Herbie Murray
Fitbit's sleep-tracking feature has gained popularity due to its ease of use and compatibility with both iPhones and Androids. The Fitbit Surge, a model that does not track heart rate, can be used to check your sleep pattern in the Fitbit app. This includes the time spent awake, asleep, and restless. When you haven't moved for about an hour, the Fitbit assumes you're asleep, and it begins tracking your sleep activity. It uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate your sleep cycles and stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. The data provided by the Fitbit Surge can help you understand your sleep patterns and make changes to improve your sleep quality and overall health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How it works | Uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep stages |
| Sleep stages tracked | Light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep |
| Sleep insights | Time spent awake, restless, and asleep; sleep score; sleep duration; sleep quality; restoration |
| Additional features | Monthly sleep profile, sleep schedule, bedtime reminders, Smart Wake |
| Accuracy | 69% accuracy in any given 30-second time window |
| Compatibility | Compatible with both iPhones and Androids |
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What You'll Learn
How does the Fitbit Surge detect sleep?
The Fitbit Surge detects sleep by using a combination of movement and heart rate patterns. When the device hasn't detected any movement for about an hour, it assumes that you're asleep. It also uses the length of time when your movements indicate sleep behaviour, such as rolling over, to help confirm your sleep status.
While you sleep, the 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 describe the following sleep stages: Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM Sleep. Light Sleep serves as your entry point into sleep each night as your body unwinds and slows down. Deep Sleep typically has longer durations early in the night, while REM Sleep periods are longer towards the end of the night. REM Sleep is associated with vivid dreams and plays an important role in mood regulation, learning, and memory consolidation.
The Fitbit Surge, in particular, may not immediately detect sleep if you continue to move your arms or toss and turn while falling asleep. It is also worth noting that the Fitbit Surge does not track heart rate, so it may not provide as detailed insights into your sleep stages as other Fitbit devices. However, it can still provide valuable information about your sleep patterns, such as the time spent awake, restless, and asleep.
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How does the Fitbit Surge track sleep stages?
The Fitbit Surge is a fitness tracker that can monitor various physical activities, including sleep patterns. When worn at night, it senses when you fall asleep and automatically tracks how long – and how well – you sleep. The Fitbit Surge can track sleep patterns and sleep stages by monitoring heart rate and movement.
The Fitbit Surge estimates your sleep stages by using your movement and heart-rate patterns. When you don't move for about an hour, the tracker 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, the device tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuates as you transition between 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 describe the following sleep stages: Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM Sleep. Light sleep serves as your entry point into sleep each night as your body unwinds and slows down. Deep sleep typically has longer periods early in the night, while REM sleep periods are longer towards the end of the night. REM sleep has been shown to play a crucial role in mood regulation, learning, and memory consolidation.
The Fitbit app provides your sleep statistics, sleep score, and insights into your sleep quality. With a Premium account, users receive advanced features like a detailed monthly sleep profile that examines ten metrics, including sleep phases, how often you move, and how much restorative sleep you get. After recording your sleep for five nights, the Fitbit averages the sleep logs and creates a customised sleep schedule. It records the time you typically wake up and sets your bedtime to ensure you get enough rest.
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How accurate is the Fitbit Surge sleep tracking?
The accuracy of sleep tracking on the Fitbit Surge is questionable, according to some users. The Fitbit Surge is an older model that does not track heart rate, so it relies solely on movement to determine sleep patterns. When you haven't moved for about an hour, the Fitbit Surge assumes you're asleep. However, some users have reported discrepancies between their actual sleep times and what the device has tracked, with the device reporting they fell asleep later than they actually did. This could be due to factors such as tossing and turning or moving your arms while asleep, which the device may interpret as being awake.
It's important to note that newer Fitbit models with heart rate tracking, excluding the Charge HR, provide more detailed sleep tracking by incorporating heart rate data and other factors to estimate sleep stages. These newer models can track sleep stages such as light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep, providing a more comprehensive analysis of sleep patterns.
To improve the accuracy of sleep tracking on the Fitbit Surge, it is recommended to ensure the device is positioned securely and comfortably on the wrist, about 2-3 finger widths above the wrist bone. Additionally, the sleep sensitivity setting can be adjusted to "Normal" for more precise sleep tracking.
While the Fitbit Surge may not provide the most advanced sleep tracking features, it can still give you a general idea of your sleep patterns by differentiating between time spent awake, restless, and asleep. By syncing your device each morning, you can review your sleep data, including the number of hours slept and your sleep score.
It's worth considering upgrading to a newer Fitbit model with heart rate tracking for more detailed and potentially more accurate sleep tracking information if sleep analysis is a priority for you.
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How does the Fitbit Surge help improve sleep?
The Fitbit Surge helps you improve your sleep by tracking your sleep patterns and sleep stages. It senses when you fall asleep and automatically tracks how long and how well you sleep. The resulting data can help you determine what factors to change in order to achieve the most restorative sleep.
When worn at night, the Fitbit Surge uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate your sleep stages. It assumes you're asleep when you haven't moved for about an hour. 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.
The Fitbit app provides your sleep statistics, sleep score, and insights into your sleep quality. You can view your sleep data, such as your sleep score and sleep stages, in the app or on your Fitbit device. The app also allows you to adjust your bed and wake times and set bedtime reminders to help you maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Additionally, Fitbit Premium offers guided programs developed with sleep experts, such as "Habits for Restful Sleep" and "Get More Sleep," which can help you improve your nighttime routine and achieve longer and more restorative sleep.
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How does the Fitbit Surge calculate the sleep score?
The Fitbit Surge calculates your sleep score by taking into account 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. The maximum score is 100, and most Fitbit users score between 72 and 83.
The Fitbit Surge uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate your sleep stages. It assumes you are asleep when you haven't moved for about an hour. It also tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuate as you transition between sleep stages.
The Fitbit Surge also has a sleep profile feature that provides a detailed sleep breakdown. To be eligible for this feature, you must have a Fitbit Premium subscription and use a compatible device. You also need to wear your Fitbit during sleep for at least 14 days during the previous month, and your sleep logs must include sleep stages data.
The Fitbit Surge can help you understand your sleep patterns and make changes to improve your sleep quality. It is important to note that the sleep tracking feature is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions and should not be relied upon for medical purposes.
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Frequently asked questions
The Fitbit Surge uses a combination of movement and heart rate patterns to estimate sleep stages. When the device hasn't detected movement for about an hour, it assumes you're asleep. It then tracks the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), to determine the sleep stage you're in.
To access your sleep data, open the Fitbit app and sync your device each morning. You can then tap the Sleep Duration tile and press and hold the Sleep Timeline graph to view your sleep stages.
According to a paper published by Fitbit scientists in 2017, the watch's sensors can classify sleep stages with 69% accuracy in any given 30-second time window. While this accuracy may seem low, it is important to consider the context. The accuracy is only slightly above two-thirds in 30-second blocks, and this information is not communicated to users in the Fitbit app. Therefore, it is recommended to use the app for multiple nights to get a more accurate sense of your sleep patterns.
The sleep tracker on the Fitbit Surge can help you understand your sleep patterns and make changes to improve your sleep quality. It provides insights into how much sleep you're getting, how well you're sleeping, and what factors may be affecting your sleep. Additionally, the Fitbit app offers guided programs developed with sleep experts to help you achieve deeper sleep and improve your nighttime routine.
