Samsung Gear S3: Sleep Tracking And Your Health

Sleep trackers are devices that can be worn on the wrist or placed elsewhere, and they help improve sleep hygiene by measuring heart rate, monitoring awake periods, and even breathing disturbances. The Samsung Gear S3 is a smartwatch that offers sleep-tracking features. However, the sleep tracking feature on the Samsung Gear S3 has received some criticism for not accurately recording sleep patterns. Newer models, such as the Samsung Gear S4, aim to address these issues by providing more in-depth sleep tracking capabilities.

How does the Samsung Gear S3 track sleep?

The Samsung Gear S3 can track your sleep. However, there is limited information on how it does so. One source suggests that the Samsung Gear S3 records equal intervals of light sleep corresponding with the user's sleeping goal. It also records the time taken to fall asleep, even if the user is not asleep and is playing with their watch or phone. Wake-ups in the middle of the night are not recorded, but the device records the steps taken if the user walks around.

Good quality sleep trackers can improve your sleep hygiene by measuring your heart rate, monitoring awake periods, and even breathing disturbances. They can provide a breakdown of sleep and wake durations, an overall sleep score, and an analysis of how your nervous system recovers at night. Sleep trackers can also highlight if you may be suffering from sleep apnea or other sleep-related conditions. They can also provide guided breathing exercises, which are beneficial, coupled with stress tracking analysis.

Sleep trackers that are not in the form of a watch are also available. The ResMed S+ is a non-contact sleep monitor that can accurately monitor your breathing, heart rate, and overall sleep patterns. The Withings Sleep monitor can be placed under your mattress to accurately detect your heart rate and snoring. It provides comprehensive data and statistics, allowing you to analyze and monitor your sleep. It can detect advanced sleep cycle analysis with deep, light, and REM sleep.

Is the Samsung Gear S3 sleep tracking automatic?

The Samsung Gear S3 does have a sleep tracking feature, but it is not clear if it is automatic or not. One user has reported that the device recorded them as sleeping when they were awake and playing with their watch and phone. They also reported that the device did not record when they woke up in the middle of the night, although it did record their steps when they walked to the kitchen. This suggests that the sleep tracking feature is not entirely automatic and may require some manual input from the user.

Sleep trackers are designed to improve your sleep hygiene by measuring your heart rate, monitoring awake periods, and even breathing disturbances. They can provide data about sleep and awake times, different sleep patterns, and overall health. Some sleep trackers can be worn on the wrist, while others can be placed under your mattress or on your bedside table.

The Samsung Gear S3 is not the only device to offer sleep tracking. Other devices, such as the Fitbit Sense, the Polar Vantage V2, and the Withings Sleep, also offer sleep tracking features. These devices can provide a breakdown of sleep and wake durations, an overall sleep score, and an analysis of how your nervous system recovers at night. They can also track sleep interruptions and how sleep can affect training and exercise.

It is worth noting that the Samsung Gear S4, which was released after the Gear S3, offers more in-depth sleep tracking. This suggests that while the Gear S3 does have sleep tracking capabilities, they may not be as advanced as those of newer devices.

Samsung Gear S3 sleep tracking accuracy

The Samsung Gear S3 is capable of tracking your sleep, monitoring both the quality and length of your sleep, and the factors that contribute to a good or bad night's sleep. It uses an onboard accelerometer to detect movement and combines this with user data from its sensor array. It also samples body temperature throughout the night, which is used in several other metrics. However, no fitness tracker is completely accurate, so sleep data from the Gear S3 should not be used for self-diagnosis.

To ensure accurate sleep tracking, the watch should be worn correctly. Samsung recommends positioning the watch the width of two fingers above the ulna, the pointy bone on your wrist. A snug fit will improve blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring throughout the night, which will improve tracking accuracy.

Some users have reported issues with the sleep tracking feature of the Gear S3. In one case, the device recorded equal intervals of light sleep corresponding with the user's sleeping goal, even when they were awake and playing with their watch and phone. In this case, the user had to manually adjust the recorded sleep time. Wake-ups in the middle of the night were also not recorded, and the device once recorded a nap when the user was walking on the street.

Despite these issues, the Samsung Gear S3 is still a capable sleep tracker that can provide valuable insights into your sleep habits. By analysing the data it collects, you can identify patterns and make adjustments to improve your sleep quality.

Samsung Gear S3 sleep tracking features

The Samsung Gear S3 does have sleep tracking features. When you're getting ready for bed, you can wear your Samsung Gear S3 to track your sleep patterns. The watch will detect and calculate your sleep patterns during the night. The watch will record your sleep time, but it will not record your wake-ups in the middle of the night.

To use the sleep tracking feature, you'll need to enable a few things in the Samsung Health app. First, navigate to and open the Samsung Health app on your watch. Then, swipe to and tap Settings, and turn on Blood oxygen during sleep. You can also control your smart devices, such as your TV, to make sure you don't stay up too late.

Additionally, you can use the Snore detection feature to record your snoring. To enable this, you'll need to place your phone near your head while sleeping and allow the app to detect your snoring. The following morning, you can check your Snore detection data by opening the Samsung Health app on your phone and tapping the Sleep tracker.

The Samsung Gear S3 also offers sleep coaching options to guide you through healthier sleeping patterns and provide reports to help you track your progress. However, it's important to note that using the sleep tracking feature may impact the battery life of your watch.

Samsung Gear S3 sleep tracking compared to competitors

The Samsung Gear S3 offers automatic sleep tracking. After sleeping with the watch on, it takes about three minutes to tell you when you fell asleep and when you woke up. It also provides a rating of your sleep in percentage form, as well as a sleep graph for deep and light sleep periods. For more detailed information, you can sync the data to the Samsung Health app.

Compared to its competitors, the Samsung Gear S3's sleep tracking has received mixed reviews. While it provides automatic sleep tracking and a breakdown of sleep stages, some users have reported inconsistencies with the data. For example, wake-ups in the middle of the night may not be recorded accurately, and there may be instances of recorded naps when the user is actually awake and active.

Other popular sleep trackers on the market include the Fitbit Sense, which offers data about sleep and awake times, different sleep patterns, and overall health. It combines sleep duration, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and disturbed sleep periods to generate a Sleep Score. The Polar Vantage V2 is another reliable sleep tracker that provides a comprehensive breakdown of sleep and wake durations, an overall sleep score, and an analysis of how your nervous system recovers at night.

For those who prefer not to wear a watch while sleeping, there are alternative sleep trackers such as the ResMed S+ and the Withings Sleep monitor, which can be placed on your bedside table or under your mattress, respectively. These devices can accurately monitor your breathing, heart rate, and overall sleep patterns without being worn on the wrist.

While Samsung has since released the Gear S4 with more in-depth sleep tracking features, the Samsung Gear S3 still holds its own as a capable sleep tracker, providing users with insights into their sleep patterns and durations.

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