Fitbit Sleep Tracker: Is It Free To Use?

Fitbit devices offer a robust sleep tracking function, allowing users to monitor their sleep patterns and quality. The sleep tracking feature is available on all Fitbit devices, including the Google Pixel Watch series, and can be accessed through the Fitbit app. While the basic sleep tracking functions are available for free, some advanced features, such as detailed sleep profiles and insights, require a Fitbit Premium subscription. This subscription costs $10 per month and offers additional benefits such as access to a library of workout videos and audio tracks. To use the sleep tracking feature, users are advised to wear their Fitbit devices during sleep and sync the data with the app to view sleep patterns, scores, and insights.

Fitbit Premium subscription

Fitbit devices offer robust sleep-tracking functions, and while most of these are available through the basic Fitbit app, some features are exclusive to Fitbit Premium subscribers. These include a sleep profile that assigns you an animal avatar, a smart wake feature, and the ability to monitor noise in your bedroom, including snoring.

Fitbit Premium is a fitness subscription designed to help users reach their health and fitness goals faster and more easily. It offers personalized content, guidance, deeper insights, and inspiration tailored to the user's body and needs. The subscription includes a library of workouts and mindfulness sessions led by expert trainers and partner brands, as well as healthy recipes. Fitbit Premium is intended for all levels, from beginner to advanced, and allows users to filter and modify workouts according to their preferences.

The Fitbit Premium subscription can be started directly from the mobile app or the Fitbit website. It is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, with the option to cancel anytime. The subscription costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. When purchasing a new Fitbit device, tracker, or smartwatch, it comes with a 6-month Premium membership included.

While some users find the Premium subscription useful, others believe it is unnecessary, especially since a lot of information and statistics are available for free through the basic Fitbit app. The main features locked behind the Premium subscription include workout routines, mindfulness sessions, and some additional sleep parameters.

Sleep score

Fitbit offers a sleep-tracking feature that can be accessed through the basic Fitbit app. However, some features, such as the sleep profile, are only available on Fitbit Premium, which costs $10 a month after the initial free trial.

The sleep-tracking feature on Fitbit provides a sleep score, which is a quick way to gauge your sleep. This score is based on your heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and your sleep stages. The sleep score ranges from 1 to 100, with an average score of 72 to 83. The score is calculated using three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration. The restoration component is based on your sleeping and resting heart rates and how much you toss and turn during the night. A higher restoration score is achieved when your sleeping heart rate is lower than your daytime resting heart rate.

The Fitbit app provides a detailed breakdown of your sleep score, including an analysis of your sleeping heart rate, which can be accessed with a Fitbit Premium subscription. The app offers insights into your sleep patterns, allowing you to monitor trends and make adjustments for better sleep quality.

Additionally, Fitbit's Smart Wake feature monitors your sleep stages and wakes you during a light sleep stage within a 30-minute window before your set alarm time. This feature ensures you wake up feeling more energised and ready to start your day.

The sleep profile feature on Fitbit Premium assigns you a "sleep animal" based on your rest-related habits. It provides a detailed monthly analysis of 10 key metrics, including sleep schedule variability, sleep start time, and time before sound sleep. This information can help you understand your sleep patterns and make improvements for better sleep quality.

Sleep stages

Sleep is an important aspect of health, impacting a person's mood, appetite, physical activity, and more. Fitbit offers a range of fitness trackers and smartwatches that include sleep-tracking functions. While most of the sleep-tracking features are available through the basic Fitbit app, some advanced features, such as a detailed sleep profile, are exclusive to Fitbit Premium.

Fitbit devices that track heart rate (excluding Charge HR and Surge) can also monitor sleep stages. The devices use metrics like physical movement, pulse rate, and breathing patterns to infer which sleep stage the user is in. This data is then used to generate a nightly Sleep Score, which provides a summary of the user's sleep quality. It is important to note that the sleep staging information provided by Fitbit should be interpreted with caution, as it may be less accurate than data obtained from a laboratory sleep study.

Fitbit's sleep tracking feature includes a Smart Wake function, which monitors the user's sleep stages and sets off a silent alarm during a light sleep stage within a 30-minute window before the set alarm time. This helps the user wake up feeling more refreshed, as they are not abruptly awakened from a deep sleep or REM sleep. Additionally, Fitbit Premium offers a sleep profile that assigns a "sleep animal" to characterize an individual's long-term sleep behaviors and habits. This profile provides a detailed monthly analysis of various sleep-related features, such as sleep schedule variability, sleep start time, and time before sound sleep.

Sleep profile

Fitbit offers a sleep tracking feature that provides a detailed analysis of your sleep patterns. The feature is available on the Fitbit app and certain Fitbit devices. The sleep tracking function is included with the basic Fitbit app, but some features, like a sleep profile, are only available with a Fitbit Premium subscription.

The sleep profile provides a detailed monthly analysis of 10 key metrics, including sleep schedule variability, sleep start time, time before sound sleep, REM sleep, restorative sleep, sleep stability, nights with long awakenings, and days with naps. The sleep profile also includes a "sleep animal" characterisation, which assigns one of six animals to represent your long-term sleep behaviours. These animals include the bear, the dolphin, the hedgehog, the giraffe, the parrot, and the tortoise. The sleep animal may change from month to month, depending on your sleep habits.

To use the sleep tracking feature, you must wear your Fitbit device during sleep. The device will automatically detect your sleep when you wear it to bed, but it is recommended to wear it snugly on your wrist for the most accurate readings. The device will track your sleep duration, sleep stages, and sleep score. It can also track your heart rate and detect snoring or noise levels.

The sleep profile feature is available for Fitbit Premium members with compatible devices, including the Google Pixel Watch, Sense 2, Sense, Versa 4, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe, Inspire 2, and Inspire 3.

Sleep data

To collect sleep data, users must wear their Fitbit device during sleep. The device automatically detects sleep when the body is completely at rest, with no movement for about an hour. Fitbit devices with heart rate tracking capabilities can also monitor sleep stages, including light, deep, and REM sleep. Additionally, the Snore and Noise detection feature on Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 devices can track noise levels and snoring during sleep.

The Fitbit app provides a Sleep Tile or Card, where users can access their sleep data. This includes total sleep duration, sleep history, and sleep schedules. The app also offers a Smart Wake feature, which monitors sleep stages and wakes users during light sleep within a specified time window.

For more detailed sleep insights, users can subscribe to Fitbit Premium. This paid subscription service offers a Sleep Profile, which provides a monthly analysis of sleep habits and patterns. The Sleep Profile assigns a "sleep animal" to characterize an individual's long-term sleep behaviours. Fitbit Premium also provides additional metrics, such as sleep schedule variability, time before sound sleep, and sleeping heart rate.

While the basic sleep tracking features are available for free, Fitbit Premium enhances the sleep tracking experience with more advanced data and insights. The subscription costs $10 per month and includes access to a library of workout and sleep-related content. Users can try Fitbit Premium for free when purchasing a new device.

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