Gina Johnson
Sleep is an essential component of health and well-being. Fitbit offers advanced sleep tools to help users track their sleep, understand their sleep patterns, and get better rest. Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can be used to record sleep stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. The device uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep stages and provides a personalized sleep score based on heart rate, restlessness, and sleep duration. Fitbit Premium also offers guided programs and tools to help users improve their sleep habits and achieve deeper sleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How does it work? | Fitness trackers have inbuilt accelerometers and gyroscopes, which allow them to track and monitor movement. By analyzing movement data, sensors can estimate when the wearer is active or inactive (asleep). |
| Wearability | They can be worn on the wrist, waist, or even clipped to a pillow or placed on a bedside table. |
| Sleep duration | Trackers can record when the wearer falls asleep and wakes up, as well as how many times they wake up during the night. |
| Sleep phases | Some trackers can monitor the different stages of sleep, from N1 (initial sleep stage) to Slow-Wave sleep (important for growth and recovery). |
| Sleep quality | Some trackers provide an overall sleep quality assessment. |
| Additional features | Some trackers also record environmental factors like light and temperature, and some prompt the user to enter lifestyle data like caffeine intake and stress levels. |
| Accuracy | Roethslinghoefer estimates sleep tracking accuracy at around 60%, but notes that recent studies show promising improvements. Fitbit, for example, offers impressive accuracy for its price point. |
| Medical concerns | For exact data about sleep habits, a medical sleep study is required. However, tracking devices can help healthy individuals recognize patterns in their sleep habits. |
What You'll Learn
- Fitbit uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep stages
- Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can record sleep stages
- Fitbit Premium offers tools to help you improve your sleep
- Fitbit's sleep tools can help you get better rest and boost energy
- Fitbit's sleep tracking can be used to understand your sleep patterns
Fitbit uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep stages
When you don't move for about an hour, your tracker or watch assumes you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time when your movements indicate sleep behaviour (like rolling over), help confirm your sleep status. While you sleep, your device tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuate as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages. When you sync your device in the morning, it uses your movement and heart rate patterns to estimate your sleep cycles from the previous night.
The Fitbit Sleep Score is a quick way to gauge your sleep. It is based on heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages. The overall sleep score is a sum of your individual scores using three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, for a total score of up to 100. Most Fitbit users get a sleep score between 72 and 83.
Fitbit Premium offers several tools that may help you get better sleep, including a daily sleep score breakdown that can help you understand where you can improve your sleeping habits and receive personalized guidance. Fitbit Premium also has guided programs developed with sleep experts, including "Habits for Restful Sleep", which is aimed at helping you build better daytime habits to help achieve deeper sleep at night. Another program, "Get More Sleep", may help you improve your nighttime routine and work towards longer sleep with goals and relaxation tools.
It's important to note that the sleep sensitivity setting on your device doesn't affect sleep stages. For best results, wear your device higher on your wrist (about 2-3 finger widths above your wrist bone). Additionally, the band should feel secure but not too tight.
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Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can record sleep stages
Sleep tracking is a common feature of many fitness devices, including Fitbit. Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can record sleep stages by using your movement and heart-rate patterns. When you don't move for about an hour, your Fitbit tracker or watch assumes you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time when your movements indicate sleep behaviour (like rolling over), help confirm your sleep status.
While you sleep, your Fitbit device tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuates as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages. When you sync your device in the morning, it uses your movement and heart rate patterns to estimate your sleep cycles from the previous night.
Fitbit's sleep researchers and the National Sleep Foundation categorise the following sleep stages:
- Light sleep: Light sleep serves as your entry point into sleep each night as your body unwinds and slows down.
- Deep sleep: Deep sleep enables physical recovery.
- REM sleep: REM sleep helps with strategic thinking and creativity.
Each night, your body typically cycles through several sleep cycles that last on average 90 minutes. Each cycle alternates between two types of sleep: light sleep and deep sleep. Periods of deep sleep are usually longer earlier in the night, while REM sleep periods tend to be longer as the night goes on. During a sleep cycle, you commonly switch from light sleep to deep sleep, then back to light sleep, and into REM sleep, and the cycle generally repeats. However, it is important to note that sleep patterns can vary naturally.
To track your sleep with a Fitbit device, you need to wear it during sleep for at least 14 days in the previous month. These days do not have to be consecutive. Your sleep logs must include sleep stages data. You can check how close you are to getting next month's profile on the Sleep tile, located below your sleep graph. On the first of the month, you can check your sleep profile in the Fitbit app or on your Fitbit device.
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Fitbit Premium offers tools to help you improve your sleep
Fitbit Premium offers a range of tools to help you improve your sleep quality and duration. The Sleep Profile feature assigns you a "sleep animal" to describe your rest-related habits, allowing you to better understand your sleep patterns. The Sleep Schedule feature lets you set up a sleep schedule and bedtime reminders, helping you achieve consistency in your sleep routine. Fitbit Premium also provides a daily sleep score breakdown, which includes metrics such as sleep start time, sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration. This information can help you identify areas where you can improve your sleeping habits and set goals for better sleep.
Additionally, Fitbit Premium offers guided programs developed in collaboration with sleep experts. The "Habits for Restful Sleep" program helps you build better daytime habits to achieve deeper sleep at night. The "Get More Sleep" program provides guidance and relaxation tools to improve your nighttime routine and work towards longer sleep. The snore and noise detection feature, available with a Premium subscription, allows your Fitbit device to track noise, including snoring from you or someone sleeping nearby. This feature provides additional insights into your sleep environment and potential disturbances.
The Fitbit app also enables you to check your average sleep duration and quality, allowing you to make adjustments to your sleep schedule as needed. You can set a sleep goal in the app, and it will suggest ideal times for bedtime and waking up to meet your goal. After finding the right sleep schedule, you can set bedtime reminders to help you stick to your routine. Fitbit's advanced sleep tools take into account your heart rate, movement, and sleep stages to provide personalized insights and recommendations for improving your sleep.
By leveraging the tools and features offered by Fitbit Premium, you can gain a deeper understanding of your sleep patterns, make informed adjustments to your sleep habits, and ultimately improve your sleep quality and duration.
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Fitbit's sleep tools can help you get better rest and boost energy
Sleep is an essential component of health and well-being. It impacts our mood, appetite, physical activity, and more. Fitbit's advanced sleep tools can help you get better rest, boost your energy, and improve your overall well-being. Here's how:
Tracking Sleep Stages and Quality
Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can estimate your sleep stages by using your movement and heart-rate patterns. They track the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuate as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages. This data helps you understand your sleep quality and patterns.
Sleep Score
Fitbit provides a personalized Sleep Score based on your heart rate, restlessness, and time spent awake or restless. This score, out of 100, gives you a quick overview of your sleep quality, with most users scoring between 72 and 83.
Insights and Trends
Fitbit allows you to track your sleep trends over time. You can view your sleep data in the app and compare your stats with others. This helps you identify patterns and make informed decisions to improve your sleep.
Guided Programs and Tips
Fitbit Premium offers guided programs developed with sleep experts, such as "Habits for Restful Sleep" and "Get More Sleep." These programs provide personalized guidance, relaxation tools, and tips to help you achieve deeper sleep and improve your nighttime routine.
Silent Alarm
Fitbit's silent alarm feature allows you to wake up gently during the optimal stage of sleep. This helps you start your mornings feeling more rested and energized.
By utilizing these sleep tools, you can gain a better understanding of your sleep patterns and make improvements to enhance your rest and boost your energy levels throughout the day.
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Fitbit's sleep tracking can be used to understand your sleep patterns
Sleep is an essential component of health, impacting everything from a person's daily mood to their appetite, physical activity, and chronic conditions. Fitbit's advanced sleep tools can help you understand your sleep patterns and improve your sleep quality.
Fitbit uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate your sleep stages. When you don't move for about an hour, your Fitbit assumes you're asleep. It also tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuate as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages. When you sync your device in the morning, it uses this data to estimate your sleep cycles from the previous night.
The Fitbit Sleep Score is a quick way to gauge your sleep quality. It is based on your heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and your sleep stages. The overall sleep score is a sum of individual scores in three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, for a total score of up to 100. Most Fitbit users get a sleep score between 72 and 83.
Fitbit Premium offers additional tools to help you improve your sleep. It includes a daily sleep score breakdown, personalized guidance, and guided programs developed with sleep experts. The "Habits for Restful Sleep" program helps you build better daytime habits to achieve deeper sleep at night. The "Get More Sleep" program assists in improving your nighttime routine and working towards longer sleep with goals and relaxation tools.
By using Fitbit's sleep tracking features, you can gain insights into your sleep patterns, set goals, and make informed changes to improve your sleep quality and overall well-being.
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Frequently asked questions
Fitbit uses an accelerometer, which measures bodily accelerations of the wrist, and optical photoplethysmography (PPG), which measures blood flow based on how green light from an LED on the back of the watch is reflected by the body. It also uses your movement and heart rate patterns to estimate your sleep cycles.
Fitbit estimates sleep stages by using your movement and heart-rate patterns. When you don't move for about an hour, your tracker or watch assumes you're asleep. Additional data such as the length of time when your movements indicate sleep behavior (like rolling over) help confirm your sleep status.
Your time asleep is calculated by subtracting your time spent awake and restless from your overall tracked sleep time. For example, if you slept 8 hours but woke up twice for 15 minutes each, your time asleep would be 7 hours and 30 minutes.
The Fitbit Sleep Score is a quick way to gauge your sleep. It is based on heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages. The overall sleep score is a sum of your individual scores using three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, for a total score of up to 100.
