Fitbit has updated its software with personalized sleep schedule feature to help its users improve their sleep consistency and overall health.
Included in the mix are a set of tools that help users meet their sleep goals and maintain a more consistent pattern of sleep:
- Sleep Goal – the app offers personalized recommendations as well as the ability to set your target number of hours to make sure you’re getting enough sleep each night.
- Bedtime and Wake Up Targets – based on previously defined sleep goal and past sleep behavior, the app will recommend target bedtime and wake up times. There is the option to customize these variables the way that works best for you.
- Bedtime and Wake Up Reminders – which are delivered in the form of push notifications. You can also set a silent wake alarm on your Fitbit tracker based on your wake up target.
- Sleep Schedule History Chart – allows users to track their sleep consistency over time to determine if they are meeting their goals or if additional adjustment is required.
The sleep-focused features were developed in collaboration with Fitbit’s new panel of leading sleep experts that includes Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, the director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona; Allison Siebern, PhD, CBSM, a consulting assistant professor at Stanford University Sleep Medicine Center and director of the Sleep Health Integrative Program at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center in North Carolina; and Michael Smith, PhD, CBSM, is a professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Nursing at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine.
According to these experts, adhering to a consistent sleep routine is one of the most important things people can do to improve their sleep: “If you’re constantly changing your sleep routine, it can have the same effect as giving yourself jetlag because you are continually changing your circadian rhythm, also known as your internal clock, which can negatively impact your health and wellness,” said Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM.
Research has shown that users who sleep an average of 7 to 9 hours nightly also have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who sleep only 3 to 4 hours per night, while those who are overweight or obese (BMI over 25) on average sleep over an hour (70 minutes) less per week than those with a normal BMI (BMI 18.5-25).
The new Sleep Schedule feature works with all Fitbit devices that automatically track sleep, including Fitbit Surge, Fitbit Blaze, Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Alta, Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Flex and through manual sleep tracking with Fitbit One.