Fitness tracker manufacturer Fitbit has released a simple yet powerful set of sleep tools to help Fitbit users around the world improve their sleep consistency and overall health.
Sleep plays a critical role in health and wellbeing, from protecting against cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, to boosting neurocognitive functions, mental health and longevity.
Available on the free Fitbit app and compatible with all Fitbit devices that track sleep, Fitbit?s new Sleep Schedule feature helps guide users get a more consistent pattern of sleep with:
? Personalized sleep goals based on your sleep data to achieve your optimal amount of sleep each night
? Customized bedtime and wakeup targets to establish sleep consistency
? Reminders to stay on schedule, and a sleep schedule history to chart your progress
The tools are the first in a series of new sleep features being developed in collaboration with Fitbit?s new panel of sleep experts that includes Michael Grandner at the University of Arizona, Allison Siebern at Stanford University, and Michael Smith at Johns Hopkins University.
According to Fitbit?s sleep experts, adhering to a consistent sleep routine is one of the most important things people can do to improve their sleep.
?If you?re constantly changing your sleep routine, it can have the same effect as giving yourself jetlag because you are continually changing your circadian rhythm, also known as your internal clock, which can negatively impact your health and wellness,? said Grandner.
?To improve your physical performance, mental health and cognitive functions, you should aim to get a sufficient amount of sleep each night and be consistent with the times you go to sleep and wake up each day. Fitbit?s new Sleep Schedule tool makes it easier for people to see how much sleep they’re actually getting in order to establish a healthy routine ? this has the potential to help millions of people around the world improve their sleep and overall wellbeing, which is really exciting.?
Research has shown that getting enough sleep can also positively impact how much exercise one can get the next day and is vital to post-training recovery, playing an integral role in the body?s ability to repair itself.
Additionally, Fitbit data also shows a correlation between consistent bedtimes and daily active minutes, especially for users who go to bed early each night.
Users who sleep an average of 7 to 9 hours nightly also have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who sleep only 3 to 4 hours per night, while those who are overweight or obese (BMI over 25) on average sleep over an hour (70 minutes) less per week than those with a normal BMI (BMI 18.5-25).
