Which sleep sensitivity is recommended?

[Vanille]

Which sleep sensitivity setting is recommended? Normal or sensitive?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity. 

[damurray · Accepted solution]

I would go with Normal at first.  If you feel the result are not accurate you adjust the setting accordingly.  Also pay attention to the Dominant vs. Non-dominant hand setting it does make a difference.

[tallson]

You can make this change from sensitive to normal in device settings.

[flguy]

I wondered about this, too.  I tried both the One and the Flex, and found they were roughly similar in their reporting times, but the Flex is so much easier to wear and keep on 24/7 that I returned the One and I'm sticking with the Flex.  Either way, the standard setting was definitely NOT reporting accurately for me.  I switched to sensitive and it's much, much more accurate.

How do I know this?  I own a Dropcam (an extremely good, versatile device by the way), and have had it pointing at my bed for the past week.  It records movement "alerts" on its web-based timeline, as well a full real-time video, which I have been watching back each day.  The number of times my video camera shows me moving or awake is roughly similar to the sensitive setting on the Flex, so that is 100% proof, not just how I feel.

That said, my sleep efficiency is around 70%.  I was shocked to see in the video how many times I actually moved or rolled around (clearly not "asleep").  Anywhere from 12-18 times, and this is while on 12.5mg Ambien CR and 1.5mg Xanax XR (not at the same time, just trying different things on different days per my doc's recommendation).

So I have no idea what's going on with my body.  My room is very dark, cool, quiet and comfortable.  Neither my wife nor I snore (again, the Dropcam confirms all this).  What is wrong with me?  How can Ambien and Xanax not keep me asleep all night?  My problem is not falling asleep, it's staying asleep, especially once 3am rolls around, hence the CR/XR type prescription.  I am able to be in bed for 8-10 hours yet I am only getting around 6 hours of solid sleep.  A strong cup of coffee one a day in the morning is usually all it takes, and I don't feel too sleepy during the day, but still, I should be getting more sleep.

I've tried all the over-the-counter stuff, too.  Nothing works.  Tried Lunesta and Sonata last month, as well.  It's like my body just ignores all medication.  I am not stressed or worrying about any consciously that I am aware of.  My therapist recommended the Fitbit so I could track all this stuff, and between that and the Dropcam, it's been very "eye opening" (pun intended).  So that's how I came to this site.

Thanks for any advice or impressions.  Sorry if I've gone a bit off topic.  This is my first post.

[paulyeps]

I have the same issues .. nice to see I'm not alone ... wont make me sleep any better though ... 

[Mich13]

I have struggles with insomnia my whole life. It's a horrible thing to live with but like you said, there's things that work better than others. I've taken all the sleeping pills you can imagine and they all worked for 1 week, then stopped working. I went back to my doctor desprate fore more answeres and he put me on clonazepam. This isn't a sleeping pill. It is usually used for patients who have seizures, but he says it can be used to help patients sleep. This has worked wonders for me so far. I've used it for the past 2 weeks. I don't sleep more (sleep about 4-6 hours) but i dont wake up as much durning the night! Hope somehow this can help you. Good luck! 

[Seneschal]

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@flguy wrote:

I wondered about this, too.  I tried both the One and the Flex, and found they were roughly similar in their reporting times, but the Flex is so much easier to wear and keep on 24/7 that I returned the One and I'm sticking with the Flex.  Either way, the standard setting was definitely NOT reporting accurately for me.  I switched to sensitive and it's much, much more accurate.

How do I know this?  I own a Dropcam (an extremely good, versatile device by the way), and have had it pointing at my bed for the past week.  It records movement "alerts" on its web-based timeline, as well a full real-time video, which I have been watching back each day.  The number of times my video camera shows me moving or awake is roughly similar to the sensitive setting on the Flex, so that is 100% proof, not just how I feel.

That said, my sleep efficiency is around 70%.  I was shocked to see in the video how many times I actually moved or rolled around (clearly not "asleep").  Anywhere from 12-18 times, and this is while on 12.5mg Ambien CR and 1.5mg Xanax XR (not at the same time, just trying different things on different days per my doc's recommendation).

So I have no idea what's going on with my body.  My room is very dark, cool, quiet and comfortable.  Neither my wife nor I snore (again, the Dropcam confirms all this).  What is wrong with me?  How can Ambien and Xanax not keep me asleep all night?  My problem is not falling asleep, it's staying asleep, especially once 3am rolls around, hence the CR/XR type prescription.  I am able to be in bed for 8-10 hours yet I am only getting around 6 hours of solid sleep.  A strong cup of coffee one a day in the morning is usually all it takes, and I don't feel too sleepy during the day, but still, I should be getting more sleep.

I've tried all the over-the-counter stuff, too.  Nothing works.  Tried Lunesta and Sonata last month, as well.  It's like my body just ignores all medication.  I am not stressed or worrying about any consciously that I am aware of.  My therapist recommended the Fitbit so I could track all this stuff, and between that and the Dropcam, it's been very "eye opening" (pun intended).  So that's how I came to this site.

Thanks for any advice or impressions.  Sorry if I've gone a bit off topic.  This is my first post.

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You should probably ask your doctor about getting a sleep study done, at this point.

[mawitters]

I would be thrilled to get 6 hours asleep a night, my average is 3.5. And that is with resting/sleeping in the afternoon before going to work, where i get an hour or two. No overthecounter medication ever helped me get to sleep or as you point out, stay asleep, not even prescription ambien and the like. Don't know the answer but do know that i am so envious of those, (like my 22 year old son) who can sleep and sleep, and sleep THROUGH  anything!! Everything wakes me up!!! Well if you find the solution do let me know!!

ma

[flguy]

None of the "z class" drugs worked AT ALL for me (Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata).  1.5mg of Xanax XR did, however, make a difference, so he just put me on a pure benzo-type sleep aid called Restoril (temazepam).  He said it's okay to combine with the Xanax XR if needed.  He also recommended a sound machine.  I found a terrific app called the Brainwave Dream Inducer, which I let run on my iPad next to my bed at night for about 5 hours.  The new combo seems to be working.

Not everyone responds the same.  The Z-class drugs bind to different receptors than the pure benzo-type drugs.  Even though the latter are technically more addictive and come with withdrawl issues, you have to weight the risk with the benefit.  For me, every OTC medication, including Trazodone, makes me feel drugged as hell.  Ironically, the controlled substances make me feel the least drugged and the most refreshed in the morning.  Just my personal observation.  Everyone is different.

P.S.  I usually only get between 5-6 hours of sleep.  I am going for a full 7 hours, that is my goal.  The difference in how I feel between getting 6 hours vs 7 hours of solid sleep is very significant.

[Tempest]

Hi,

I am also finding the information from the FitBit very interesting. I barely get a full hour of deep sleep according to my sleep trend data. However, I do think there are better ways to tackle this than medications.I have always been a terrible sleeper, and always had difficulty going to sleep, but this trend data is concerning for me so I am also looking for some ways to improve my sleep quality.

I found an interesting article that might be of help to others. http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm

I think I am going to need to set a more stringent sleep schedule and take the TV out of the bedroom....

Hope to see some more posts on this topic.

[mawitters]

My biggest problem is that i work as an overnight caretaker from 8:30 PM to 7:00 AM. Do not even try to go to sleep anymore when i get home. Usually try to get a little sleep if not rest in the afternoon. So maybe an hour then. At night only fall asleep for 30 - 45 minutes at a time maybe twice. So my average sleep in about 4 hours, (not averaging in my days off). The tv, ie, white noise is mandatory to falling asleep as is turning off the ringers after 3 PM.

I did the medication route years ago before this job and i believe it made things worse. Now i take nothing and feel much better even if i get no actual sleep in the afternoon.





MaWitters

[iubooklover]

Are you tired during the day?  Does your doctor think you aren't getting enough sleep?  If you're getting 6 solid hours of sleep per night, seems to me like you're doing well.  Some people just don't need as much sleep as others, and we require less as we age.  Note:  I'm not an expert, but I function on an average of 4 hours of sleep per night.  When I get 5+, I'm doing great. My sister, just 2 years younger than I (we're both in our 50's)  needs 8 or 9 hours of sleep per night to feel rested. 

[Volleyball5]

Sometimes when people have mild sleep apnea, they are not necessarily snoring, but their body rouses them from sleep when the airway closes. So the brain sends a signal for the person to be  aroused from phase 3 sleep, for example, back up to phase 1 sleep, and the person is not aware of this during the night. A sleep study in a sleep lab would tell you whether you are being roused from sleep during the night. People usually feel like they were asleep, but do no feel refreshed upon awakening, and tired sometimes during the day. 

[Hatboo]

You might want to research exposure to "blue light" such as computer screens or tv or ipads, iphones and kindles. These things can throw off your sleep cycles badly. Limit their use near bedtime. Im sorry for your troubles.

[tonyharding]

I have asked fitbit to work with the developers of the app Sleep as Android, and its various add-on apps. Sleep as Android has teamed up with the developers of the Pebble watch to offer a sophisticated set of sleep management tools. I gather fitbit has declined to work with the Sleep as Android developers. My recommendation: download the Sleep as Android apps and see if you get better results for sleep management.

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@Vanille wrote:
Which sleep sensitivity setting is recommended? Normal or sensitive?

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[mawitters]

I like sensitive , because my sleep is so erratic as i work overnight with a nonagenarian. So i regularly get 1/2 hour here, 10 minutes there, an hour here, etc. And i have found that if seems to be pretty accurate, because i always have to note the time when i get up and check on my charge. I also do not tap it for sleep cycle except on my days off, and just put in the times when i know i lay on the couch and then got up to get ready to go home. Very confusing i know but it validated what i believed was happening anyway.
MaWitters

[Nubby86]

I recently learned of a link between adrenal gland functions and your sleep pattern issues.  At around 3 to 330am your adrenal gland should shut down so that you can fall into a deeper sleep.  If your adrenal gland is misfiring it will wake you up.

I have been working with a homeopathic office in my area with great success.  If you allow the adrenal issue to continue you will eventually feel exhaustion daily.  Stress was a huge contributor to my adrenal issue.

Sorry to say the worst thing you could do is follow you MD's advice.  Get off the sleep aids and get to the root of the problem

good luck..also my MD was not helping me or several of my friends who also have been under stress.. I guess welcome to mulitasking go go go 2014

[Nubby86]

I would look for fixing the adrenal first, I met with sleep doctor and he confirmed the adrenal fatigue will foul up your sleep,  I cppap can help if your O2 drops and can help you get rest but the adrenal comes first.

good luck

[Nubby86]

My sleep study shows I wake up 16 times an hour.  Normal is 7 in 8hrs.  They said my sleep apnea is light to moderate.

I think the Cppap machine can help hide other problems.  The stress we put ourselves under daily is the core problem,  adrenal fatigue, sleep issues and then fatigue is the chain of events.   These events then start effecting your organs.  Serious as a heart attack the adrenal fatigue will start you body shutting down. 

I hope my last posts help some people out.  It took me 10 years of high stress to start feeling like crap and 1.5 years to start fixing it.

[crystalcrall]

mawitters- I am finding the exact same thing! On the normal setting, I was at 97-100% sleep accuracy. I switched it to sensitive and I am at 35% sleep efficiency on a regular basis. I have no idea what to do.