Interesting information from Fitbit

I bought a new Fitbit watch to help me with my recovery from major back surgery. I am now in the walk stage slowly adding more distance each week and I figured a Fitbit would help me.

What I didn’t realize was that it also monitors my sleep patterns and shows that I spend over half the time I do actually sleep in restless sleep and very little time in deep sleep. So I am guessing that I have PLMD as well!

Not sure I needed to know my sleep patterns as it takes hours to actually get to sleep!

Oh well, at least it’s helpful with the walking distance and blood pressure.

I’ve also realized that in this worrying time the stress has made my RLS worse, which I guess makes sense.

At least I can quilt and hopefully lower my stress.

[Hidden]

Hi, I once got a cheap version of a fitbit to specifically monitor my sleep but I could never get it to work.

I'm not sure what you mekan by "restless sleep", but the fact that you have less deep sleep may indicate you have PLM.

I can't recall what you're taking for RLS. If it's a dopamine agonist then it should treat both RLS and PLM.

However be aware that dopamine agonists also reduce deep sleep and can cause restlessness.

Only a sleep study can confirm PLM.

[LotteM]

Hi, I've got a fitbit as well. Have had one for some 4 years now. And my version also monitors heartbeat and derives sleep pattern from it. Almost two weeks ago I had another sleep study. The technician also wore a fitbit and we got to talk about te reliability of fitbit's sleep pattern. She said the amount (and timing) of the REM sleep is usually quite accurate, but the amount and timing of deep sleep is. These two are the important ones for the restorative quality of the sleep. We didn't get to talk about the light sleep and awake phases. But, it is very normal to spend most sleeptime in what fitbit calls 'light sleep'. Ergo, if you really want to know the quality of your sleep, you need to have a proper sleep study done, the one with half a dozen of electrodes attached to your skull. If you want to know, I can contact the technician and ask what she knows about the reliability of fitbit's 'awake' phases. Remind me.

[Hidden in reply to LotteM]

No need to contact the technician! I’ve had a sleep study and I realize that most of the wrist monitors are far from accurate. That’s why they attach all those wires to you! Thanks all for your input it interesting.

[martino in reply to Hidden]

The idea of sleeping with loads of wires stuck to my head seemed very odd. It was a very strange environment but I nodded off occasionally and sufficiently for some information to be obtained. I prefer by far just looking at my Fitbit.

[Hidden in reply to martino]

Ha ha I think I would probably have to agree 😂

[Sumoucat]

Thank goodness for quilting, eh, especially these days when staying home is so I'm fashion, as it were. (Not that I'm noticing any difference!)

[MumofSam]

I used to use a Fitbit which monitored my sleep, along with an app called Sleep Cycle on my phone. I found the Fitbit extremely inaccurate, often telling me I’d only had 4 hours sleep when I’d had much more than that, and more often than not it was unable to produce a breakdown due to “lack of long enough sleep”. It would work accurately for a few days occasionally, but then would just give me rubbish readings. Those of us at work with Fitbits used to joke about how we all only apparently managed to ever get 4 hours sleep or less!

For monitoring and recording exercise they’re excellent.

The Sleep Cycle app is far more accurate and I continue to use that.