Fitbit Sleep Tracking: Day Time Tracking Explained

Fitbit devices are popular for tracking sleep patterns and sleep stages by monitoring heart rate and movement. The Fitbit app is available for both Android and iPhone devices and provides sleep statistics, a sleep score, and insights into sleep quality. Fitbit's sleep tracking function is easy to set up and use, and the device automatically tracks sleep when worn to bed. The Fitbit uses a combination of movement and heart rate metrics to determine sleep patterns and estimate sleep stages. It senses when the body is completely relaxed and hasn't moved for an hour, indicating that the user is asleep. The resulting data can help users understand their sleep patterns and make changes to improve sleep quality.

How to track sleep with Fitbit

Fitbit devices automatically track your sleep when you wear them to bed. To get the best results, wear your Fitbit on top of your wrist so that the sensors can detect your heart rate. The band should be snug but not too tight—it should be loose enough to move back and forth on your wrist.

To track your sleep with a Fitbit, you will need to download the Fitbit app, which is available on the Google Play Store for Android devices and the Apple App Store for iPhones. The app will provide you with your sleep statistics, sleep score, and insights into your sleep quality.

Once you have the app, you can modify your sleep schedule. After recording your sleep for five nights, the Fitbit averages the sleep logs and creates a customised sleep schedule. It records the time you typically wake up and sets your bedtime according to your sleep goals. If you need to adjust your bedtime and wake-up times, you can do so in the Fitbit app.

To help you maintain a consistent sleep schedule, you can set up bedtime reminders. You can also set up Smart Wake, which is designed to wake you when you are in a stage of light sleep, helping you feel more rested.

To find your sleep data on a Fitbit device, swipe up from the clock screen to Fitbit Today. Select the Sleep Tile and swipe left to see your sleep patterns, which include time spent awake, restless, and asleep. You can also view your sleep history for the past week.

On your phone, open the Fitbit app and tap the Today tab. Select the Sleep Tile to view the current day's information, or select a different day. Sleep statistics include hours slept, sleep score, sleep schedule, and time spent in each sleep stage.

Fitbit sleep tracking accuracy

Fitbit sleep trackers are a popular way to monitor sleep, providing information about sleep quality and duration. They use motion tracking, heart rate monitoring, and machine learning to estimate sleep patterns. However, their accuracy and reliability have been questioned.

How Fitbit Tracks Sleep

Fitbit's sleep tracking algorithm uses motion tracking, heart rate monitoring, and machine learning to estimate sleep duration and quality. It takes into account your age, gender, and physical activity levels as well. When you're in a deep sleep, you generally move less, while in REM sleep and lighter sleep stages, you tend to move more.

Limitations of Fitbit Sleep Tracking

• Motion misinterpretation: Fitbit may interpret restless sleep as wakefulness or classify periods of stillness as sleep.
• Heart rate variability: Factors like exercise, large meals, or alcohol consumption before bed can cause heart rate fluctuations, making it challenging for Fitbit to accurately identify sleep stages.
• Subjectivity of sleep stages: Fitbit uses a simplified approach to determine sleep stages based on motion and heart rate, while sleep experts employ more advanced methods like electroencephalography (EEG).
• Environmental factors: Fitbit doesn't consider external factors such as room temperature, noise, or disturbances from partners or pets that can impact sleep quality.

Accuracy Compared to Other Sleep Trackers

Research has shown that Fitbit sleep trackers tend to overestimate total sleep time by about 10% and underestimate deep sleep and REM sleep by about 20% each. This means your Fitbit might indicate poorer sleep quality than you actually experienced. Other popular sleep trackers like Apple Watches, Garmin watches, Oura rings, and Whoop bands have also been studied for accuracy, and they all perform similarly to Fitbit, struggling to accurately identify specific sleep stages.

User Experiences

User experiences with Fitbit sleep tracking vary. Some users find it reasonably accurate, especially when used to track trends over time. Others have noticed discrepancies, such as recording sleep during periods of wakefulness or misidentifying sleep stages. It's important to remember that individual factors and conditions can influence the accuracy of sleep tracking.

Fitbit sleep tracking benefits

Fitbit sleep tracking can help you better understand your sleep patterns and take steps to improve your sleep quality. Here are some benefits of using a Fitbit to track your sleep:

Adequate Sleep

By tracking your sleep patterns, you can find out if you're getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. Based on this data, you can make adjustments to your sleep and wake times to ensure you're getting the rest you need.

Improved Sleep Hygiene

The Fitbit can help you create and maintain a preset sleep schedule with bedtime reminders. This feature can assist you in establishing a consistent sleep routine by reminding you to wind down for the night, dim the lights, limit screen time, and begin your bedtime routine.

Optimal Sleep Environment

You can experiment with different sleep environments to see if they have an impact on your Fitbit sleep data. For example, you may find that turning down the thermostat or darkening your bedroom improves your sleep quality.

Healthy Daytime Habits

Fitbit sleep tracking allows you to see how your daytime habits, such as exercise and caffeine intake, affect your sleep at night. By making changes to your daily routines and then checking your sleep patterns, you can identify habits that promote better sleep.

Regular Monitoring for Specific Goals

Regular sleep tracking can be beneficial for individuals trying to achieve specific lifestyle and health goals. It can also be valuable for those who want to learn more about their sleep patterns and improve their overall health.

How to view sleep data on Fitbit

To view your sleep data on Fitbit, you must first ensure that your Fitbit is set up to track your sleep. By default, your Fitbit will be set up to track your sleep, but you should still check that heart rate monitoring is enabled by opening the settings menu on your device.

It is also important that you wear your Fitbit correctly when sleeping. Your Fitbit should be worn on your wrist, with the band feeling secure but not too tight. It is recommended that you wear your device higher on your wrist, about 2-3 finger widths above your wrist bone. This will ensure that your device can accurately track your sleep.

Each morning, your Fitbit will sync with your phone and you will be able to see a sleep score on the app's homepage. This score is a rating out of 100, which reflects the quality of your sleep based on your heart rate, the time spent asleep or restless, and your sleep stages. You can also view your sleep score on your Fitbit device by swiping up from the clock face to see your daily stats.

If you are using an iPhone or Android phone, you can view more detailed sleep data by opening the Fitbit app and tapping the 'Sleep duration tile' on the 'Today' tab. Here, you will be able to see the amount of time spent in each sleep stage, as well as your sleep schedule and sleep score. You can also change the view by tapping 'Day', 'Week', 'Month', or 'Year'.

Additionally, if you have a Fitbit Premium subscription, you can access even more detailed sleep data. This includes your sleeping heart rate, a snore and noise report, and restlessness. With a Premium subscription, you can also set up snore and noise detection, which will track noise levels at regular intervals and tell you if someone in the room is snoring, how loudly, and how frequently.

How to edit sleep data on Fitbit

Wrist-based Fitbit devices and Google Pixel Watch series can automatically detect your sleep when you wear your device to bed. However, if you want to edit your sleep data, you can do so through the Fitbit app.

• Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
• Navigate to the "Today" tab, which can be found on the bottom navigation bar.
• Tap on the "Sleep duration" tile. This tile displays information about your previous night's sleep, including the number of hours and minutes slept.
• Tap on the sleep log that you want to edit.
• To edit the sleep log, look for either a pencil icon or three dots in the top right corner of the screen. Tap on this icon.
• Make the necessary adjustments to the sleep data, including the time you went to sleep or the time you woke up.
• Tap "Save" to confirm and save the changes made to the sleep log.

It is important to note that if you have a device that receives sleep stages, you may notice gaps at the beginning or end of your sleep stages if you extend your time asleep. Additionally, ensure that your Fitbit app is up-to-date and that you are logged in to avoid any issues when editing your sleep data.

By following these steps, you can easily edit your sleep data on Fitbit and ensure that your sleep information is accurate and up-to-date.

Frequently asked questions