Fit Bit/ Sleep Tracker

balletpolegirl

Hi,
My mum has asked for a device to track her sleep for mother's day and I see that Fit Bit do one, I'm just wondering how exactly does it work? And is it accurate?
Or are there any other brands more available?
She's not a massive computer user either, do you have to plug them in to computers to see the results?
Thanks for any advice/tips/recommendations!

suruda

I had a friend using her fitbit for that and she was looking at her sleep on her phone. She really loves it. I guess that is my lame recommendation (secondhand!) :-)

Alatariel75

I have a FitBit Charge HR and I bought it for fitness, not for sleep. Couldn't stand the thought of wearing it while I tried to sleep, to be honest.


I haven't had a night without it since I got it. The sleep tracking is fascinating. It tracks when I stir and when I wake up. I know exactly how much I sleep, how often I'm restless and it turns out I wake up for a couple minutes during the night and go for a walk (I track steps in that gap) and don't remember the next morning - I think it's a loo visit?

Yes, you do need either the phone app or a computer to look at the details. Also, when the alarm goes off and I snooze a couple times then get up and take it off to shower, it thinks I've gone back to sleep and I have to change my wake up time manually for accuracy or it doesn't think I really woke up until I put it back on after my shower. But I do get right out of bed and hop in the shower, so it depends on her routine, I guess.

Short story - Love it as a fitness tracker, never thought I'd even be interested in it as a sleep tracker, but it's fantastic!

Sued0nim

Think it might confuse her to be honest - she'd need to be basically computer literate to access the app, and adjust readings that are wrong, plus she'd need to tap it to get it into sleep mode and tap it to get it to wake up too

Alatariel75

rabbitjb wrote: »

Think it might confuse her to be honest - she'd need to be basically computer literate to access the app, and adjust readings that are wrong, plus she'd need to tap it to get it into sleep mode and tap it to get it to wake up too

The Charge and Charge HR have gotten rid of the tap for sleep element. But you're right about the need to be basically computer or smartphone comfortable to even see your results, much less add them.

phill_143

I have the Charge HR - I bought it for HR/step tracking rather than sleep, but find the sleep data interesting now it's to hand!

It seems pretty accurate in terms of working out if you're actually asleep, or just lying in bed. And I really like the 'silent alarm' - never fails to wake me instantly and disturbs my partner a lot less.

mmerry5

The Charge HR does not need to be tapped into sleep mode, that's the Flex. The HR "knows" when you go to sleep by your lack of movement and possibly your heart rate. I know it even knows when I take a nap in the middle of the day which I might do once in a while on the weekend. So no worries that you have to tell it when you are sleeping it knows.

Using the computer and the app is extremely easy and the HR has some information available on a small screen. It keeps track of much more than sleep. It has a watch and tracks sleep, steps, floors climbed, calories burned and heart rate. Though I think the regular charge (as opposed to the Charge HR) does everything but hear rate and is a bit cheaper. I love the heart rate info though.

Alatariel75 mentioned changing the wake up time because she gets directly out of bed and into the shower so when she takes it right off and puts it on the counter it's not moving so thinks she is still sleeping. That doesn't happen for me because I get up for a while before I shower. I love my Charge HR. I don't know what is available for a simple sleep tracker, but if you think she'd like the extra information the Charge HR is great.

Yes you have to use the computer or a smartphone app to really see your info in depth, but the info you get is awesome and it's not hard once it's all installed. Installation is not hard either, but that does intimidate some. But once it is installed it's just a matter of opening an app or website to view the info.

Liftng4Lis

I have the jawbone up24, that tracks my sleep. Love it!

jenlo1971

I have the charge. I love the sleep tracker. I struggle with sleep from time to time so it really reminds of needing good sleep hygiene so to speak. I find it to be amazingly accurate.