FitBit Sleepers!

[starpuck]

Hey FitBitters - how do you guys feel about the sleep tracking?

 

A useful glance?

Totally inaccurate?

Meh?

 

I know I have been a fidgety sleeper for years.   I wake up 2-3x a night just for a WC visit!    And I often wake up when I am rolling over, etc.    So it dawned on me a long time ago, that I may not be getting the most restful forms of sleep - but if that's how you've always slept, does it really affect your rest?

 

Now that I have a Fitbit, it's giving me stats.   And in the week I've worn it, I average 2-3x wake up per night, and an additional 14-18x restless.    The combined stirring accounts for upwards of an hour each night of restless sleep.     

 

And taking that info ... what can be done to make yourself a LESS restless sleeper?

[AmberVon]

Good question.

 

I'm like you.  I'm usually a really restless sleeper.  I use the FitBit sleeping tracker only occasionally out of curiosity but I do find it pretty interesting.  I don't know what else to do to settle down, though.  My bed is comfortable.  I don't have any nightlights.  We don't have a TV in our room or anything.  I usually go to be at the same time, etc.  

[Krisis]

I don't track my sleep any more because the FitBit was driving me nuts with it.  But I am an extremely restless sleeper.  I wake up 5-10 times a night, every time I roll over... which is often... gah.  I ended up taking prescription sleeping medication for a while and that was amazing.  I've never felt so rested in my life.  But obviously it's not something I want to get hooked on or continue doing.  So mostly I just suffer through my crappy sleep at night and supplement with a nap during the day.  I can pull that off since I don't work, though.  If I did work I would probably die :-) 

 

Sorry I'm not helpful.  I'm just relieved I'm not the only one who wakes up when they roll over!  (My husband sleeps like the dead, too.  It's ridiculous.  He falls asleep within 30 seconds of putting his head on the pillow.  It usually takes me 30-60 minutes to fall asleep!) 

[obax]

I have found some success with taking a melatonin supplement. It doesn't necessarily make me sleep longer, or even get to sleep faster, but I usually feel more rested after using it compared to when I don't, and there's no drowsiness in the morning. If you're going to take it long-term, you may want to discuss with your doctor, but it might be something to try short-term to see if it helps, and if it does, then ask the doc about taking it regularly.

 

The other thing I've heard that can help with restless sleep is finding a way to de-stress, for example meditation. I find my sleep to be much more restless when my stress/anxiety levels are up, so bringing those down is helpful. I'm not a regular meditator, so I can't comment on it's effectiveness re: sleep quality, but it might be something to try. At the very least, I don't think it can hurt...