Herbie Murray
Fitbit devices are well-known for their ability to track sleep, and the Fitbit Flex is no exception. The device can monitor your sleep by detecting your movements and restlessness throughout the night. When your body is completely at rest and hasn't moved for about an hour, the Fitbit Flex records that you're asleep. The data captured by the device can provide insights into your sleep patterns, such as the number of times you wake up or toss and turn. Additionally, the Fitbit app allows you to review your sleep data, including sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep stages. While the basic sleep tracking features are available for free, a Fitbit Premium subscription offers more detailed insights, such as sleep profiles and personalized recommendations for improving your sleep routine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to use Fitbit Flex to measure sleep | Wear the device to bed on a snug wristband. Fitbit Flex measures sleep by detecting movement. |
| How to view sleep data | Open the Fitbit app and sync your device each morning. Check the Today tab and tap the Sleep duration tile. |
| Sleep data provided | Hours slept, sleep score, sleep schedule, sleep stages, snoring and noise levels. |
| Sleep stages | Light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep. |
| Additional features with Premium subscription | Sleep profile, detailed breakdown of sleep, personalized insights and recommendations, noise and snore detection. |
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What You'll Learn
How to track sleep using the Fitbit app
To track your sleep using the Fitbit app, you must first ensure that your Fitbit device is set up and synced with the app. Then, simply wear your Fitbit device to bed, and it will automatically start tracking your sleep once it recognises that your body is going into sleep mode. Fitbit devices detect when you are asleep by sensing when your body is completely at rest and you haven't moved for about an hour.
When you wake up, open the Fitbit app on your phone and tap the Sleep Duration tile from the Today tab. Here, you will be able to see the sleep you logged last night, in hours and minutes. You can also tap on the sleep card to see your sleep stats going back over time, for several months or even a year.
If your Fitbit device tracks heart rate, you can also tap the Sleeping Heart Rate tile to find stats for your most recent sleep session. This will include the number of hours you spent in each sleep stage. Sleep stages include Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM Sleep. Light Sleep occurs when your body unwinds and slows down at the beginning of the night. Deep Sleep typically occurs in the first few hours of sleep, and it becomes harder to wake you up during this stage. REM Sleep is associated with vivid dreams, and periods of REM Sleep are typically longer towards the end of the night.
Fitbit Premium subscribers can also access additional sleep tracking features, such as Sleep Profiles and Snore and Noise Detection. To be eligible for a sleep profile, you must have a Fitbit Premium subscription and a compatible device, such as the Charge 5, Charge 6, Inspire 2, Inspire 3, Luxe, Pixel Watch series, Sense, Sense 2, Versa 2, Versa 3, or Versa 4.
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Using Fitbit Flex to analyse sleep patterns
The Fitbit Flex can be used to analyse sleep patterns and gain a better understanding of your sleep quality. It is a useful tool to gain insight into your sleep and make improvements to your sleep routine.
To use the Fitbit Flex to analyse your sleep, simply wear the device to bed. The Fitbit Flex will automatically detect your sleep when your body is completely at rest and you haven't moved for about an hour. It is recommended to wear the device in a snug wristband during sleep. This allows the device to accurately track your sleep through movement.
The Fitbit Flex will record the amount of time you are asleep and detect restlessness through your body's movement. When you wake up, you can open the Fitbit app to review your sleep data. The app will show you a sleep timeline graph, allowing you to check your sleep stages and the duration of each stage. You can also view your sleep efficiency, which is the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed.
Additionally, the Fitbit Flex can help you identify patterns in your sleep. By tracking your sleep over time, you can compare nights of good sleep with nights of restlessness. This can help you understand the factors that contribute to a good night's sleep and make adjustments to improve your sleep quality.
For more detailed insights, you can consider upgrading to a Fitbit Premium subscription. The subscription offers a Sleep Profile feature, which provides a monthly breakdown of your sleep patterns and personalized recommendations to improve your sleep. It also includes access to additional features such as snore and noise detection, sleep aids, and a library of workout videos.
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Understanding sleep stages
Sleep is divided into several stages, each with a unique function and impact on the body. While you're asleep, your body typically goes through several sleep cycles that last on average 90 minutes. Each cycle alternates between two types of sleep: light sleep and deep sleep.
Light sleep is the 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 easily awoken. Your breathing and heart rate usually decrease slightly during this stage. Light sleep promotes mental and physical recovery.
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, your body becomes less responsive to outside stimuli, making it harder to be awakened. Periods of deep sleep are typically longer earlier in the night.
The final stage of sleep is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is associated with vivid dreams. Your brain becomes more active during REM sleep, and your eyes move quickly in different directions. Your heart rate increases, and your breathing becomes more irregular. In principle, muscles below the neck remain inactive to prevent you from acting out your dreams. REM sleep has been shown to play an important role in mood regulation, learning, and memory consolidation. REM sleep periods are typically longer as the night goes on.
Fitbit devices that track heart rate (except Charge HR and Surge) also track sleep stages. Fitbit estimates your 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 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 fluctuates as you transition between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages.
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The accuracy of the Fitbit sleep tracker
When compared to professional scientific encephalography (EEG), Fitbit sleep tracking is found to be 72-73% accurate. In a systematic review, the performance of Fitbit sleep-staging models was evaluated against laboratory PSG (polysomnography), considered the gold standard for sleep assessment. The review showed that Fitbit models overestimated total sleep time and sleep efficiency while underestimating wake after sleep onset (WASO). However, they performed well in determining sleep onset latency.
The accuracy of Fitbit sleep tracking has improved with newer generations. Recent-generation sleep-staging Fitbit models, equipped with body movement and HRV sensors, more accurately detect wake epochs during intended sleep compared to early-generation models. This addresses a common drawback of activity and movement-based trackers, which tend to overestimate sleep time and struggle to differentiate between wake and sleep during quiet bedtime activities.
Fitbit's sleep tracking accuracy is also influenced by the specific metrics being measured. For example, Fitbit devices may not accurately count steps during certain activities, such as riding a bus or biking, but can accurately detect sleep when the body is completely at rest. Fitbit's heart rate sensors, such as the Versa HR sensor, have been praised for their accuracy, contributing to more precise sleep monitoring.
To enhance sleep tracking accuracy, Fitbit recommends wearing the device snugly on the wrist during sleep. Additionally, syncing your device each morning and utilizing the Fitbit Premium subscription can provide more detailed sleep data and personalized insights to improve sleep routines.
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Improving your sleep routine
Establish a sleep schedule
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps your body get accustomed to a healthy sleep routine.
Evaluate your bedroom environment
Make your bedroom more conducive to sleep by reducing light and noise close to bedtime. Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature—around 65°F (18.3°C) is considered comfortable for most people. You can also improve your home's air quality, which may positively impact your sleep quality.
Optimise your sleep environment
Ensure your mattress and bedding are comfortable and suitable for your needs. The best mattress and bedding are subjective, so base your choice on personal preference. For example, wool bedding may help adults fall asleep in cool temperatures, while linen may improve sleep quality in warm temperatures.
Limit food and drink before bed
Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime. If you eat dinner late, limit your consumption to a small snack. High-carb foods before bed may negatively impact your sleep. Additionally, drinking large amounts of liquids before bed can cause excessive urination during the night, disrupting your sleep.
Use a sleep-tracking device
Wearables like Fitbit can give you insights into your sleep patterns and quality. Fitbit devices can measure your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) to provide a detailed breakdown of your sleep. This information can help you identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to your sleep routine.
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Frequently asked questions
All you need to do is wear your Fitbit Flex to bed. The device will automatically detect your sleep when your body is completely at rest and you haven't moved for about an hour.
You can check your sleep data in the Fitbit app or on your Fitbit device. In the app, go to the "Today" tab and tap the "Sleep duration" tile. You can then view your sleep timeline graph and sleep stages.
The Fitbit Flex measures the time spent awake, restless, and asleep. It also provides a sleep score and a breakdown of the different sleep stages: light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.
