Tracking Sleep With Fitbit: A Guide To Better Rest

Fitbit devices can be used to track your sleep and provide insights into your sleep patterns. This can help you understand your sleep quality and make informed decisions about your sleep habits. To track your sleep with a Fitbit, simply wear the device to bed. Wrist-based Fitbit devices automatically detect your sleep when they recognize that your body is going into sleep mode, which is indicated by no movement for about an hour. Fitbit devices with heart rate tracking can also monitor your sleep stages by tracking your heart rate variability as you transition between different stages of sleep. Additionally, the Fitbit app offers features such as sleep sensitivity settings and bedtime reminders to enhance your sleep tracking experience.

Fitbit device options for sleep tracking

Fitbit offers a range of devices that can track your sleep and help you improve your sleep habits. The following sections outline the various options available for sleep tracking with Fitbit.

Wrist-based Fitbit Devices

The majority of Fitbit devices are designed to be worn on the wrist during sleep. These devices automatically detect your sleep when worn to bed and use a combination of heart rate sensors and motion detectors to track your sleep. This includes tracking your sleeping heart rate, movement, and sleep cycles to provide a personalised Sleep Score. To ensure accurate tracking, it is recommended to wear the device in a snug wristband, positioned higher on the wrist. Examples of wrist-based Fitbit devices include the Charge, Inspire, and Versa series.

Google Pixel Watch Series

The Google Pixel Watch 3, integrated with Fitbit algorithms, is another option for sleep tracking. It offers insights into your sleep patterns and provides a sleep score. The Pixel Watch has a longer battery life, allowing it to last a couple of sleeps on a single charge. Additionally, it can track blood oxygen saturation, which is important for detecting conditions like sleep apnea.

Fitbit Sense and Versa 3

The Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 devices offer a unique feature called snore and noise detection. With a Premium subscription, these devices can use their microphones to track noise levels and snoring during sleep. This feature provides a summary of nightly results, allowing you to gain insights into your sleep environment.

Smart Mattress Tracker

While not a dedicated Fitbit device, the smart mattress tracker is worth mentioning. This tracker integrates with the Google ecosystem and can provide inobtrusive sleep insights. It feeds accurate sleep/wake data to other devices without requiring a wearable. However, it lacks recovery features that come with tracking biometrics.

In summary, Fitbit offers a variety of devices and options for sleep tracking, from wrist-based devices to smartwatch collaborations. Each option provides insights into your sleep patterns and helps you understand and improve your sleep habits.

How to wear your Fitbit to bed

To track your sleep using your Fitbit, simply wear your device to bed. It's as simple as that! Fitbit's advanced sleep tools can help you get better rest, boost your energy, and improve your overall well-being. Here are some tips on how to wear your Fitbit to bed to ensure optimal sleep tracking:

Wear your Fitbit on your wrist

Wrist-based Fitbit devices, such as the Charge 5, Charge 6, Inspire 2, Inspire 3, or Luxe tracker, or any Sense or Versa watch, are designed to automatically detect your sleep when worn to bed. Make sure to wear your device in a snug wristband, positioned higher on your wrist, about 2-3 finger widths above the wrist bone. This ensures that your Fitbit can accurately track your sleep by detecting your heart rate and movement.

Avoid wearing your Fitbit as a clip or pendant

While Fitbit offers accessories that allow you to wear your device as a clip or pendant, these are not recommended for sleep tracking. The wrist-based devices are specifically designed to track sleep by detecting heart rate and movement, so wearing your Fitbit on your wrist is the best way to ensure accurate sleep tracking.

Ensure a consistent heart rate reading

When wearing your Fitbit to bed, make sure that it is fitted snugly and securely on your wrist. This will help the device to get a consistent heart rate reading throughout your sleep. A loose-fitting device may slip or move during sleep, resulting in inaccurate data or a lack of data altogether.

Understand your sleep data

Once you've worn your Fitbit to bed and tracked your sleep, you can use the accompanying Fitbit app to review your sleep data. The app will provide insights into your sleep patterns, including time asleep, restless, and awake. You can also set sleep goals, receive bedtime reminders, and even set a silent alarm to wake you up gently in the morning.

Understanding sleep stages

Sleep experts note that sleep trackers can help people improve their sleep by understanding their sleep patterns. Fitbit devices that track heart rate (except Charge HR and Surge) also track sleep stages. If you use a Fitbit device with heart-rate tracking to track your sleep, you can find a record of the sleep stages you cycle through.

Sleep scientists recognize three main sleep stages: REM sleep (where most dreaming happens), deep sleep (a restorative phase for the mind and body), and light sleep (which is essentially the time not spent in REM or deep sleep). Experts say that sleep staging information, while it can be interesting, should be taken with a grain of salt. First, a wrist-worn sleep tracker like a Fitbit can’t measure your brain’s electrical activity directly in the same way a laboratory sleep study does, where a patient wears an array of electrodes. Your Fitbit, like most wearable sleep trackers, uses other metrics, like physical movement, pulse rate, and breathing, to infer which stage you’re in, so it may be less accurate.

The Smart Wake feature monitors your sleep stages and wakes you during a Light Sleep stage, in a window of up to 30 minutes leading to the time you’ve set for the alarm. For instance, when I set a 7:07 am alarm on my Fitbit Charge 5, my potential wake-up times ranged from 6:37 a.m. to 7:07 a.m. Swipe left to get to the Alarm screen on your tracker. Set an alarm if you haven’t already, and scroll down to Smart Wake.

To accurately track your sleep, make sure your device is positioned higher on your wrist, about 2-3 finger widths above the wrist bone. Wrist-based Fitbit devices and Google Pixel Watch series automatically detect your sleep when you wear your device to bed. We recommend you wear your device in a snug wristband during sleep. Do not wear your device in a clip or pendant accessory. When your body is completely at rest and you haven’t moved for about an hour, your device records that you’re asleep. It'll record naps of an hour or longer, too. In a sense, all you have to do to track your sleep with a Fitbit is to wear it.

The Fitbit Sleep Score

To access your Sleep Score, you can swipe up from the clock face on your Fitbit tracker or watch to get to the Fitbit Today tab. Here, you will see your total sleep from the previous night, as well as your Sleep Score. On some models, you can also swipe left on the Sleep Tile to see the previous night's detailed data and your sleep history for the week. For more detailed information, you can open the Fitbit app and scroll down to the snoozing moon icon, which represents sleep. Here, you will find your total sleep duration, as well as more detailed information about your sleep stages.

To get the most accurate sleep tracking results, it's recommended to wear your Fitbit moderately snugly and higher on your wrist, towards your elbow. This positioning ensures that your device can accurately track your sleep stages and heart rate. Additionally, make sure that your sleep setting is set to "Normal" instead of "Sensitive" for more accurate sleep tracking.

Overall, the Fitbit Sleep Score can be a useful tool to help you understand your sleep quality and make improvements where necessary. However, it's important to keep in mind the limitations of this feature and the potential for user bias or variation in sleep patterns.

How to improve your sleep

Sleep is essential for maintaining good health and well-being. Fitbit devices offer advanced sleep tools to help you understand your sleep patterns and improve your sleep quality. Here are some tips on how to improve your sleep using your Fitbit:

Wear Your Fitbit to Bed:

Wrist-based Fitbit devices and Google Pixel watches are designed to automatically detect your sleep when worn to bed. Ensure your device is snugly fitted on your wrist, positioned 2-3 finger widths above the wrist bone. This allows the device to accurately track your sleep by monitoring your heart rate and movement.

Understand Your Sleep Data:

Fitbit provides detailed sleep insights, including sleep stages, sleep duration, and restlessness. Analyze your sleep data to identify patterns and areas for improvement. Understanding your sleep patterns can help you make informed decisions about your sleep habits.

Set Sleep Goals:

Fitbit allows you to set sleep goals and receive bedtime reminders. You can adjust your sleep goal to ensure you're getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. This feature helps you stay accountable and improve your sleep hygiene.

Use Smart Wake:

Smart Wake is a feature available on select Fitbit devices that gently wakes you up when you're in a light sleep stage. This can help you feel more refreshed and energized in the morning, as waking up during light sleep is easier and can improve your overall mood and productivity.

Monitor Your Heart Rate and Blood Oxygen:

Fitbit devices with heart rate tracking can measure your heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep. This data helps you understand your sleep quality and identify any disturbances. Additionally, some Fitbit devices offer blood oxygen monitoring, which can indicate variations in breathing during sleep.

Consider Your Sleep Environment:

Your sleep environment plays a crucial role in your sleep quality. Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Minimize distractions and create a relaxing atmosphere to promote better sleep.

By following these steps and utilizing the insights provided by your Fitbit, you can make informed adjustments to your sleep habits and improve your overall sleep quality.

Frequently asked questions