Interpreting Garmin watch sleep report

[DaveL]

I wear a Garmin watch that monitors heart rate, and provides a sleep report using Garmin Connect.

Last night it reports
* 7 hours 9 minutes sleep
* 48 minutes deep sleep
* 6 hours 21 minutes light sleep

This is pretty typical. Best is perhaps 1 hr 30 minutes.

I'm concerned. Why can't I have longer deep sleep intervals?

[mesenteria]

Why?  My guess, and that's all I can offer you, is that...……………………...……………...………………………….it suffices.

Does your app give you an approximation/guesstimate of sleep efficiency?  What does that figure tell you?  My Samsung Gear S2 tells me, via its controlling on-my-phone app called SHealth, what the sleep efficiency was.  If it's north of 95%, I'd say you are doing really well.

However, and more directly, it could be that you are experiencing arousals that prevent you from entering, or remaining in, deep sleeps cycles.  You aren't obviously aware of this, but it doesn't mean it's not happening.  You'd need a sleep lab for this, or readouts from software that claims to be able to detect RERA's. (Respiration Effort Related Arousals)  If we could see several days worth of data posted in OSCAR by you...…...………...

See OSCAR in the top blackened marquee.

[Stom]

I wear a Garmin watch that monitors heart rate, and provides a sleep report using Garmin Connect.

Last night it reports
* 7 hours 9 minutes sleep
* 48 minutes deep sleep
* 6 hours 21 minutes light sleep

This is pretty typical. Best is perhaps 1 hr 30 minutes.

I'm concerned. Why can't I have longer deep sleep intervals?

The first question probably shouldn't be "Why can't I have longer deep sleep intervals?" but "Is the Garmin sleep reporting accurate?". It's based on actigraphy and heart rate variability. Garmin's own study claims 70% accuracy in scoring sleep stages compared to home PSG testing, but the study specifically excluded people on CPAP.

The next question is what is a "normal" or average amount of deep sleep for randomly selected subjects not on CPAP as scored by the Garmin? The study I linked to says 15.5%. Based on your 7 hour and 9 minute sleep time, 15.5% would be 1 hour and 6 minutes. Your amount of deep sleep isn't all that far off the average in the study. And the amount of deep sleep decreases significantly with age according to this graph from the study, so your amount of deep sleep could be average for your age group:
   

[RNeil]

I use what looks like a Fitbit clone and a phone app called VeryFitPro. It sounds like it is like Garmin without the navigation functions. It detects sleep by movement and heart rate.

I feel tired if I get less than 1 hour 30 minutes deep sleep. I feel better if I get 2 or 3 hours. I am not saying this is normal. I wish I could get the heart rate data on Oscar.

[Sleeprider]

I had a Garmin until I cracked the screen and wore it in the salt-water pool. I would get a lot of variation on deep sleep and could approach 3 hours hat times out of 8. Normally about 1.5 to 2 hours. I think the watch is highly dependent on movement to determine sleep stage.

[DaveL]

I wear a Garmin watch that monitors heart rate, and provides a sleep report using Garmin Connect.

Last night it reports
* 7 hours 9 minutes sleep
* 48 minutes deep sleep
* 6 hours 21 minutes light sleep

This is pretty typical. Best is perhaps 1 hr 30 minutes.

I'm concerned. Why can't I have longer deep sleep intervals?

The first question probably shouldn't be "Why can't I have longer deep sleep intervals?" but "Is the Garmin sleep reporting accurate?". It's based on actigraphy and heart rate variability. Garmin's own study claims 70% accuracy in scoring sleep stages compared to home PSG testing, but the study specifically excluded people on CPAP.

The next question is what is a "normal" or average amount of deep sleep for randomly selected subjects not on CPAP as scored by the Garmin? The study I linked to says 15.5%. Based on your 7 hour and 9 minute sleep time, 15.5% would be 1 hour and 6 minutes. Your amount of deep sleep isn't all that far off the average in the study. And the amount of deep sleep decreases significantly with age according to this graph from the study, so your amount of deep sleep could be average for your age group:

Thanks so much! That helps.
* my new sleep doc increased my pressure from 11 to 13 so I would enjoy more time in deep sleep. Glad he did.
I recently increased it to 14, and set EPR for the first time.

[DaveL]

I use what looks like a Fitbit clone and a phone app called VeryFitPro. It sounds like it is like Garmin without the navigation functions. It detects sleep by movement and heart rate.

I feel tired if I get less than 1 hour 30 minutes deep sleep. I feel better if I get 2 or 3 hours. I am not saying this is normal. I wish I could get the heart rate data on Oscar.

Thanks.
I seldom get more than 2

I feel tired most days. I'm trying to increase my time asleep.

[DaveL]

I had a Garmin until I cracked the screen and wore it in the salt-water pool.  I would get a lot of variation on deep sleep and could approach 3 hours hat times out of 8. Normally about 1.5 to 2 hours.  I think the watch is highly dependent on movement to determine sleep stage.

I wanted to know heart rate.

sleep report is a bonus.

I doubt it's accurate....I try to compare OSCAR to Garmin without much luck.

[DaveL]

OSCAR is my primary tool that truly helps my treatment for sleep apnea.

My Garmin watch is convenient. However, it's main use is for sleep hygiene. How much time did I spend asleep? Did I actually have any "deep sleep"? And it lets me know what my resting heart rate was.

I expect that a more modern Garmin watch would be even better. However, budget restrains....

[Sleeprider]

I had a Garmin until I cracked the screen and wore it in the salt-water pool.  I would get a lot of variation on deep sleep and could approach 3 hours hat times out of 8. Normally about 1.5 to 2 hours.  I think the watch is highly dependent on movement to determine sleep stage.

I wanted to know heart rate.

sleep report is a bonus.

I doubt it's accurate....I try to compare OSCAR to Garmin without much luck.

Today I'm waiting on a replacement iPhone to arrive since I wore that into the salt water pool too.