Evaluation of Sleep Parameters and Sleep Staging (Slow Wave Sleep) in Athletes by Fitbit Alta HR, a Consumer Sleep Tracking Device

PURPOSE: Sleep is an essential factor for athletes, and it is important to intervene in sleep to manage it. We need a device that can evaluate sleep easily and constantly. Consumer wearable devices can be useful tools for athletes. In order to use consumer wearable devices in clinical research, it is essential to conduct a validation study. Thus, we conducted a validation study to assess the Fitbit Alta HR(TM) (FBA)- a consumer wearable device with an accelerometer and a heart rate monitor to detect sleep stages and quality against electroencephalographic (EEG) studies in athletes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty college athletes participated in the study. EEG was applied to participants simultaneously while wearing FBA. RESULTS: Regarding sleep parameters, there was a strong correlation between the total sleep time (TST)-EEG and the TST-Fitbit (r = 0.83; p < 0.001). Regarding the sleep stages, there was a modest correlation between the N3 sleep-EEG and the N3 sleep-Fitbit (r = 0.68; p < 0.001). In addition, there was a strong correlation between the percentage of N3 sleep in between sleep onset and initial rapid eye movement sleep-EEG and those on Fitbit (r = 0.73; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that FBA facilitates sleep monitoring and exhibits acceptable agreement with EEG. Therefore, FBA is a useful tool in athletes’ sleep management.