Learn More: How Fitbit Developed the Sleep Profile Experience (Part 1 - Background)

[RebeccaFitbit]

Fitbit is always looking for ways to help users sleep better. You may already be aware of some ways your Fitbit can help you get a better night’s rest, especially if you regularly check your Sleep Score, but did you know that we’ve dialed even deeper into sleep insights to help you understand your sleep health in a whole new way? 

The personalized Sleep Profile with Fitbit Premium goes beyond nightly tracking to analyze your sleep over a month-long period. It consists of three components: your monthly sleep analysis based on 10 key sleep metrics, education and guidance, and your Sleep Animal. Curious about how Fitbit researchers went about creating this important new feature? Keep reading to learn more—direct from the source.

We chatted with Karla Gleichauf, a research scientist on the Consumer Health Research Team, which leverages Fitbit biometric data to help users sleep better. Her recent work includes studies on population trends in sleep and health outcomes, in addition to inventing and developing the Sleep Profile. As a Fitbitter with nearly 7 years under her belt, Karla has worked in several research areas including physical activity, diabetes, and now sleep. 

Where did the idea for Sleep Profile come from?

KARLA: We wanted to help users learn about their sleeping patterns and understand how they could sleep better. This meant developing an experience that assessed users’ sleep health with their Fitbit data. Healthy sleep is not the absence of sleep problems but instead, it promotes physical and mental well-being, and is associated with positive health outcomes. 

If we could measure users’ sleep health, we also had the opportunity to see if there were distinct sleeper types, a question that is an active area of research in sleep science. We thought that telling a user about their sleeper type would be a fun, approachable, and nonjudgmental way to learn about their sleep. It would also provide a benchmark of people who sleep like them. With Sleep Profile, we’re able to provide scientific rigor packaged in a delightful way, to provide insight and guidance to users.

Why is Fitbit well positioned to take on this challenge?

Fitbit has been pioneering sleep tracking since 2009, including metrics like Sleep Score to help users get a more granular look at their overall sleep, and incorporating tips for how to become more rested and recharged. Using a Fitbit to track sleep has key advantages, even over a sleep lab. For one thing, you can see a holistic view of sleep metrics dating as far back as you’d like. Thanks to Fitbit’s history, and the prevalence of devices, we set about analyzing 22 billion hours of sleep data.

Want to learn more about the Sleep Score and how the sleep animals were chosen? Stay tuned to the The Pulse for Part 2! 

Have questions about your Sleep Score or sleeping better in general? Join the discussion in our Fitbit Community! 

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.