How does Samsung health measure sleep?(Find out!)

In this guide, we will discuss “How does Samsung health measure sleep” and some additional things worth knowing about Samsung health such as how does Samsung Health measure my sleeping habits if I only have a smartphone and what happens if I have a smartwatch.

How does Samsung health measure sleep?

Knowing how Samsung health measures sleep may seem important to you and to answer your question, this special feature is largely automated so you don’t have to do anything for it to kick in once you put your device down as you go to sleep. Some people have suggested that the app starts recording your sleep pattern within 30 minutes after going to sleep. 

Sometimes we wonder if we are getting enough sleep or why we get up feeling tired after sleeping. It is important to know that the quality and length of your sleep will influence how you feel throughout your day. If you sleep just a few hours then, the probability of feeling tired and cranky while having a good night’s sleep contributes to your mood and will allow you to be productive.

However, if you are wondering how you could track your sleep pattern to figure out your circadian rhythm, Samsung Health is one of the best options available. When you connect your wearable device like a Samsung Galaxy smartwatch or Fitbit, Samsung Health can accurately track your sleeping patterns based on the time and activity, along with the movements you make while you are sleeping. But if you don’t have a smartwatch here we will tell you how to use your phone to track your sleeping habits.

Record your sleep

The Samsung Health sleep tracker is mostly done automatically since it will just kick in by itself once you have put your device down as you go to sleep. Therefore, there is no need to keep it in bed with you, instead, just put it wherever you normally put it. As we have mentioned, the app will start recording 30 minutes after you have gone to sleep.

As indicated by Amboy Manlo from android.gadgecthacks.com, “if you wake up in the middle of the night to check briefly your device, Samsung Health won’t register the time you rose if you only use your handset for less than five minutes and go back to sleep. Once you wake up for good come morning, the app will register your wake time from the moment you pick up your phone to access it”.

Using your phone as soon as you wake up

For most of us, waking up and instantly grabbing our phone to check the Facebook feed or emails we have received during the night will allow the Samsung Health app to accurately record your wake time. However, if you belong to the group of people that has breakfast, takes a shower and gets ready before even grabbing the phone for the first time then, most likely, you’ll have to edit the time you woke up for a more accurate recording.

Finally, to check your sleeping habits, tap on the checkmark button on the upper-right within the sleep tile inside your Samsung Health app. This will give you the recorded time and length of your sleep.

Option to edit your sleep time target

If you configure your profile information such as your age and gender, your Samsung Health will automatically preconfigure your sleep time target, so pretty much, you don’t have to do anything else. However, the targets may not be as accurate to reflect your daily routine. For instance, if you usually work the night shift then, having a sleeping target from 11 pm to 6 am may not be realistic.

If this is the case then you will need to adjust your sleep target yourself within the app. Again, just tap on the sleep tile and you will find a three-dot menu in the top-right corner where you will see the option ‘Set target’. From here, simply swipe on the time bars for the options ‘Bedtime’ and ‘Wake-up time’ to set your sleep target manually. 

What if I have a Smartwatch?

As indicated by Samsung, “Samsung Health records and manages your 24-hour activity and sleeping patterns to cultivate a healthy habit. When connecting your Galaxy Watch Active to your mobile devices, you can save and manage the health-related data on the Samsung Health app. When you exercise for more than 10 minutes while wearing the Galaxy Watch Active, it will display an encouraging message”.

Consequently, after one hour of inactivity, your Galaxy Watch will notify you and show you some stretching motions to follow. If you are asleep, Samsung Health will analyse your sleeping pattern and record it by measuring your heart rate.

A graph will appear with your sleeping patterns and the average sleeping patterns of people in the same age group as you. However, if your heart rate shows irregular patterns then, your Watch won’t be able to recognise your heart rate properly. Additionally, remember to activate the ‘Record REM’ sleep switch to activate it by going into Settings in your device.

Monitoring your sleep habits

If you have a wearable device such as the Samsung Gear S then, it is important to understand that this type of device has a gyroscope which can detect any movement, even when you are sleeping. Needless to say, before you go to sleep, wear your Samsung watch and connect it to your smartphone. Tap on the Samsung Health app and click ‘sleep’. 

Subsequently, you will be asked to read some information related to measuring your sleep when you use it for the first time. To use it, just tap OK and then tap where it says ‘Record sleep, after you wake up, tap “I’m awake” so it will stop recording your sleeping pattern. 

Why is this blog about How does Samsung health measure sleep important?

As we have discussed, there are two options Samsung Health can measure sleep. This is through a wearable or your phone. The Samsung Health sleep tracker is mostly done automatically since it will just kick in by itself once you have put your device down as you go to sleep. 

Therefore, there is no need to keep it in bed with you, instead, just put it wherever you normally put it. As we have mentioned, the app will start recording 30 minutes after you have gone to sleep. In contrast, wearable devices have a gyroscope and heart rate sensor to identify more accurately the stages present in your sleeping pattern.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about How does Samsung health measure sleep

References 

Manalo, A. (2018, Dec.) Record Your Sleep Patterns with Samsung Health — No Wearables Needed. Retrieved from android.gadgethacks.com.

Samsung.com: “How do I use the Samsung Health features?”

Mainenewsonline.com: “How Accurate is the Samsung Health App?”