Gear Sport: Tracking Sleep And Your Daily Activities

The Samsung Gear Sport is a smartwatch with a variety of health and fitness tracking features, including sleep tracking. While the watch offers insights into sleep stages and sleep efficacy, there are some limitations to its sleep tracking capabilities. The watch only monitors the time the user falls asleep and wakes up, and it requires syncing to access this information promptly. Additionally, the battery life presents a challenge for continuous sleep tracking, as it needs to be charged every couple of days. Despite these drawbacks, the Gear Sport provides basic sleep tracking information and integrates with the Samsung Health app, which offers more detailed sleep insights.

The Samsung Gear Sport can track sleep

The Samsung Gear Sport can track your sleep, and it does so in conjunction with the Samsung Health app. The watch itself takes one to two hours to display your sleep data, showing the stages of sleep. However, the Samsung Health app only monitors the time you fall asleep and wake up, rather than providing insights on improving sleep quality.

While the Gear Sport offers sleep tracking, it has a few limitations. Firstly, the watch's battery life can impact its effectiveness as a sleep tracker. The watch needs to be charged every couple of days, which may interrupt sleep tracking over multiple nights. Additionally, the watch's vibration alarm is relatively mild and may not be sufficient to wake up some users.

The Samsung Health app also has its own set of limitations. It doesn't provide clear explanations for terms like "actual sleep time" or "motionless" time, making it challenging for users to fully understand their sleep patterns. Furthermore, the app's sleep page has been described as peculiar due to discrepancies in the sleep data presented.

Despite these drawbacks, the Samsung Gear Sport can still provide valuable insights into your sleep habits when used in conjunction with the Samsung Health app. It can help you understand your sleep stages and sleep duration, which can be the first step towards improving your sleep quality and overall health.

However, its sleep tracking isn't the best

The Samsung Gear Sport does track sleep, but its sleep tracking feature has several limitations. Firstly, the watch takes a while to display sleep data, which can be frustrating if you want to check your sleep patterns immediately upon waking up. The sleep tracking feature only monitors sleep efficacy in terms of the time you fall asleep and wake up, rather than providing insights or suggestions for improving sleep quality. This lack of interpretative data is a drawback, especially since the Samsung Health app on the phone typically offers helpful advice in other fitness areas.

Another issue with the Gear Sport's sleep tracking is the battery life. The watch needs to be charged every couple of days, which means you can only get a night or two of sleep information before needing to recharge. This limitation makes it challenging to rely on the Gear Sport as a regular sleep tracker. Pebble users who switch to the Gear Sport often notice this difference, as the Pebble has a longer battery life and a quicker charging time. To overcome this, some users opt for charging their Gear Sport at their desk during work hours or purchasing a second charger.

In addition, the sleep tracking data provided by the Gear Sport can be inconsistent and confusing. For example, one user reported sleeping for about eight hours, but the watch measured just over eight hours, and the Samsung Health app showed a total sleep time of eight hours and fifteen minutes. The app also listed the "actual sleep time" as just under four and a half hours, leaving users unsure about what constitutes "actual sleep time" and "motionless" time. These discrepancies and lack of clear explanations make it challenging to interpret the sleep data accurately.

Furthermore, the watch vibration alarm, which is intended to wake up users gently, is reported to be too light and short, often requiring a backup phone alarm. The Gear Sport's sleep tracking feature also lacks integration with other popular health apps like Google Fit or Apple Health, which may be important for users who want a comprehensive view of their health data across different platforms. While the Gear Sport does offer sleep tracking, these limitations might impact its effectiveness for those seeking detailed and reliable sleep insights.

The watch's battery life is a concern for regular sleep tracking

The Samsung Gear Sport does track sleep, but its battery life is a concern for regular sleep tracking. The watch has a 300mAh battery that lasts about two days on a single charge, which means it needs to be charged every couple of days. This can be inconvenient for sleep tracking as you'll only get a night or two of sleep information before needing to charge it again.

Some users have reported that the watch's battery doesn't last as long as they would like for sleep tracking, and have had to adjust their charging habits to accommodate this. For example, some users charge their watch at their desk during the workday or purchase a second charger to keep at work. Others have tried to conserve battery life while sleeping by turning off certain features, such as the always-on display.

The Samsung Health app, which the Gear Sport synchronizes with to show sleep data, also has some peculiarities. For example, one user reported that their total sleep time was eight hours and fifteen minutes, but the bar graph of their sleep stages only showed data for five of those hours. The app also listed their "actual sleep time" as just under four and a half hours, with no explanation of what this meant.

In addition to the battery life concerns, some users have found the sleep tracking on the Gear Sport to be inaccurate or finicky. For example, one user reported that the watch measured their sleep time as just over eight hours, but the Samsung Health app showed a different duration. Another user compared the sleep tracking on the Gear Sport to that of a Fitbit and found that the Fitbit recorded an hour and a half of deep sleep, while the Gear Sport recorded zero percent deep sleep.

Overall, while the Gear Sport does offer sleep tracking, its battery life limitations and potential inaccuracies in sleep data may make it less than ideal for those seeking a regular sleep tracking solution.

The Samsung Health app provides more sleep insights than the watch

The Samsung Gear Sport watch offers sleep-tracking features, allowing users to monitor their sleep patterns. However, the watch's battery life presents a challenge for continuous sleep tracking, as it requires charging every couple of days. This limitation has led users to explore creative charging solutions, such as purchasing additional chargers or charging during specific times of the day.

While the watch provides basic sleep insights, the Samsung Health app, available on smartphones, offers a more comprehensive analysis of sleep patterns and habits. The app not only tracks daily sleep but also allows users to view their sleep data over extended periods, including days, weeks, and months. This long-term perspective helps users identify potential sleep issues and patterns that might otherwise be missed when solely relying on the watch.

One of the key advantages of the Samsung Health app is its ability to provide detailed sleep stage information. Users can access data on various sleep stages, including REM, light sleep, deep sleep, and awake time. This level of granularity enables users to understand their sleep quality and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, the app offers sleep coaching options and daily goals based on an individual's sleep data, providing practical guidance for improving sleep habits.

Furthermore, the Samsung Health app offers advanced features such as snore detection and blood oxygen monitoring during sleep. Snore detection records and alerts users to any sounds they make while sleeping, which can be helpful for those concerned about snoring. The app also allows users to set sleep targets, including their desired bedtime and wake-up time, providing a more tailored sleep analysis.

In summary, while the Samsung Gear Sport watch provides basic sleep tracking functionality, the Samsung Health app offers a more comprehensive suite of tools for understanding and improving sleep habits. The app's ability to provide long-term sleep insights, detailed sleep stage analysis, coaching options, and advanced health features makes it a more robust solution for users seeking to optimize their sleep.

The watch's vibration alarm is light and may not wake you up

The Samsung Gear Sport watch has a sleep-tracking feature. However, the watch's vibration alarm is light and may not wake you up. This is a common issue with the watch, as the vibration is mild and short compared to other smartwatches like the Pebble. As a result, some users have to rely on a backup phone alarm to ensure they wake up.

The light vibration of the Gear Sport watch may not be sufficient to wake all users, especially those who are deep sleepers or have difficulty awakening. In addition, the watch's battery life can impact its effectiveness as a regular sleep tracker. The battery typically lasts for two days on a single charge, which means you'll need to charge it every couple of days. This can interrupt your sleep tracking, as you'll need to remove the watch for charging during the night or before bed.

To address this issue, some users have opted to purchase a second charger to keep at their desk or in their car, allowing them to charge the watch during the day. Another strategy is to charge the watch in the morning and evening while getting ready for work. By utilising multiple charging opportunities, users can ensure the watch is charged without interrupting sleep tracking.

It's worth noting that the Samsung Health app, which synchronises with the Gear Sport watch, provides detailed sleep information. However, the app lacks clarity in explaining certain metrics, such as "actual sleep time" and "motionless time." This can make interpreting the sleep data more challenging.

While the Gear Sport watch offers sleep tracking, it may not be the best option for those seeking a dedicated sleep-tracking device due to its light vibration alarm and battery life considerations. However, with creative charging strategies, users can still take advantage of the watch's sleep-tracking capabilities and gain insights into their sleep patterns through the Samsung Health app.

Frequently asked questions