So how do you get your profile and use it to start getting better sleep? Here’s all you need to know…
What Are Fitbit Sleep Profiles?
Fitbit Sleep Profiles assign you an animal character based on your sleeping patterns, with your Fitbit tracker gathering data over the course of the month. Examples of Sleep Profiles include the tortoise, the dolphin, the hedgehog, the giraffe, the bear, and the parrot. Each character has unique characteristics. For example, the parrot has a consistent bedtime, experiences deep sleep, and falls asleep quickly, but is light on REM sleep.
These characters are part of Fitbit’s philosophy that health isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather than prescribing everyone the same type and amount of sleep, these profiles are based on patterns that have emerged from users. It will have insights based on your sleeping patterns that you can use to improve your sleep.
Fitbit Sleep Profiles are one way that technology can help you sleep better, so if you’re curious, here’s what to know about how to get your own profile.
How to Get Your Fitbit Sleep Profile
To get your Sleep Profile, you need an active Fitbit Premium subscription and to wear your tracker for at least 14 nights in a calendar month. The more you wear your tracker, the more accurate your Sleep Profile. If you’re highly interested in your sleep data, this could be one of those features that makes Fitbit Premium worth it.
Sleep Profiles arrive on the first day of the new month. For example, tracking 14 nights in November means that you will receive your Fitbit Sleep Profile on 1 December. Once your profile is ready, you can access it in the Fitbit app. You can also keep track of how many nights you’ve logged in your sleep analytics section of the app.
To get your Fitbit Sleep Profile, simply open the app and follow these steps:
Select the Premium tab. Tap on Sleep Profile. This opens up your analysis for the previous month. Here you will see tabs such as Metrics, Sleep Profile, and History.
The profile will show you your sleep character and a list of metrics. Tap on the Sleep Profile option under your character to get more insights into what your sleep character means.
Under Metrics, you’ll find information on how you measured in a particulate metric (such as sleep schedule variability), how other Fitbit users measured, and a highlighted ideal range.
You can use this information to see whether you fall within the ideal range for your sleep profile.
As the app notes: “Your Monthly Sleep Analysis is calculated within your Sleep Profile, and offers a more detailed look at the factors that Fitbit uses to assess your sleep”.
Each metric is explained and you can expand the description by tapping see more. If you land in the middle of the ideal range, this means you are on track for that particular metric according to your sleep patterns. If you fall outside of the range, it means that this may be an area of improvement.
For example, if you fall outside the ideal range for Sleep schedule variability, you can try to set a more consistent bedtime—regardless of whether that bedtime is early (like for bears) or late (like for giraffes).
You can also access History to see your Sleep Animal history for different months Your character can change based on a number of factors, including your sleep habits changing. For example, during a busy month with lots of work trips, you may end up napping in between meetings and sleeping at night much less, which could result in your sleep profile changing.
The main aim is to be aware of your sleep habits, see which areas have room for improvement, and accepting that there’s not one type of sleep for everybody—we’re all different.
Start Sleeping Better With Fitbit Sleep Profiles
Now you know how to get started with your Fitbit Sleep Profile. Make sure to wear your tracker often to get the best insights possible so you can look forward to improving your overall sleep health.
