Garmin Vivoactive 3: Sleep Tracking And More

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a smartwatch that can track your sleep. It automatically detects your sleep and monitors your movement during your normal sleep hours. You can set your normal sleep hours in the user settings on your Garmin Connect account. While the device can track your sleep health, it does not have a dedicated sleep apnea feature. Users have reported issues with the device's sleep-tracking functionality, such as occasional discrepancies in sleep timing and data export. However, it is possible to edit the sleep and wake-up times on the device.

How to enable sleep mode

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 can track your sleep by automatically detecting when you fall asleep and monitoring your movement during your normal sleep hours. You can set your normal sleep hours in the user settings on your Garmin Connect account. Sleep statistics include total hours of sleep, sleep levels, and sleep movement.

To enable sleep mode, follow these steps:

• Ensure you are wearing the device.
• From the watch face, swipe left or right to view the activity tracking widget.
• Select 'Start Sleep'.
• When you wake up, hold the action key to exit sleep mode.

You can also manually adjust your sleep and wake times in your Garmin Connect account if you forget to put the device into sleep mode. Additionally, you can use the Do Not Disturb mode to turn off notifications and alerts, except for alarms.

For older Garmin models, such as the Vivoactive, you need to manually trigger sleep mode. To do this:

• Navigate to Settings > User Settings.
• Adjust your Normal Bed Time and Normal Wake Time to determine when your watch goes into sleep mode.

Note that naps are not added to your sleep statistics. Also, the device may sometimes inaccurately detect sleep, especially if you engage in relatively inactive activities before bed.

Accuracy of sleep tracking

The accuracy of sleep tracking on the Garmin Vivoactive 3 has been a topic of discussion among users. While the device can automatically detect sleep and monitor movement during preset normal sleep hours, there are factors that can affect the accuracy of the data.

One factor is the user's activity before bed. If a user engages in relatively inactive activities like reading or watching TV before sleep, the device might inaccurately detect the start of sleep. Similarly, if a user gets up in the middle of the night, the device might continue to show them as awake for a prolonged period even if they fall asleep immediately after returning to bed. These discrepancies can be manually adjusted in the Garmin Connect app, where users can edit their sleep and wake-up times.

Garmin's sleep tracking technology combines photoplethysmography (PPG) and actigraphy (ACT) data analysis to determine whether a user is awake, asleep, or engaged in activities like reading or getting up during the night. It also monitors changes in heart rate and heart rate variability, with higher heart rates associated with REM sleep and raised heart rates potentially indicating stress or alcohol consumption. The accuracy of heart rate data can be improved by ensuring the watch fits snugly on the wrist during sleep.

In a March 2023 test, Wareable found that the data from the Garmin Forerunner 265's Advanced Sleep Tracking feature was consistent with data tracked by competitors like Whoop and Oura. This improvement suggests that Garmin's sleep tracking accuracy has progressed, although it may still lag in certain areas like wake periods.

It is worth noting that Garmin's sleep tracking does not include naps, as it focuses on tracking sleep during the preset normal sleep hours. However, certain Garmin watches received an update in 2023 that allows them to track naps by categorizing any sleep period of less than three hours as a nap.

Sleep statistics

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 can track your sleep by automatically detecting when you fall asleep and monitoring your movement during your normal sleep hours. You can set your normal sleep hours in the user settings on your Garmin Connect account. The sleep statistics include total hours of sleep, sleep levels, and sleep movement.

However, it is worth noting that the device may not always accurately detect when you fall asleep, especially if you engage in relatively inactive activities just before bed, such as reading or watching TV. Additionally, the watch may occasionally indicate that you are awake for a period of time in the middle of the night, even if you fall asleep immediately after returning from a brief interruption, such as a trip to the bathroom.

To improve the accuracy of sleep tracking, you can adjust your sleep times manually in the app if needed. It is also recommended to ensure that your personal information, such as age and weight, is up to date in the settings, as this can impact the estimates of your sleep quality.

While the Garmin Vivoactive 3 can provide insights into your sleep patterns, it is important to note that it does not have a dedicated sleep apnea feature. If you suspect you have sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnostic testing.

Manually triggering sleep mode

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 can track your sleep by automatically detecting when you fall asleep and monitoring your movement during your normal sleep hours. However, this feature can be inaccurate if you engage in relatively inactive activities just before bed, such as reading or watching TV.

If you want to manually trigger sleep mode on your Garmin Vivoactive 3, you can follow these steps:

• Ensure that you are wearing the device. Sleep tracking will not work if you are not wearing the watch.
• From the watch face, swipe left or right to access the activity tracking widget.
• Select the "Start Sleep" option to manually trigger sleep mode.
• When you wake up, hold the action key to exit sleep mode.

Alternatively, you can adjust your sleep settings to determine when your watch goes into sleep mode by default:

• Navigate to "Settings" and then "User Settings."
• Ensure that your personal information, such as age and weight, is correct as this will impact the device's estimates of your sleep quality.
• Adjust your "Normal Bed Time" and "Normal Wake Time" to set the default sleep mode timing.

You can also manually add sleep data to a particular day through the Garmin Connect app:

• Open the "More" menu in the Garmin Connect app.
• Tap "Health Stats" and then select "Sleep."
• Navigate to the day in question and select "Add Sleep Data" to manually input your sleep times.

By following these steps, you can manually trigger sleep mode on your Garmin Vivoactive 3 and customise your sleep tracking experience.

Sleep apnea tracking

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. While smartwatches and other wearable devices cannot diagnose sleep apnea, they can provide valuable insights and track relevant health data that may indicate a user's risk of developing sleep apnea. This is an important first step, as going undiagnosed can lead to serious long-term health complications.

Garmin smartwatches, including the Vivoactive 3, are capable of tracking your sleep health and monitoring your movement during your normal sleep hours. While the device does not have a dedicated sleep apnea feature, it can provide information that could suggest you are experiencing signs of sleep apnea. This data can be accessed through the Advanced Sleep Monitoring feature on Garmin Connect.

To enable sleep tracking on the Vivoactive 3, ensure that your sleep settings are correctly configured in the user settings on your Garmin Connect account. Set your normal sleep hours, including your typical bedtime and wake-up time, and the device will automatically detect your sleep and monitor your movement during those hours.

It is important to note that the accuracy of sleep tracking may be impacted by certain activities before bed, such as reading or watching TV, as well as charging the device before sleep. Additionally, the device may not always accurately differentiate between periods of sleep and wakefulness. Therefore, it is recommended to review and edit the sleep data as needed, which can be done through the Garmin Connect app.

While smartwatches like the Vivoactive 3 can provide valuable insights into your sleep health, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional if you suspect you may have sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder. They can advise you on the appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment options to ensure you receive the care you need.

Frequently asked questions