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages. The overall sleep score is a sum of your individual scores using three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, for a total score of up to 100. In the restoration component, you can check the estimated oxygen variation graph each day. Blood oxygen saturation normally fluctuates, but high variations in the estimated blood oxygen saturation levels can indicate that a person had variations or disturbances in breathing during sleep.
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Fitbit 3 can also help you improve your sleep
The Fitbit 3's sleep tracking feature also includes a Snore and Noise Report. This feature uses the device's microphone to register noise levels and snoring. It does not save any audio recordings but instead uses this information to provide a summary of your nightly results in a report. This can help you identify any potential sleep disturbances and improve your sleep environment and habits.
Additionally, Fitbit Premium offers several tools that can help you improve your sleep. The Sleep Profile feature provides a detailed monthly breakdown of your sleep, including 10 monthly metrics and a sleep animal that characterizes your long-term sleep behaviours. Fitbit Premium also includes guided programs developed with sleep experts, such as "Habits for Restful Sleep" and "Get More Sleep," which can help you build better daytime and nighttime habits for deeper and longer sleep.
By using the sleep tracking and premium features of the Fitbit 3, you can gain valuable insights into your sleep patterns and make informed decisions to improve your sleep quality and overall well-being.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Fitbit 3 can track sleep disturbances. It can also track sleep apnea and predict users' risk of health issues such as allergies, asthma, or sleep apnea.
The Fitbit 3 uses motion sensors to detect body movements during the night. It also uses a microphone to register noise levels and snoring.
To get the Fitbit 3 to track sleep disturbances, you need to ensure that the sleep tracking setting is enabled. You should also ensure that the device is securely fastened to your wrist to avoid any syncing problems.
The Fitbit 3 can track your sleep in terms of how long it lasts and the quality of sleep. It can also figure out the differences between sleep stages such as light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.
