Acvtivity tracker with detailed sleep data?

dragon1ady
dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I hope I'm in the right forum for this... I used to use my FitBit HR to track my sleep data, however, recent changes they've made to the way the display the data in their dashboard means I no longer get the detailed information I need.

I'm looking to switch to a brand that can give me that, and the best option out there seems to be a Jawbone tracker, however, I'm seeing some disconcerting reports about their support, or lack thereof. FitBit has a very active forum community, for example, while Jawbone does not.

Is Jawbone a good choice for someone who needs detailed sleep tracking (as detailed as a fitness tracker can be about it)? If not, what else is out there?

Replies

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    What kind of details are you looking for? My Garmin does sleep tracking and shows deep sleep vs. light sleep vs. awake. I've not used anything else to compare to. I have a VivoActive HR, but the VivoSmart HR (which I don't recommend, but is cheaper) did the same for me for sleep tracking.
  • HermanLily
    HermanLily Posts: 217 Member
    Loving the Fitbit Charge HR
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    What exactly are you looking for?

    The most recent update of my Fit bit app has pretty detailed information. It now shows deep sleep, REM, light, and awake.
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
    I'm looking for the amount of time spent in restful vs restless sleep, the amount of times I was awake during the night, with accurate minutes count for every part.

    @shadow2soul Which FitBit do you have? I had to stop using my Charge HR as the wristband fell apart, and I'm currently using an old Flex. I don't see any of the data you describe, I see the amount of time I "slept" which according to the app is only the amount of time I wasn't either restless or awake. It combines those last two into a single number, which is the opposite of helpful for me. This was the case when I used the Charge HR as well

    @Tacklewasher Which Garmin tracker do you have? I've asked around at work, and someone mentioned Garmin there as well.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    dragon1ady wrote: »
    @Tacklewasher Which Garmin tracker do you have? I've asked around at work, and someone mentioned Garmin there as well.

    Ummm. VivoActive HR? Said it in my post.

    The VivoSmart is cheaper and does the same sleep tracking, but has other (in my opinion fatal) flaws so I don't use mine anymore.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    What are you hoping to accomplish? No activity tracker can truly track sleep. If you have concerns, see a doctor for a true sleep test based on EEG.
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Ummm. VivoActive HR? Said it in my post.

    The VivoSmart is cheaper and does the same sleep tracking, but has other (in my opinion fatal) flaws so I don't use mine anymore.

    Thanks. I wasn't sure if I understood your post right and wanted to make sure. :)

    @lorrpb I'm aware of that. I simply want to get enough data that I can tell from the logs whether I wok up during the night and how many times, how much of the time I spent sleeping was restless sleep and I'd like to be able to see patterns over time. I'm not after the amount of detailed data an EEG sleep test or sleep study would give me. Just enough so I can see whether specific lifestyle changes have a positive or negative impact on my sleep quality.

    Actually, if my FitBit trackers would do what shadow2soul says hers does, that'd be exactly what I need.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    I have the Charge with HR and thought it shows that detail, but I use the PC app and not the phone app for looking at my data. Their PC app or web interface may still give you what you need.
  • spingirl605
    spingirl605 Posts: 181 Member
    I had a jawbone...They have ZERO customer support. The sleep data was the only real useful data I got from that tracker. I found it to not be user friendly at all!!! I now have a Charge 2, I looooove it!!!! And it tracks sleep very well, showing deep sleep, restless and awake. My boyfriend has the Blaze and he just did an update on it, and it gives even more detailed information...As another poster mentioned, it has REM, light, deep and awake. I like the information that he gets on his sleep more than mine, but mine is ok too...I can't wait for the Charge 2 to update, so that I see that information as well.

    I strongly suggest not getting a jawbone...
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
    @spingirl605 That's what I've been finding online, thank you for confirming that. I will avoid jawbone.
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
    Theo166 wrote: »
    I have the Charge with HR and thought it shows that detail, but I use the PC app and not the phone app for looking at my data. Their PC app or web interface may still give you what you need.

    That's what I was hoping for, but when I looked through my Charge HR sleep data via the dashboard on fitbit.com on my laptop, the same things that are missing from the phone app were missing there. It's strange that the experience with sleep logs from the Charge HR are different for different users, the same thing seems to be the case on FitBit's forums. Maybe I will get an update soon that restores the lost functionality? :)
  • spingirl605
    spingirl605 Posts: 181 Member
    @dragon1ady, if you want, and I'm not joking, PM me your address and I will mail you my jawbone. I actually thought I had lost it, so I bought the charge 2, then I found it. If you wanted to try it out without spending any money, I will gladly send it to you free of charge!! If you're in the US, you may have to pay duty when it gets to you. I'm from Canada...
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited April 2017
    dragon1ady wrote: »
    I'm looking for the amount of time spent in restful vs restless sleep, the amount of times I was awake during the night, with accurate minutes count for every part.

    @shadow2soul Which FitBit do you have? I had to stop using my Charge HR as the wristband fell apart, and I'm currently using an old Flex. I don't see any of the data you describe, I see the amount of time I "slept" which according to the app is only the amount of time I wasn't either restless or awake. It combines those last two into a single number, which is the opposite of helpful for me. This was the case when I used the Charge HR as well

    @Tacklewasher Which Garmin tracker do you have? I've asked around at work, and someone mentioned Garmin there as well.

    I have the Blaze. You might just need a model with a HRM to get the more detailed sleep data.

    The most recent update (like a week or 2 ago) is when it started for me.

    khnvf3i91ogq.png


    I actually switched to a Gear S2 earlier this year, but I wore my Fit bit for a few days to see what it estimated my TDEE to be with my new job since the Gear S2 is really really low.
  • SherylynAsch
    SherylynAsch Posts: 1 Member
    With Fitbit Charge HR, click on the sleep icon that shows the length of time you slept, you will see the bar graph at the top, below you will see each day. Click on the day you want to know sleep details. That will take you to the wake/sleep/restless screen. Hope that helps.
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
    edited April 2017
    Oh, that is waaaay more detail than I get. My sleep log looks like this: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByKCq_IoJJMTUjNHblBhcmVGNTZaVXBKNzlEM2VPVzhRd0JR

    There is no difference between the logs collected by my Flex, or by my Charge HR.
    spingirl605 wrote: »
    @dragon1ady, if you want, and I'm not joking, PM me your address and I will mail you my jawbone. I actually thought I had lost it, so I bought the charge 2, then I found it. If you wanted to try it out without spending any money, I will gladly send it to you free of charge!! If you're in the US, you may have to pay duty when it gets to you. I'm from Canada...

    Thank you. That is a very generous offer and I appreciate it, but I think I will decline. For one, I do live in the US. For another, I am looking for a viable long-term solution, and what you have told me, combined with online reports that Jawbone are closing down the personal tracker side of their business, makes me wary.

    Thank you again though. You're reminded me of why I like the MFP community. :)

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