Please show me your sleep pattern (both good and poor sleepers)

[111mastermind]

I got my Fitbit Surge 6 days ago. I set it to sensitive. The sleep pattern confirmed mine, and my husband's suspicions, that I have very poor sleep. Sleep efficiency 61%, and cycle length (also confirmed with a different mobile app) is only 60 mins not the usual 90 mins. I 'need' about 10-11 hours sleep to feel half-way decent. With 10 hrs sleep I get about 6 hrs. With 8-9 hrs sleep (my usual weekday allowance) I get about 5 hrs. My husband always complains that my restless sleep causes him lost sleep too 😞 (I say to him imagine how I feel!). I am usually fatigued all day and have trouble getting up in the morning and am struggling to maintain work function. I'm glad I got my Fitbit so I have proof of what is happening.

I was tested for sleep apnoea some years ago and had borderline/mild apnoea. I lost 70 lbs (30 kg) and then got retested and the apnoea had disappeared (good because I didn't tolerate the CPAP at all).

I would like to know what a 'normal' sleep pattern looks like and what another poor sleeper looks like so I can show my GP and get referred. Is there a specific kind of sleep study she can request other than for sleep apnoea?

I have added 2 screenshots of my usual sleep pattern, if some of you could add yours with a brief comment on if you sleep well or not, that would help me gather evidence for my GP appointment. TIA.

[Everetta]

I purchased a FitBit to trackmy sleep.
This was my chart from last night, shockingly it was the most rested I have felt in a while!
I'm so pleased that I can track this =]

[SunsetRunner]

I use Normal mode and I get this most nights! I don't think you need to worry too much. Maybe chat with your doc?

I'm calling the doc today as I thought the fitbit was just inaccurate, but after reading so many people have been diagnosed with sleep apnea after using a fitbit - I thought I'd better get checked out.

[REA96]

Your situation sounds similar to mine and I was curious on how you overcame this issue? If I sleep for 8-9 hours, I am only getting about 5-6 hours of sleep.  I am not to the point where I fall asleep during the day, but I never feel recharged when I wake up. Just like you said, even if I get 10 hours of sleep, I feel somewhat ok but not spectacular. Did you make any changes? Have you slept better?  Any help would be appreciated. I know I need to get a sleep study and seek real help, but just looking for some tips. Thanks!

[agatha23]

hi im not sure how to get more sleep but during the day naps are killing me...and waking up in the morning feeling sick and in pain is not good I notice if I dont have alot of sugar in my system i dont get up 7 or 9 times during hte night to go to the bathroom  Til next time!
Jackie

[lillielil]

I'm happy to share mine. Here is my last 7 days (I missed one day of tracking because I had to charge it)

And here is Thursday night in detail. I thought it was interesting that I was up long enough that it tracked two separate sleep events.

For reference, I would consider myself an exceptionally good sleeper. I rarely have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Some of the recorded sleeps included sharing a bed with a nursing toddler (the 2nd half of Thursday night did for sure). I do have problems hitting the snooze button in the morning - my alarm is set for 6:00 but I usually plan to roll out of bed around 6:30.

My Fitbit Charge HR is set to regular - I share the bed with an active-sleeping adult and often with a child, so I don't want to record restlessness where there isn't any.

[colin99]

Hi all, I haven't posted any sleep data in ages so thought I would do a quick excel comparing June 2014 (when I bought my fitbit) to June 2015. There's been a lot of improvement year-over-year although there's also been a lot of ups and downs - I have a better file with the complete year of data. The data is all in sensitive mode - if I view either month in normal mode it claims I slept all night. 

I purchased the fitbit when I joined an online sleep program last June. This is a rough summary of changes in the past year (I've been working on a lot of personal changes mostly to do with the sleep problems since they've been there for many years). I do take zopiclone and an anti-anxiety pill at times to help with sleep - in the last month or so I've taken it more frequently than normal (the last two months have been incredibly stressful at home and work; the anxiety levels have been very high). Pills are usually a short-term solution since I build up a tolerance very quickly. Last June I was also occasionally taking sleeping pills but nothing for anxiety. 

I worked on sleep hygiene last summer and fall as part of the sleep clinic (bought a new mattress, put up blackout curtains, moved my cell phone away from my bed, eliminated napping during the day as much as i could). There's also recommendations to cover up the alarm clock so you're not staring at the time; I seem to have this need to know what time it. I covered up the clock for a few months but found that led me to getting up at night to go look at the cell phone to see what time it is. It made more sense to just uncover the clock and sleep with my back to it so I can take a quick peek if I wake up. I've never had to actually use the alarm portion of it since I'm awake long before it would beep! 

Probably the biggest change has been lifestyle in general. May 2014 I was 164 pounds; today I'm 137. I'm 5 foot 5 and 46 years old with a small frame so 130-140 is probably the best range for me. When I was 20, I only weighed about 125 pounds. 

I've had two sleep tests done in the past 5 years. The first one, they said mild apnea and just control weight. The second one, the results were close to identical but they gave a CPAP prescription. I have a heck of a time using the machine (I've had it two years now). The machine is new and not loud but I'm very sensitive to noise and the feeling of the device on my head; I probably need to go back and get another test done now that I've dropped a decent amount of weight and see if there's still issues with it. The prescription was for the lowest pressure on the machine and I was also sleeping on my back at the test which is abnormal for me. In both tests the reports say I slept much longer than I thought I did. 

I think it's all still a work in progress and I'm curious what happens as I slowly drop down the sleeping pills. The anxiety stuff is a big issue and I'm working on that with CBT but I've always been a very anxious sort lying awake ruminating about the day. 

I feel better most days now compared to a year or two years ago but I still don't have large amounts of energy and get rundown later in the day. 

This was a much longer message than I intended!

[Digitalex]

Regarding the red area and not remembering if you're awake, I believe this is a matter of the sensitivity setting, at least in my experience. I've used a sleep tracking app called MotionX Sleep for years. I used it before getting my sleep apnea machine and after. With the CPAP, my pattern looked better, but still showed numerous "awake" periods. When I adjusted it for normal sensitivity, the pattern matched how I "felt" about my sleep when I woke up. i would post the pics of my sleep pattern, but can't do so from my phone.

Try setting for normal sensitivity and see what difference it makes. Also, consider that 80% of the population that has sleep apnea has no idea that they do.

[WalkerG]

Sounds like a sleep study is a good idea for you.

[oboist]

So reading all this I decided to actually film myself during sleep and match it with FitBit stats.

When it shows 20-30 minutes of unrest all it is is just a single change of position and then I seem to be sleeping peacefully without moving any parts.

So I don't really know what fitbit is showing to me.

[Jenjen118]

If I set my fitbit to normal I am 97%-100% sleep efficiency. If I set it to sensitive it is about 67%...so I also don't know which one is more accurate... humph..

[Jaschultz]

My sleep log looks like yours! Yours is actually a little better than mine and I'm on medication for periodic limb movement disorder! See your dr! Get a sleep study. You may benefit from requip and iron supplements.

[Fascinating]

This is my screenshot for today.  It shows in normal setting that I slept very efficiently until my alarms started ringing.  The alarms rang at 5:00, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00 & 9:00 am and 7:00 pm on my phone.  Now I just need to double up on the amount.  I had disabled my 5:00 and 7:00 fitbit alarm and had them vibrate at 8:30 & 9:00am and 7:00 pm

[Beezy1978]

I just need to say i believe the "normal" setting perfectly. I can tell if it's red is when I've actually gotten up for the bathroom, or to raid the fridge 😉 and light blue I'm usually tossing and turning a bit, slightly conscious.
Hope this helps! ♡

[Caroldv]

Interesting reading!  I am lucky to get 3 to 4 hours sleep each night and am extremely tired. Cant seem to get much help from Doctor so will try to print my 'sleep pattern' out and take next visit.  I knew I was tired and always felt lacking in the sleep department and since having my 'Charge' I now know why!  Am also glad to read on here that I am not alone in this!

[Greta13]

*Sensitive

[111mastermind]

Well everyone, thanks for all your posts, sharing and suggestions. I'm the Original Poster.

So I had a sleep study done last month. Several things stood out. I sleep more than I thought, but still not good. Definitely abnormal. I have only 8% as deep sleep, normal is around 20%.

I not only have restless legs but restless EVERYTHING. I move my body, arms, feet, legs and grind my teeth and basically flail about the entire time I'm in REM sleep. (The bed is a train wreck by morning). What makes it whacked is that everybody is meant to have their muscles paralysed during REM, so they don't 'act out' their dreams. I constantly jerk out of my sleep/dreams. I'm basically half awake lucid dreaming most of the night.

The sleep physician didn't know what to say. He said there is one restless leg drug but it's not just my legs is it? Also, that drug is potent and has a lot of side effects. He instead suggested an iron supplement (my ferritin is low-normal), BCAAs in the morning, and magnesium glycinate at night. He doesn't want to touch my psychotropic needs so I have to discuss that with my psychiatrist. I've started the iron and the magnesium and my BCAAs are on order.

Oh, and I don't have any sleep apnoea. Yay for losing 40 kg!

[Beezy1978]

Thank you for returning, O.P.!
☺

[Rowmoseley]

Hi

How do you get the picture you've posted off the website or can you only do it if you are paying for premium?

Cheers

Richard

[Rowmoseley]

Do you have memory problems as a result?

[Digitalex]

Not sure what you mean, but if you can see you sleep pattern on you phone, you can take a screen shot by pressing the power and home button at the same time (iPhone) then attach the picture to your post.

Alex