Herbie Murray
Fitbit devices have a robust sleep-tracking function that can help users understand their sleep patterns and quality. Fitbit's sleep feature estimates sleep stages by using a combination of movement and heart rate patterns. The sleep stages include light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. Light sleep is characterised by less brain activity than REM sleep, and the Fitbit device can determine the sleep stage by tracking the beat-to-beat changes in the user's heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV). This data can be synced and reviewed each morning, providing insights into the duration and quality of sleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep stages | Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, REM Sleep |
| Light Sleep stage | Less brain activity than REM sleep |
| Deep Sleep stage | Longer periods early in the night |
| REM Sleep stage | Associated with vivid dreams; longer periods as the night goes on |
| Sleep cycle | Alternates between Light Sleep and Deep Sleep, then back to Light Sleep, and into REM Sleep |
| Sleep tracking | Fitbit uses movement and heart rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles |
| Sleep score | Based on heart rate, time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages |
| Sleep profile | Available on the first of every month with a Fitbit Premium subscription |
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What You'll Learn
Light sleep vs deep sleep
Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches have a robust sleep-tracking function. They can display total sleep duration and assign a sleep score based on several metrics. Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can also record the sleep stages a user cycles through.
Sleep is an essential component of our daily routine, profoundly impacting our health and well-being. The sleep cycle consists of several stages: light sleep (stages 1 and 2), deep sleep (stages 3 and 4), and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Each phase serves unique functions, contributing to the body's overall restoration and the brain's processing capabilities.
Light sleep, often considered the introductory phase of sleep, marks the transition from wakefulness to deeper stages of rest. During this phase, the body begins a gradual slowdown in physiological activities – heart rate decreases, breathing becomes slower, and brain wave activity diminishes. Light sleep is vital for cognitive processing, mood regulation, and memory processing. It is also when the brain consolidates memories from short-term to long-term storage.
Deep sleep, on the other hand, is the stage where the body engages in intensive repair and growth processes. This phase sees the body repairing tissues, building bone and muscle, and strengthening the immune system. Deep sleep is essential for physical health and recovery, as well as brain health and cognitive function. It also promotes brain detoxification, which is vital for memory and learning.
The transition from light to deep sleep and then to REM sleep is a complex process that supports various bodily functions, including stress regulation and emotional processing. While deep sleep is essential for physical healing and regeneration, light sleep plays a crucial role in mental and emotional well-being.
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REM sleep
Sleep is generally divided into two stages: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. NREM sleep is further split into three parts: starting to fall asleep, light sleep, and deep sleep. During REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly, darting back and forth under closed eyelids, giving this stage its name. It is during this state that most vivid dreaming takes place. At the same time, the muscles become temporarily paralysed, preventing the sleeper from acting out their dreams.
During a typical night, sleep alternates through cycles of REM and NREM sleep about every 90 minutes. The REM stage accounts for approximately 25% of sleep time, while the NREM stage takes up the other 75%. If you get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, you might move through five to six full sleep cycles.
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Sleep tracking functions
Sleep is an essential component of health, and its timing, duration, and quality are critical determinants of a person's overall health. Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches have a robust sleep tracking function that can help users understand their sleep patterns and quality. The sleep tracking functions are available through the basic Fitbit app, while some features, like a sleep profile, are exclusive to Fitbit Premium.
Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can be used to track the sleep stages that a person cycles through. The sleep stages include light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. Light sleep is characterised by less brain activity than REM sleep, and the two typically alternate throughout the sleep cycle. Fitbit devices use an accelerometer, coupled with a technique called optical photoplethysmography (PPG), to measure bodily accelerations of the wrist and blood flow. PPG measures blood flow based on how green light from an LED on the back of the watch is reflected by the body.
Fitbit devices also track beat-to-beat changes in heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), to determine the sleep stage of the user. These numbers fluctuate as the user transitions between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. When the device is synced in the morning, Fitbit uses movement and heart rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles from the previous night. The Fitbit Sleep Score is a quick way to gauge sleep quality, 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.
To get the most accurate readings, users should wear their Fitbit devices moderately snugly and higher on the wrist (toward the elbow). It is also important to occasionally take off the Fitbit device to let the skin breathe.
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Sleep stages
Sleep is divided into two main types: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. During the REM stage, a person is most likely to be dreaming, while during non-REM sleep, a person is more likely to be in a dreamless sleep. Non-REM sleep is further divided into four stages: N1, N2, N3, and NREM sleep.
The first two stages, N1 and N2, are considered light sleep. Light sleep is a stage of sleep where a person is easily awakened. During this stage, the body temperature drops, and heart rate and breathing regulate. Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking capabilities can track the sleep stages a person cycles through. Fitbit devices infer when a person is sleeping and what stage of sleep they are in by using 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.
Fitbit devices that track heart rate (except Charge HR and Surge) also track sleep stages. Fitbit's sleep feature estimates sleep stages using a combination of movement and heart rate patterns. When a person hasn't moved for about an hour, the tracker or smartwatch assumes that they are asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that are indicative of sleep behavior (such as rolling over), can also help confirm that a person is asleep.
Fitbit's Smart Wake feature monitors a person's sleep stages and wakes them during a light sleep stage, in a window of up to 30 minutes leading to the time they have set for the alarm. This helps increase the chances of feeling refreshed when waking up.
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Sleep patterns
Sleep is an essential component of health, and its timing, duration, and quality are critical determinants of a person's overall health, playing a role in metabolic and emotional regulation, performance, and memory. The best way to know if you are getting enough sleep is to track it. Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches have a robust sleep-tracking function. Fitbit's sleep feature estimates sleep stages using a combination of movement and heart rate patterns. When you haven't moved for about an hour, your tracker or smartwatch assumes that you're asleep. Additional data, such as the length of time of movements that are indicative of sleep behaviour (such as rolling over), can also help confirm that you're asleep.
Fitbit devices that track heart rate (except Charge HR and Surge) also track sleep stages. 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. With less brain activity than REM sleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) includes the stages of light sleep and deep sleep. Periods of deep sleep are typically longer earlier in the night. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep is the stage associated with vivid dreams, and REM sleep periods are typically 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, then the cycle generally repeats, but sleep patterns vary naturally.
The first two stages of NREM, N1 and N2, are considered light sleep, and N3 is considered deep sleep. Light sleep is characterised by less brain activity than REM sleep, and it occurs at the beginning and end of the sleep cycle. The Smart Wake feature on Fitbit monitors your sleep stages and wakes you during a light sleep stage, in a window of up to 30 minutes leading to the time you've set for the alarm. This helps to increase your chances of feeling refreshed when you wake up.
Fitbit's sleep profile provides a detailed sleep breakdown that is available to users on the first of every month. This breakdown includes 10 monthly metrics and also features a sleep animal that characterises your long-term sleep behaviours. To be eligible for a sleep profile, you must meet certain requirements, such as having a Fitbit Premium subscription and using a compatible device.
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Frequently asked questions
Light sleep is one of the stages of sleep, along with deep sleep and REM sleep. Fitbit uses movement and heart rate patterns to estimate sleep cycles.
Fitbit uses an accelerometer to measure bodily accelerations of the wrist. It also uses a technique called 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.
Sleep requirements vary from person to person. Fitbit users can view their weekly averages for hours slept, sleep score, sleep schedule, and sleep stages.
Fitbit Premium offers tools that may help improve your sleep, including a daily sleep score breakdown and personalized guidance. Fitbit also has guided programs developed with sleep experts, such as Habits for Restful Sleep, which helps users build better daytime habits to achieve deeper sleep at night.
