Fitbit Takes On Samsung With New Sleep Analysis Feature
Fitbit's Sleep Profiles feature analyzes your sleep and assigns an animal that symbolizes your habits.
The Luxe (left) next to the Fitbit Sense (right).
Fitbit devices have tracked sleep for years, but the company is now doing more to help you make sense of that data.
Fitbit's new Sleep Profile feature, which the Google-owned fitness company announced Wednesday, analyzes wearers' sleep each month based on 10 metrics. It then compares those readings against what's considered typical for a person's age and gender. Fitbit's update is the latest sign that tech giants are paying more attention to the importance of sleep as it relates to overall wellness.
Fitbit's Sleep Profile seemingly has a lot in common with Samsung's Sleep Coaching feature, which the smartphone maker announced for the Galaxy Watch 4 back in February. Both programs assign wearers a specific animal meant to symbolize their sleeping patterns. (For instance, Samsung says I'm a "sensitive hedgehog.")
Read more: Fitbit Tips: 12 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Fitness Device
Fitbit's new Sleep Profile feature assigns an animal to symbolize your sleep patterns.
In a blog post, Fitbit said the animals can change each month based on the data collected, and there's no ideal animal. Each symbol has been crafted to give you a better understanding of your sleep. Fitbit's Sleep Profile will also incorporate new metrics such as sleep schedule variability, the amount of time before you reach a sound sleep and disrupted sleep.
You'll need to wear a compatible tracker during sleep for at least 14 nights per calendar month, and profiles should appear in the Fitbit app on the first of each month. Sleep Profile is available only for Fitbit Premium users and will be available in the Fitbit app for the Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe and Inspire 2.
The launch comes after Apple announced plans to upgrade the Apple Watch's sleep-tracking functionality, which has been lacking compared with what's offered by Fitbit, Samsung, Oura and other makers of wearable devices. With the WatchOS 9 update coming this fall, Apple's smartwatch will finally be able to track specific stages of sleep.
Fitbit is also updating its sleep-tracking functionality ahead of the Pixel Watch's launch later this year. Google said the Pixel Watch will inherit some of Fitbit's fitness-oriented features, like sleep tracking and Active Zone Minutes. But we're expecting to hear more specifics closer to the watch's launch.
It's also not the first time Fitbit has launched a feature with similarities to its competitors. It added a Daily Readiness Score to certain trackers and watches back in November, which tells users whether they're ready for a tough workout or if they should take it easy. Companies such as Oura and Whoop previously offered similar recovery-focused features.
