Evie Summers
Fitbit devices and the accompanying app can help users track their sleep patterns and quality. The Fitbit app can be used to set a sleep schedule, with bedtime and wake-up time targets. The device uses movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles and stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. The sleep data can be viewed in the app, with a sleep timeline graph showing the time spent in each sleep stage. While the accuracy of wrist-based trackers has been questioned, the sleep data can help users understand their sleep patterns and work towards achieving sleep goals and a consistent sleep routine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep stages | Light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep |
| Sleep duration | The number of hours slept each night |
| Sleep quality | Time spent awake or restless |
| Restoration | Blood oxygen saturation levels |
| Sleep schedule | Bedtime and wake-up time targets |
| Sleep score | Based on heart rate, time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages |
| Sleep patterns | Time spent in each sleep stage, sleep cycles, and sleep data compared to averages of others in the same age range and sex |
| Accuracy | Fitbit sensors can classify sleep stages with 69% accuracy in any given 30-second time window |
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What You'll Learn
Fitbit sleep stages
Sleep is a critical component of health and well-being, influencing everything from mood to physical activity and chronic conditions. Fitbit devices can help you understand your sleep patterns and quality. Fitbit's sleep tracking feature uses an accelerometer to measure bodily accelerations of the wrist, along with 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. This allows the device to determine whether you are awake, in a deep sleep, a light slumber, or dreaming.
Fitbit estimates your sleep stages by using your movement and heart rate patterns. When you haven't moved 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.
The Fitbit app provides a Sleep duration tile, where you can view your sleep timeline graph and press and hold the graph to check the time spent in each sleep stage. The benchmark data is based on published data and compares your sleep stages to averages for your age and sex. You can also compare your data to your own 30-day average, as sleep patterns can vary over time.
Additionally, Fitbit offers a sleep score, which is based on heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with most users scoring between 72 and 83. Fitbit Premium provides further insights, such as a daily sleep score breakdown and guided programs to help you improve your sleep habits and achieve longer, more restful sleep.
It's important to note that no wrist tracker, including Fitbit, is perfectly accurate in measuring REM sleep, and they may overestimate the amount of deep sleep. However, they can still provide valuable insights into your sleep patterns and help you work towards improving your sleep quality.
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Accuracy of Fitbit sleep tracking
The accuracy of Fitbit's sleep tracking has been questioned by some users, who have compared their results with the sleep patterns of others. One user noticed that their friend's sleep was "really irregular" when they were in the same bed, and so got them a Fitbit to find out more. Another user compared their Fitbit's sleep scoring against their wife's Fitbit watch, and found that each watch gave slightly different readings, but the overall picture was the same.
Fitbit estimates sleep stages by using movement and heart-rate patterns. When a user hasn't moved for about an hour, the tracker assumes they are asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time when movements indicate sleep behaviour (like rolling over), help to confirm the sleep status. While the user sleeps, the device tracks the beat-to-beat changes in their heart rate, which fluctuate as they transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages.
The accuracy of Fitbit's sleep tracking has been supported by a paper published by Fitbit scientists in 2017, which found that the watch's sensors can classify sleep stages with 69% accuracy in any given 30-second time window. However, some users have expressed concerns about the accuracy of REM sleep tracking, with one user stating that no wrist tracker is very accurate for this sleep stage.
Fitbit's sleep tracking features are designed to help users understand their sleep patterns and quality. The Fitbit app provides a Sleep duration tile, which allows users to view their sleep timeline graph and check the time spent in each sleep stage. The app also offers a 30-day average tab to compare data over a longer period. Fitbit Premium provides additional features, such as snore and noise detection, and a daily sleep score breakdown.
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Sleep schedule and goals
Sleep is an essential component of health and can affect a person's daily mood, appetite, physical activity, and more. Fitbit's sleep tracking feature can help you understand your sleep patterns and quality. The Fitbit app allows you to set a sleep schedule and goals to help you establish a consistent sleep routine.
To set up sleep tracking, you should wear your Fitbit device to bed. It is recommended to wear it as a snug wristband, as devices in the form of a clip or pendant may not accurately track sleep. The Fitbit device will automatically detect your sleep when your body is completely at rest and you haven't moved for about an hour. It uses your movement and heart rate patterns to estimate your sleep stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.
To set a sleep schedule and goals, open the Fitbit app and go to the Today tab. Tap the Sleep duration tile and set either a bedtime or a wake-up time target, or set both. If you meet your target by going to sleep or waking up within 30 minutes of the set time, a star will appear in the sleep schedule graph. If you have five or more sleep logs, your sleep goal will be estimated based on the average of these logs. If you have fewer than five sleep logs, you can provide an estimate of your typical nightly sleep duration, and your sleep goal will be set based on this.
In addition to setting a sleep schedule, you can also use the Fitbit app to track your sleep patterns and quality. Each morning, open the Fitbit app and sync your device to view your sleep data, including your sleep score, hours slept, sleep stages, and a 30-day average of your sleep data. The app also offers a Smart Wake feature, which attempts to find the best time to wake you up within a 30-minute window before your alarm, avoiding the deep sleep stage to increase your chances of feeling refreshed.
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Sleep quality and restoration
The restoration component is particularly useful as it allows you to check the estimated oxygen variation graph each day. While blood oxygen saturation levels normally fluctuate, high variations can indicate disturbances in breathing during sleep. This is a useful daily wellbeing check.
Fitbit estimates your sleep stages using your movement and heart-rate patterns. When you haven't moved for about an hour, your Fitbit assumes you're asleep. It also uses the length of time when your movements indicate sleep behaviour, such as rolling over, to 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 fluctuates as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages.
Fitbit's sleep researchers and the National Sleep Foundation describe the following sleep stages: Light sleep serves as your entry point into sleep each night as your body unwinds and slows down. Deep sleep occurs early in the night and is considered N3 sleep. REM sleep is when a person is most likely to be dreaming, and non-REM (NREM) sleep is when a person is more likely to be in a dreamless sleep. There is only one stage of REM sleep, but multiple stages of NREM sleep. The first two stages, N1 and N2, are considered light sleep.
It's important to note that no wrist tracker is very accurate about REM sleep, and Fitbit seems to consistently record too much deep sleep. However, the data can still be useful for understanding your sleep patterns and quality.
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Sleep patterns and health
Sleep is a critical component of health, impacting everything from a person's daily mood to their appetite, physical activity, and chronic conditions. A good night's sleep is essential for draining the brain of toxins linked to Alzheimer's disease and for consolidating memories from the previous day.
Fitbit devices help users understand their sleep patterns and quality. The device automatically detects sleep when worn to bed, and it is recommended that it is worn as a snug wristband. Fitbit estimates sleep stages by using movement and heart-rate patterns. When the device hasn't detected movement for about an hour, it assumes the user is asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time when movements indicate sleep behavior, like rolling over, help confirm the sleep status. The device tracks beat-to-beat changes in the user's heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuates as the user transitions between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages.
The Fitbit app provides a Sleep duration tile, which, when pressed and held, allows users to check the time spent in each sleep stage. The app also provides a benchmark, based on published data, to show how the user's sleep stage estimates compare to the averages of others in the same age range and sex. It is important to note that sleep cycles vary naturally, and one's sleep data may occasionally fall outside the typical ranges. Users can also compare their data to their own 30-day average, as sleep patterns may vary over time.
Fitbit's sleep scoring is based on heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages. The overall sleep score, ranging from 72 to 83 for most users, is a sum of individual scores in three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration. In the restoration component, users can check the estimated oxygen variation graph, as high variations in blood oxygen saturation levels can indicate disturbances in breathing during sleep.
While Fitbit can provide valuable insights into one's sleep patterns and health, it is important to note that no wrist tracker is very accurate when it comes to REM sleep, and Fitbit may consistently record too much deep sleep. Therefore, it is recommended to occasionally take off the device and consult a doctor if there are concerns about one's sleep health.
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Frequently asked questions
Wear your Fitbit device to bed. Fitbit devices and Google Pixel Watch series automatically detect your sleep when you wear your device to bed. You can also set a sleep schedule using the Fitbit app.
Sync your Fitbit device each morning to review your sleep data, such as your sleep score. You can check this information on your Fitbit device or in the Fitbit app.
From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap the Sleep duration tile. Press and hold your finger on the Sleep timeline graph. Move your finger left or right to check the time spent in each sleep stage. Tap Benchmark to show the percentage of time spent in each sleep stage.
There is no one ideal Fitbit sleep tracker graph. However, according to some users, an ideal graph would show 60-90 minutes of REM sleep and 1.5-2 hours of deep sleep.
