Herbie Murray
Fitbit devices are well-known for their ability to track sleep and provide insights to help users improve their sleep quality. The technology behind this feature is a combination of motion detection and heart rate monitoring. When a user hasn't moved for about an hour, the Fitbit assumes they are asleep, and it starts tracking their sleep patterns. It measures beat-to-beat changes in heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), to determine the different stages of sleep, such as light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. Additionally, Fitbit offers a Smart Wake feature that aims to wake the user during a lighter sleep stage, increasing the chances of feeling refreshed upon waking up. The device also provides a sleep score based on sleep duration, quality, and restoration, with the option to enable snore and noise detection for a more comprehensive understanding of sleep habits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How it works | Fitbit uses an accelerometer to measure bodily accelerations of the wrist and optical photoplethysmography (PPG) to measure blood flow based on how green light from an LED on the back of the watch is reflected by the body. |
| It also uses heart rate and motion sensors to estimate sleep stages. | |
| It can also use the SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygenation, but this feature is not yet used for sleep tracking. | |
| Fitbit devices that track heart rate (except Charge HR and Surge) also track sleep stages. | |
| Fitbit's sleep staging is correct in 30-second blocks slightly more than two-thirds of the time. | |
| Fitbit can also track noise while you sleep, including snoring from you or someone next to you. | |
| How to use | Wear your Fitbit device to bed. |
| Wear your device in a snug wristband. | |
| Do not wear your device in a clip or pendant accessory. | |
| Open the Fitbit app and tap the Sleep duration tile. | |
| Tap the menu icon and then Settings. | |
| Turn on Snore & Noise Detect. | |
| Follow the on-screen instructions. | |
| For best results, do not play white noise or other ambient sounds during sleep. | |
| Fitbit Premium also has guided programs developed with sleep experts, including Habits for Restful Sleep and Get More Sleep. | |
| You can also set a sleep schedule in the app to help you meet your sleep goal and maintain consistent sleep patterns. |
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What You'll Learn
Fitbit's sleep tracking features
The Fitbit app provides a sleep schedule overview, including bedtime and wake-up times, as well as the number of hours spent in each sleep stage. With a Premium subscription, users can access deeper insights, including a detailed analysis of their free daily Sleep Score, which is based on sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration. The app also offers guided programs developed with sleep experts to help users achieve deeper sleep.
Additionally, Fitbit devices with a microphone, such as the Fitbit Sense or Versa 3, offer snore and noise detection. This feature tracks the overall noise level of the user's surroundings and checks for snoring throughout the night. A summary of the nightly results is provided in a report when the user wakes up.
The Fitbit Versa, in particular, utilizes an accelerometer and optical photoplethysmography (PPG) to measure bodily accelerations of the wrist and blood flow, respectively. This, along with heart rate data, allows the device to infer whether the user is awake, in a deep sleep, a light slumber, or dreaming.
Overall, Fitbit's sleep tracking features provide users with valuable insights into their sleep patterns and quality, offering recommendations to improve sleep habits and overall sleep quality.
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How Fitbit estimates sleep stages
Fitbit estimates sleep stages by using a combination of movement and heart-rate patterns. When you haven't moved for about an hour, your Fitbit tracker or smartwatch assumes that you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that are indicative of sleep behaviour (e.g. rolling over), can also help confirm that you're asleep.
While you're sleeping, your device tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV). These numbers fluctuate as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages. When you sync your device in the morning, Fitbit uses movement and heart rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles from the previous night.
Fitbit's sleep researchers and the National Sleep Foundation describe the following sleep stages:
- Light sleep: Light sleep serves as your entry point into sleep each night as your body unwinds and slows down. This stage typically begins within minutes of falling asleep. During the early part of light sleep, you may drift between being awake and asleep, remaining somewhat alert and can be easily awoken. Your breathing and heart rate usually decrease slightly during this stage. Light sleep promotes mental and physical recovery.
- Deep sleep: Deep sleep typically occurs in the first few hours of sleep. When you wake up feeling refreshed in the morning, you likely experienced solid periods of deep sleep the night before. During deep sleep, you become harder to be awakened since your body becomes less responsive to outside stimuli.
- REM sleep: REM sleep is super erratic with respect to heart rate and respiratory rate. It is the only stage of REM sleep, but there are multiple stages of NREM sleep. The first two stages, N1 and N2, are considered light sleep, and N3 is considered deep sleep.
Fitbit's sleep staging is only correct in 30-second blocks slightly more than two-thirds of the time. If you use the app for many nights, you'll eventually get a good sense of how often you tend to be awake, lightly asleep, or deeply asleep on a typical night.
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Fitbit's silent alarm feature
The silent alarm is a useful tool to help you maintain a consistent sleep schedule, which is an essential part of a healthy sleep routine. By setting a sleep schedule in the Fitbit app, you can work towards achieving your sleep goals and maintaining regular sleep patterns. The app allows you to set a bedtime, a wake-up time, or both.
Additionally, Fitbit's Smart Wake feature is another handy tool to ensure you wake up feeling refreshed. When you set an alarm on Fitbit devices with Smart Wake, the feature attempts to find the best time to wake you up, starting 30 minutes before your set alarm. It avoids waking you during deep sleep, increasing your chances of feeling refreshed when you wake up.
Fitbit's sleep tracking features, such as the silent alarm, provide insights into your sleep patterns and quality. By understanding your sleep, you can make informed adjustments to improve your sleep habits and overall well-being. The Fitbit app offers a comprehensive view of your sleep data, including sleep stages, sleep duration, and sleep quality.
With the silent alarm feature, you can trust that your Fitbit device will gently nudge you into wakefulness at the right moment, contributing to a more pleasant morning routine.
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Fitbit's sleep score
Fitbit's sleep feature estimates sleep stages using a combination of movement and heart-rate patterns. When you haven't moved for about an hour, your Fitbit tracker or smartwatch assumes you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that are indicative of sleep behaviour (like rolling over), can also help confirm that you're asleep.
The Fitbit Versa infers what sleep stage you're in using an accelerometer (an instrument for measuring bodily accelerations of the wrist) coupled with a technique called optical photoplethysmography, or PPG. PPG measures blood flow based on how green light from an LED on the back of the watch is reflected by the body. Essentially, Fitbit looks at how much you're moving and how often your heart is beating to infer whether you're awake, in a deep sleep, a light slumber, or dreaming.
The overall Fitbit Sleep Score is a sum of individual scores using three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, for a total score of up to 100. Sleep duration is calculated by subtracting the time spent awake and restless from the overall tracked sleep time. Sleep quality is based on whether you reach your sleep goal each night, and restoration is based on your time spent in the different sleep stages.
Fitbit Premium also has guided programs developed with sleep experts to help you build better daytime and nighttime habits for achieving deeper sleep. The Smart Wake feature on some Fitbit devices can also help you avoid waking up during deep sleep, increasing your chances of feeling refreshed.
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Fitbit's snoring and noise detection
Fitbit's sleep tracking features are available in the Fitbit app and on-device to help users better understand and improve their sleep. The Fitbit app allows users to set a sleep schedule, including a bedtime and wake-up time target, to help maintain consistent sleep patterns.
The snoring and noise detection feature provides a summary of the user's nightly results in a report, including the amount of time the device detected snoring and a chart of the noise level throughout the night. The noise level is measured in A-weighted decibels (dBA), which indicates the relative loudness of sounds to the human ear. The report categorizes the user's overall noise level as "very quiet", "quiet", "moderate", or "loud". The user's snoring is also categorized as "none to mild", "moderate", or "frequent", based on the percentage of time spent snoring during sleep.
It is important to note that the snoring and noise detection feature may not work accurately if there is too much background noise or if the user plays white noise or other ambient sounds during sleep. Additionally, Fitbit recommends ensuring that the device is charged to at least 40% before using the snoring and noise detection feature, as it can use a significant amount of battery life.
While the snoring and noise detection feature can provide valuable insights into a user's sleep quality, Fitbit stresses that the data should not be used as a substitute for medical advice. If users have concerns about their sleep health or notice worsening trends in their Snore Report, they should consult a doctor.
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Frequently asked questions
Fitbit devices automatically detect your sleep when you wear your device to bed. Your device records that you're asleep when your body is completely at rest and you haven't moved for about an hour.
Fitbit devices use a combination of movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles. When you sync your device in the morning, Fitbit uses movement and heart rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles from the previous night.
Fitbit devices use an accelerometer (an instrument for measuring bodily accelerations of the wrist) coupled with a technique called optical photoplethysmography, or PPG. PPG measures blood flow based on how green light from an LED on the back of the watch is reflected by the body.
Fitbit Premium has guided programs developed with sleep experts, including Habits for Restful Sleep and Get More Sleep. These programs help you build better daytime habits and improve your nighttime routine to achieve deeper sleep at night.
