Gina Johnson
Sleep is an essential component of health, impacting everything from our daily mood to our physical activity. Fitbit offers a way to track sleep and understand sleep patterns, which can help users adjust their sleep schedules to get more rest. Fitbit's sleep feature estimates sleep stages using a combination of movement and heart-rate patterns. However, it is important to note that Fitbit does not measure brain waves, and some users have expressed concerns about the accuracy of its sleep stage tracking. Fitbit Premium also offers guided programs developed with sleep experts to help users improve their sleep habits and achieve longer, deeper sleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep tracking method | Combination of movement and heart-rate patterns |
| Sleep tracking assumption | When you haven't moved for about an hour, your tracker or smartwatch assumes that you're asleep |
| Additional data | Length of time of movements that are indicative of sleep behavior (such as rolling over) |
| Heart rate variability | Beat-to-beat changes in heart rate |
| Sleep score | Based on heart rate, time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages |
| Sleep score range | 72-83 |
| Sleep stages | Light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep |
| Sleep tracking accuracy | Some users have reported accuracy in detecting sleep and wake times |
| Sleep tracking limitations | Does not measure brainwaves, eye movements, or muscle tone |
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What You'll Learn
Fitbit Sleep Score
Fitbit estimates your sleep stages using a combination of movement and heart rate patterns. When you haven't moved for about an hour, your Fitbit assumes that you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that indicate sleep behaviour (like rolling over), help confirm your sleep status. While you sleep, your device tracks 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.
Fitbit's sleep feature does not measure brain waves, so it cannot decipher how much deep sleep you get. It also cannot distinguish between light and deep sleep, as both are characterised by a decrease in heart rate. However, a good heart rate monitor will detect heart rate increases when your body enters REM sleep.
Fitbit Premium offers tools to help you improve your sleep, including a daily sleep score breakdown and personalised guidance. It also has guided programs developed with sleep experts, such as "Habits for Restful Sleep" and "Get More Sleep". These programs can help you build better daytime and nighttime routines to achieve deeper sleep and longer sleep duration.
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Limitations of Fitbit
Fitbit's sleep tracking feature has several limitations that users should be aware of. Firstly, it relies solely on movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep stages, without considering other important factors such as brain waves, eye movements, and muscle tone. While it can detect when you haven't moved for an hour and assume you're asleep, it doesn't capture the nuances of sleep stages like REM and deep sleep accurately. Fitbit's accuracy in distinguishing between light and deep sleep may be limited because both stages are characterised by a decrease in heart rate.
Additionally, Fitbit's sleep tracking feature is not medical in nature and should not be used for diagnosis. It provides insights into sleep patterns and can help users understand their sleep habits, but it is not a substitute for medical advice or testing. Fitbit's accuracy could be better communicated to users, and the fact that certain features, like the SpO2 sensor for measuring blood oxygenation, are not currently utilised by the app, could be more transparent.
Furthermore, Fitbit's sleep tracking may not account for individual variations in sleep patterns. Sleep cycles and stages can vary naturally, and Fitbit's predefined sleep stages may not align perfectly with every user's unique sleep behaviour. While it can provide a general understanding of sleep patterns, it may not capture the intricacies of each individual's sleep.
Lastly, Fitbit's sleep tracking relies on synchronisation with the app. Users need to remember to sync their device in the morning to access their sleep data. This extra step may be inconvenient for some users, and forgetting to sync could result in lost data.
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Sleep tracking methods
Fitbit 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 that you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that indicate sleep behaviour (like rolling over), also help confirm that you're asleep. While you sleep, the device tracks 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.
The Fitbit Versa uses 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. The Versa also features an SpO2 sensor for measuring blood oxygenation, but Fitbit is not yet using this feature to provide information about your sleep.
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 promotes physical recovery and supports aspects of memory and learning, as well as your immune system. REM sleep is associated with vivid dreams, and periods of REM sleep are typically longer as the night goes on.
While Fitbit's sleep tracking can provide valuable feedback on your sleep, it is important to note that it does not measure brainwaves, and only an EEG is an accurate measure of deep sleep. Fitbit's accuracy could be better communicated to users, and it is worth noting that it is not a medical device.
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$11.7 $21
Benefits of sleep tracking
Sleep tracking can provide valuable insights into your sleep patterns and help you make informed decisions to improve your sleep habits and overall health. Here are some benefits of sleep tracking:
Identify Sleep Disorders
Sleep trackers can help identify potential sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, by monitoring your heart rate, body temperature, and breathing patterns. Early detection allows you to seek medical advice and treatment, improving your overall health.
Improve Sleep Quality
Sleep trackers collect data on sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep stages, helping you understand your sleep cycle and make adjustments for better sleep. For example, if you notice you're not getting enough deep sleep, you can change your habits to promote a more restful night.
Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
Some sleep trackers record environmental factors like light and temperature, and they may also prompt you to input lifestyle factors such as caffeine intake, stress levels, and meal times, all of which can impact your sleep. This knowledge can help you make changes to your environment and daily habits to improve your sleep quality.
Understand Your Sleep Needs
Sleep tracking can help you understand how much sleep you need to feel rested. For example, you may discover that sleeping from 11 pm to 7 am gives you seven hours of sleep, whereas you assumed it was eight. This knowledge can help you adjust your sleep schedule to ensure you're getting enough rest.
Personalised Recommendations
Some sleep trackers offer personalised recommendations to improve your sleep quality. These might include suggestions to adjust your room temperature, reduce noise levels, or improve your nighttime routine and sleep habits.
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Sleep stages
Sleep is an essential component of health, impacting everything from mood to appetite, physical activity, and chronic conditions. Fitbit offers several tools to help users understand their sleep patterns and improve their sleep habits.
Fitbit estimates sleep stages by tracking movement and heart rate patterns. When a person hasn't moved for about an hour, the device assumes they are asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time spent on movements indicative of sleep behavior (like rolling over), help confirm the sleep status. While asleep, the device tracks beat-to-beat changes in heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuate as one transitions between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep stages.
The Fitbit Versa uses an accelerometer, an instrument for measuring bodily accelerations of the wrist, coupled with 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. The SpO2 sensor in the Fitbit Versa measures blood oxygenation, but this feature is not yet used to provide information about sleep.
Fitbit's sleep researchers and the National Sleep Foundation describe the following sleep stages: Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM Sleep. Light sleep is the entry point into sleep each night as the body unwinds and slows down. Deep sleep promotes physical recovery and supports memory, learning, and the immune system. REM sleep, associated with vivid dreams, typically occurs after the initial stage of deep sleep, with longer periods of REM sleep occurring in the second half of the night. During REM sleep, the brain becomes more active, the heart rate increases, and breathing becomes more irregular.
While Fitbit's sleep tracking has been praised for accurately detecting when users fall asleep, wake up, and experience restlessness, it is important to note that it does not measure brain waves, which are necessary for definitively distinguishing sleep stages. As such, users should not rely solely on Fitbit for determining the amount of deep sleep or REM sleep they are getting.
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Frequently asked questions
Fitbit estimates sleep stages using a combination of movement and heart-rate patterns. When the device hasn't detected movement for about an hour, it assumes that you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that indicate sleep behaviour (e.g. rolling over), can also help confirm that you're asleep. While you sleep, the device tracks 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.
Fitbit's sleep tracking accuracy has been described as "pretty dead on" by some users, while others have expressed that they barely pay attention to it as they figure it's "mostly BS". While Fitbit can track when you've woken up and when you've been restless, it does not measure brainwaves, and thus cannot decipher deep sleep.
Sleep can be broadly divided into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. REM sleep is when a person is most likely to be dreaming, while NREM sleep is when a person is more likely to be in a dreamless sleep. The first phase of REM sleep typically occurs after the initial stage of deep sleep, and REM sleep periods are usually longer in the second half of the 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 individual scores in three components: sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, for a total score of up to 100.
