Fitbit for sleep monitoring

[cpax]

I have a basic (dumb) machine and it provides me with no data on how I'm sleeping. I heard that the Fitbit which you're supposed to wear on your wrist can do some basic sleep tracking. I'm thinking of getting one anyway to monitor my daily exercise but I was wondering if anyone here has tried it for sleep monitoring.

[chunkyfrog]

I think I heard something about an I-phone (or even Android) app
that could do that with a phone you might already have.

[MaxDarkside]

I think I heard something about an I-phone (or even Android) app
that could do that with a phone you might already have.

Like "Sleep as Android"? I might download that and try it in comparison to my Zeo. Would be interesting, eh?

[HoseCrusher]

I use the fitbit at night. It has two settings, one is normal and the other is sensitive. If I use the normal setting, I have very few wake ups during the night. If I use the sensitive setting, the number of wake ups increases. Overall, I am pleased with its performance.

The fitbit uses an accelerometer to measure movement. The idea is that if you are sleeping, you aren't moving around.

[MaxDarkside]

The fitbit uses an accelerometer to measure movement. The idea is that if you are sleeping, you aren't moving around.

I downloaded and installed "Sleep as Android". It uses the accelerometer in my Motorola Android Razr Maxx in the same concept, it also records sound. I'm curious if it shows anything like I can see in my respiration (tranquil during Deep, violent during REM) and my Zeo Bedside. I'll try it tonight and see what happens.

[MaxDarkside]

OK I tried the "Sleep like Android", I just posted at my blog about it, with a graphic:
http://wiredapneic.blogspot.com/2012/04 ... s-zeo.html

In a nutshell:
I may try some additional nights to double check, but in my initial view... "Sleep like Android" does not work and is not useful, at least for me. This does not suggest other accelerometer based sleep monitors do not work, just that the "phone on a mattress" look to be a weak solution.

This has NO reflection on Fitbit by any means, just "Sleep like Android" and maybe stretching the critique to mattress-based accelerometer sleep monitors in general.

[HoseCrusher]

It looks like your phone application is not sensitive enough to pick up smaller body movements. The fitbit will show a similar graph if you don't use the sensitive setting.

A typical night for me shows some settling in activity, then a period of no activity, then some sporadic activity, and finally another period of no activity. There is a burst of activity when I wake up to shut off the recording session.

Comparing the fitbit data to pulse oximeter data, there may be a correlation between REM sleep and inactivity on the fitbit data.

An "issue" with the fitbit is that upon detecting movement it seems to smooth the data to reflect 5 minutes of wakefulness. If you happen to move again, it seems to bump it to 10 minutes. The result is that slight movement cuts drastically into your reported sleep time. If you sleep for 8 hours and have 10 ten minute recorded movements you end up with greatly reduced sleep times. I believe the sleep time is scored as a ratio of wake time divided by total time in bed.

If I mess around with the sleep times and happen to get some awake time I find that it reports 1 minute increments of movement, so it may be that my 5 minute chunks are actually 5 separate movements in a row. Overall I find it useful and just take the reported 4 - 5 hours of sleep a night with several grains of salt.

[MaxDarkside]

It looks like your phone application is not sensitive enough to pick up smaller body movements.

That crossed my mind too. I could tape the phone to my bicep or thigh , but I would need a longer micro-USB to reach from the outlet to power the phone, or try it w/o the power cord, since it's a Razr Maxx (very extended life battery).

[zinkemomx2]

I've been using a FitBit since July 23rd, 2011 and I love it. I used to have a very basic cpap machine and there were some nights it felt like I didn't have a hose at all. After waking up in the morning I was able to confirm that I did indeed sleep like crap. I now have a better machine but still wear my FitBit faithfully if for no other reason than seeing that graph every day reminds me I really do need more sleep. Plus my kids get a kick out of looking at all my graphs.

[MaxDarkside]

It looks like your phone application is not sensitive enough to pick up smaller body movements. The fitbit will show a similar graph if you don't use the sensitive setting.

Last night I stuck the phone in my underwear. LOL ! That should be sensitive enough, eh? Hahhaa... ON THE SIDE, ok? I got more motion (hehehe) and probably something that may more often that not correlates with "wakes" (I'd say arousals, but people might get the wrong idea ). I'm not too sure about the value of "Sleep as Android". The charts are heavily averaged and I don't see a way to get at the data. I'm thinking it's not particularly valuable to me.

Again, this is NO reflection on Fitbit, just "Sleep as Android".

[Sleep_exp]

I recommend a new product called SleepRate that is accurate and comfortable

[lazer]

OK I tried the "Sleep like Android", I just posted at my blog about it, with a graphic:
http://wiredapneic.blogspot.com/2012/04 ... s-zeo.html

In a nutshell:
I may try some additional nights to double check, but in my initial view... "Sleep like Android" does not work and is not useful, at least for me. This does not suggest other accelerometer based sleep monitors do not work, just that the "phone on a mattress" look to be a weak solution.

This has NO reflection on Fitbit by any means, just "Sleep like Android" and maybe stretching the critique to mattress-based accelerometer sleep monitors in general.

I've been toying with "Sleep like an Android" for some months now and here is my average chart:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[NateS]

I recommend a new product called SleepRate that is accurate and comfortable

It looks like it's all based on heart rate alone. If so, I assume SleepRate would be of no value to anyone who has a pacemaker.

Am I correct?

Nate

[kkkkk]

I have a basic (dumb) machine and it provides me with no data on how I'm sleeping. I heard that the Fitbit which you're supposed to wear on your wrist can do some basic sleep tracking. I'm thinking of getting one anyway to monitor my daily exercise but I was wondering if anyone here has tried it for sleep monitoring.

I had fitbit for over a year now... The main reason I spent $99 on a pedometer is to track sleep as I suspected I was not sleeping well.... I started monitoring my sleep and It showed me disturbed sleep.... 10 hrs in bed and 3 hrs actual sleep time ( something like this) every day.... Then I took this data to my doctor and asked for a sleep test... And guess what.... I have moderate sleep apnea and I am on CPAP right now...

The same gadget after CPAP started showing 7.30 hrs and 8hrs of sleep which is great... So I would say it might not be the most accurate but it does the job..... If it says you are not sleeping welll, then maybe you are not.....

[cosmo]

I would rather get an oximeter than a fitbit if I suspected sleep apnea. What if you are in bed, awake but don't move?

Like I use to do when I was scared of the evil gnomes and monsters that came out of the closet. If you were awake and saw them, they would have sucked the life out of you because you're not suppose to see them.