Which sleep sensitivity is recommended?

[Vanille]

Which sleep sensitivity setting is recommended? Normal or sensitive?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity. 

[amazongold]

I have had two sleep studies done.  The first one, in about 1994, showed that I had mild apnea.  They gave me a mask and machine, which I could not use. The next sleep study, about 10 years later, showed severe apnea (waking 30+ times/hour).  I had to do another with a mask and machine and it showed that the machine did help, so they gave me another mask and machine, which I still cannot use.  I cannot stand anything on my face or head.  During the study I kept taking it off because I felt like I was strangling, but according to them, it did work for the time I had it on.

I am hoping the new Airings hit the market before 2017 and that this product will be the lifesaver I so desperately need.

I switch around between Ambien, ZzzQuil, melatonin, Aleve PM, and other OTC sleep aids.  I don't want to become dependent on any one and I don't want the Ambien to stop working for me or need stronger doses.

My doctor just did a series of X-rays of my back and hips and I will be going for an MRI.  If they can do something to ease the pain I am sure that will help me sleep, as well.

My Fitbit shows a difference of about 30% between Normal and Sensitive settings, i.e., 98% efficiency last night on Normal and 68% on Sensitive.

[angie123]

I can not see my sleep on my computer what can i do? can you help me

[amazongold]

What do you see on your Fitbit dashboard when you log in?  I have mine set to it comes up on my sleep log, and I just log in the time every morning.

[jess05]

I've used Clonozepam for about 2 years.I took 1/4 of the pill before going to bed every night. I stopped them for sleeping tests at the hospital and I noticed that they didn't do much for me. I am on Trazodone and take about 1/10 before going to sleep and at 4 am and it helps a lot. I don't take any when I don't have to get up to go to work. I also noticed that my sleep is affected by my hormones

[AshieKuehn]

Honest to God I do not feel my Flex records enough times, I might have to change it to sensetive. It averages that I'm restelss or awake 16-34 times a night, but most the time its in the 20's and I feel it's WAY more than that. It only records me being AWAKE 2-3 times but I know I'm AWAKE and rolling over at least 7 -12 times a night, how can it not record that?

I've tried many many sleeping pills. At one point I was taking 6 benadryl a night just to sleep. And I still didn't sleep through the night. I average 11 hours of sleep a night TOTAL but the longest period I get straight through is between 1 -3 hours at a time before I wake up. If I get anything over 3 hours I feel like I've been hit by a truck since I have fibromyalgia and not moving for that long makes me stiff. So rolling over after sleeping for more than 3 hours is a big pain.

Going to set my sensor to sensative and see what the report says after a few days.

[jess05]

Mine is on sensetive, and it says I sleep about 3h45 when I do sleep about 7-8 hrs per night. I do move a lot.. Melatonin doesn't work for me so I take a little medication during week nights. I also take natural meds which somemtimes work. 

[annesdottir]

Interesting to hear about the trazedone! My daughter was diagnosed bi-polar — but the troublesome mania was induced by her life long sleeping problem. They tried trazedone for the inactive phase of bi-polar— didn’t work! BUT it made her sleepy - (for the first time in her life) She learned what falling asleep felt like — decided it felt good — and taught herself to fall asleep.

I suggest supplementing the med with figuring out a way to get to sleep - and then titrating off the med. There are lots of ways to do this — dim the lights a half hour before bed time — cut out caffeine after 11:30 am — count sheep — whatever - one or two of those will work! And will work better and faster as you use them consistently.

You can’t lose and will probably win.

I wish you a Pleasant drift slumberwards —Sweet dreams — Rest and Renewal

annesdottir (aka Mom mom and Gran gran)

[jess05]

I've had sleeping problems my whole life. I could write about about it : ) I spent 3 days at the sleep clinic last spring and did get my results. I will have to go to 6 appointments with a sleep psychiatrist. My lack of sleep caused me a lot of problems such as poor health and trouble at school (I'm now a teacher : )  ). I take really good care of my health and have tried everything for my sleeping problems.. even hypnotism. I do not want to take trazodone my whole life since I've heard that it may cause liver problems when taken over long periods of time. Like your daughter, I did discover what REAL sleep felt like when I started taking the pills and I don't regret taking them since I feel like a million dollars. I do regret not having them when I was younger. 

Have a good evening 

[biglou68420]

You may want to get checked for Sleep Apnea.  I take 12.5mg Ambien and 10 mg of Melatonin and also have a CPAP machine.  The machine definitely helps!

[TweedRiver]

Looks like you have Sleep Apena , need to go to sleep clinic talk to your Doctor

[SunsetRunner]

I have the same issue as you. I have tried so many things to determine what my problem is. I'm on the waiting list for a sleep study. I have many dreams every night. Mostly nightmares.

I found a couple of things helpful:

1. Recording my nights sleep on the 'Sleep Talk' app. I can hear how much I move, and whether I'm having trouble breathing (records me gasping and coughing etc)

2. I bought a wrist worn Oximeter from amazon for £60. Tracks my body's oxygen levels throughout the night. I can see a few random drops, plus it also show how many heart rate 'events' I have (I have been diagnosed with a low heart rate - Bradycardia)

3. Don't bother with a Beddit monitor. Totally useless.

With the Fitbit, Sleep Talk app, and Oximeter I have managed to get a fairly good idea of my sleep issues.

I'm now waiting for the new Kickstarter device called Kokoon - uses EEG to track me sleep and brain activity.

Dreams are the body's way of fixing your mental and emotional state at the end of the day. Deep sleep is to repair the body physically. Perhaps you are dreaming so much because you are stressed.

Have you tried any meditation or mindfulness techniques before bed?

[SunsetRunner]

Just a quick response to this... not all devices can prove sleep apnea. Especially in women. I suggest a sleep study. If you wake up more on sleeping pills, it's likely you have a sleep condition. Sleeping pills relax your muscles which would make any issue with your breathing worse...

[TweedRiver]

Totally agree Sleep Study is a must do. TweedRiver Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[lkeller]

I tried the Normal sleep setting for the first two nights & it showed I was awake anywhere from 2-4X & restless 16X (total about 30 minutes).  Concerned this was not accurate as I often toss & turn to get comfortable (usually because something aches), but also know I wake many more times than that (habitual clock checker). 

Last night, I changed the setting to Sensitive & it showed I was awake 2X & restless 27X (total of 277 minutes), which seemed more accurate (instead of recording 8-9 hours of sleep, it showed I got closer to 6 & feel this is accurate from my known sleep issues).  However, this time it also recorded 45 steps (three separate times) & I did not get out of bed.  Is this normal for the sensitivity level? 

Maybe time for a sleep study...

[LindaB777]

I've been going round and round, trying to figure out if my Fitbit Charge HR is recording my sleep correctly on sensitive or if I should have it on normal. I tested a Jawbone UP3, two Fitbits, one on sensitive and one on normal, and a Garmin Vivofit. I made a pdf that shows graphs from each device to compare them. I wake up and toss and turn all night. I’m thinking the Fitbit on sensitive is more correct. It looks like the other trackers are counting the restless sleep as light sleep. Does anyone else have an opinion? Sensitive or normal?

After reading some of these posts; some people who have had sleep studies and had their Fitbit tracker on and someone with a dropcam that showed they were awake, sounds like I should have it on sensitive too. I’m surprised that the other trackers don’t have a sleep setting that they can change.

I found that you can actually change a sleep graph from sensitive to normal or normal to sensitive! Point to the top right corner of the graph with your mouse, then click on edit. At the bottom you will see “Use normal tracker” or “Use sensitive tracker.” Pretty cool!

By the way, I use Seroquel for insomnia. If I didn’t have it, I’d get no sleep at all. I can’t turn off my brain from thinking about stuff. I had a sleep study around 10 years ago. They say I have sleep apnea but the CPAP machine doen't help me sleep.

[Volleyball5]

My experience is much like yours - much tossing and turning which disturbs sleep. I feel like the sensitive setting is extremely accurate and matches my new device by ResMed called the S+. This device also shows your stages if sleep - deep, REM and light.

Sent from my iPhone

[Volleyball5]

We have had similar experiences - and I agree that the FitBit sensitive is very accurate. I have verified it by comparing the graphs to my new device by ResMed, the S+ which also shows stages of sleep - deep, REM and light. I do not always feel rested after CPAP, but I keep trying to master it.

Sent from my iPhone

[AzSeniorette]

This awakening at 3am seems to be a "common" occurrence for all ages nowadays. We newly retirees were thinking it was just our group. I find I'm unable to get any medication or o/counter supplement to help as well. Most leave me w/ next day hangover ... not a sense of complete rest. For awhile Sleepy Time tea worked and then cup of hot chocolate for awhile per doctor's suggestion 1/2 hour before bed. I am now trying more daily physical activity. Good luck to all! I really do like the Alta FitBit... it is helping me with my health issues. Good product.

[AzSeniorette]

Have u tried the new mini mask item that holds your jaw "properly" while sleeping? I t is under $20 on Amazon. I am thinting of trying that as I also felt suffocated with the xleep apnea mask. Also, I finally realized one of my medications was swelling my throat & nasals forcing me to wake up to breathe... Another med issue was pain in my joints and hips and legs from BP med ! First, doc's wanted to pin point fibramialgia ( however spelled). Wanted to give me more med to make me more uncomfortable! Hope you can find a solution for the pain... that alone will help. Trust your instincts on your health.

[annesdottir]

Waking up at 3:00 am might actually be a natural thing. In pre industrial, pre artificial lights, pre late nite TV people used to go to bed sort of with the sunset and wake up sort of with sunrise — making for a long night’s sleep interrupted by a restful dorveille state when one was awake but not troubled by all the day’s worries. Dorveille was followed by the ‘second sleep’. Dorveille became a time for writing, or making love, or praying or meditating, or visiting neighbors. My husband and I have no TV, we live in a quiet woodsy neighborhood, and he has always been a morning person. I now have rediscovered this, as has a contemporary chronobioligist.
BTW if the 3:00 am waking is not pleasant but tense I get up and do Kundalini therapy — and go to bed relaxed and ready for the second sleep.

A longer time in bed combined with dorveille beats all sleeping pills — especially ambien, which only makes you forget the sleeplessness!