Can Fitbit Trackers Detect The Snores? Are They Accurate?

Fitbit & Sleeping Mode

Fitbit has blessed almost 95% of its tracker with sleep mode, one way or another. From the era of clippers to modern smartwatch times where Sense 2 and Sense are flag bearers of the modern Fitbit line-up, you will find competent sleep mode in all of them. Of course the topic of accuracy is something which will remain up for debate for better part of our lives, for now this is the best we can get.

However, just because Fitbit can track sleep doesn’t mean they don’t have certain conditions which they want you to adhere to before they present you with shiny graphs. These rules and regulations becomes even more important when the matter at hand is napping or sleep sensitivity. So if you want to have the data you will have to follow a routine, which to an extent is fine. It is alright to follow a routine if we are going to get something in return.

Unfortunately, the ick of snore detection system from Fitbit is that there is another equation at play here. One that demands that the user spends money before they can access the insights from their beloved.

Will Fitbit Track Your Snore During Night?

The answer is yes, your Fitbit tracker can detect the sleep, but there are certain conditions which need to met before you can do it. First is that you got to have the smartwatch model in your arms. So, yes I am talking about Versa 3 & Versa 4 as well as Sense 2 and Sense. There is a special reason why only Fitbit smartwatches can track the snore, we will get onto it very soon.

Another condition set forth by Fitbit is that you must have slept at least 3 hours. If you would’ve slept for something like hour and half forget about the snore detection, your Fitbit might not even log it well just as the sleep itself. Fitbit is very cagey when it comes to sleep mode.

Even after years it seems they don’t have the ability to detect when you have fallen asleep. Because from what we know right now your Fitbit declares you asleep when your RHR falls below the certain threshold and your movement is idle. However, in this case a question can be asked then why does it take Fitbit whole 180 minutes before they can be sure?

The answer for which you are most likely to get is: It’s Fitbit, ain’t it mate?

How Can Fitbit Detect The Volume?

Remember when we talked about we will discuss the exclusivity of smartwatches, and why they are the only Fitbit devices able to detect the snore? Well, the easy to understand reason for this is down to the hardware availability. Your Fitbit smartwatches and I am only talking about those 4 at least until the Versa 5 and Sense 3 are not released to market are the only four Fitbit devices with microphone in them.

Of course, that is not to say that there weren’t (aren’t) other Fitbit tracker which have the microphone. I guess there will be fair few of them, but when it comes to snore detection there are only these four – at least as of right now who can give you this ability at your hand.

Is It Possible For Tracker To Tell Apart Snore Of Two People?

As a matter of fact, nope. Your Fitbit tracker regardless of what it can do or not do it won’t be able to tell apart your snore from your partner or the pet (if there is one). So, your best option is to file for divorce and show the door to your dog, if you want that snore detection report in your dashboard. Or else you can say goodbye to it, or hello to skewed data.

Another cavet associated with Fitbit snore reporting is that it requires at least 40% of the smartwatch charged before you hit the bed. Not to mention this is minimum requirement, if you don’t want to take the chances 60-70% is where you should be aiming.

“But I Don’t Have The Premium Subscription!”

In this case you cannot use the snore detection by Fitbit despite having the let’s say Fitbit Sense 2. Fitbit has made it abruptly clear that they require the premium subscription before you can access this set of data.

For those who are not aware Fitbit premium subscription can cost anywhere from $60-80 for an year. Although, it is not very expansive, probably cheaper than what you pay for Netflix and other streaming services, given there is no inherent need of it, it offers nothing ground braking I don’t see how can I – at least – convince anyone for it. If snore detection is what you want go for it. If not I will let the Fitbit to convince you for it.

Does Fitbit Charge 5 Has The Snore Detection?

No. Your Fitbit Charge 5 is not able to track snore detection.

Since Fitbit Charge 5 doesn’t have the microphone. You cannot expect it to record the snores for you. That is both illogical and too reliant on your tracker. Even though it is true that Fitbit released the Charge 5 in the 2021 and this feature: snore detection was introduced around the same time, but given the hardware insufficiency it is just not possible for Charge 5 to do anything about it.

What Can You Learn From Snore Report By Fitbit!

Based on research from Oxford Academic, as cited by Fitbit, snoring could be a potential indicator of an underlying sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. Additionally, it creates unfavorable sleeping conditions for partners who find it challenging to stay asleep when the volume of snoring intensifies. By using your Fitbit smartwatch to track snoring can be a good use of it to know where you stand and how you can describe your situation to a doctor.

Even though Fitbit emphasizes that the information collected by its smartwatches should not be relied upon as a replacement for medical advice, a statement we endorse. If you observe concerning trends in your Snore Report, it is recommended to consult your doctor rather than attempting self-diagnosis. This data can offer health professionals valuable insights and concrete information. It’s also important to note that Fitbit’s devices are not designed to issue alerts or diagnose sleep apnea; only a qualified medical professional can perform such assessments.

Always Keep Your Fitbit On Your Wrist!

If you are the user of Fitbit premium as well as the rightful owner of the latest Fitbit smartwatch then all you need to do to have the snore detection system up and running is to turn it on from the settings.

To turn on or turn off snore and noise detection:

• From Today tab  in the Fitbit app, tap the Sleep duration tile.
• Tap the gear icon .
• Tap the switch next to Detect Snoring. When you turn on snore and noise detection for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions.

Since Fitbit uses the built-in microphone of the device it is also important to ensure that your Fitbit smartwatch has the microphone turned on from the settings. Many times the reason you see no data or nonsense data is because of this reason.

As for seeing the data in Fitbit dashboard follow these steps:

• Wear your Fitbit device to sleep. Snore and noise detection doesn’t analyze previous nights’ sleep. You receive your first report the day after you turn on the feature.
• When you wake up, open the Fitbit app on your phone. From the Today tab  , tap the Sleep duration tile.
• Tap a sleep log Restoration tile.
• Swipe to the bottom of the page to find the Snore and Noise section. Tap View Snore & Noise Report. Your report shows the amount of time your device detected snoring and a chart of the noise level throughout the night.

The amount of snoring is categorized as:

• None to mild (less than 10% of the total time you were asleep)
• Moderate (10-40% of the total time you were asleep)
• Frequent (more than 40% of the total time you were asleep)

The noise level chart shows the volume of your sleeping environment in A-weighted decibels (dBA), which measures the relative loudness of sounds to the human ear. A dBA of 0 doesn’t mean there’s no sound, but that it’s not audible to the human ear. For example, a soft whisper is 30 dBA and a coffee grinder is 70-80 dBA. Your overall noise level is categorized as:

• Very quiet (30 dBA or lower)
• Quiet (30-50 dBA)
• Moderate (50-70 dBA)
• Loud (70-90 dBA)
• Very loud (90 dBA or higher)

It should be noted that it is very mandatory that your Fitbit don’t run out of battery in the night. If it did due to faulty battery or not having enough juice your Fitbit smartwatch will show you incomplete data.