How to use Fitbit and the Snore Report to manage sleep apnea

If you struggle to sleep at night, often wake abruptly in the early hours, or feel incredibly drained in the morning, you could be struggling with sleep apnea. It’s a disorder in which the sufferer suddenly and briefly stops breathing. Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but there are ways to discover if you have it and manage the symptoms. Fitbit’s Snore Report is one of those methods. Here’s how to use your Fitbit smartwatch to manage your sleep health better and sleep apnea.

What is Fitbit’s Snore Report?

How does it work?

Fitbit introduced snoring monitoring functionality to its supported devices in September 2021. It uses the smartwatch’s microphone to monitor loud snoring events throughout the night. Those events are logged and collated into a daily Snore Report, which users can study or hand to healthcare professionals for closer inspection.

See also: Everything you need to know about Fitbit’s Sleep Score

Which Fitbit devices can access it?

Only Fitbit’s flagship smartwatches currently feature the Snore & Noise Detect functionality. This includes the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3. Notably, there is an official app for the Versa 2, but it remains in beta and isn’t available for all to download.

Notably, even if you own one of these smartwatches, one crucial puzzle piece remains. You need a Fitbit Premium subscription to access your Snore Report. This means an additional fee of $79 per annum, which should factor into your buying decision if you’re looking for a smartwatch to manage your sleep apnea better.

The Sense and Versa 3 come with a six-month free trial to Premium, so at least you get to test drive this feature before opening your wallet.

Our verdict: Fitbit Sense review | Fitbit Versa 3 review

How can I switch Snore & Noise Detect on?

Find Fitbit’s Snore Report by following these steps:

• Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
• Tap the Sleep tile on the Today tab.
• Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
• Select Detect Snoring to switch it on.

You will need to activate your microphone on your Sense and Versa 3 for this feature to work.

Where can I find my Snore Report?

If you’ve switched on Snore & Noise Detect, you should be able to access a Snore Report the following night. Follow the steps below to find it.

• Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
• Tap the Sleep tile on the Today tab.
• Tap Restoration.
• Finally, select View Snore & Noise Report.

How to use the Snore Report to manage sleep apnea

What does the snore report include?

Fitbit’s Snore Report highlights two factors.

• Noise level: This section details how loudly you snored that night. This data will be presented in a chart with dBA, or relative decibels, on the Y-axis, and time on the X-axis. Notably, snoring noise levels range from 30 dbA (very quiet) to 90 dBA or higher (very loud.)
• Snoring: This section represents how much time you spent snoring during your sleep. It’s presented as a simple bar and percentage. 0—10% is mild, while figures above 40% are termed frequent. Both Snoring events and Total noise are displayed to help viewers differentiate loud background noise from snoring.

Snoring could indicate sleep apnea

According to an Oxford Academic study, quoted by Fitbit, snoring may indicate an underlying sleep condition, like sleep apnea. It also results in adverse sleeping conditions for partners, who struggle to remain asleep when snoring volume increases. Using your Fitbit smartwatch to monitor snoring is at least one helpful tool for managing sleep hygiene and conditions.

Share your data with a doctor

Fitbit stresses that the data garnered by its smartwatches shouldn’t be used as a substitute for a medical professional, and we agree. If you notice worsening trends on your Snore Report, we suggest contacting your doctor before self-diagnosing. This data can also provide health professionals with more context and hard data. Fitbit’s devices won’t alert or diagnose you with sleep apnea. Only a doctor can do that.

Fitbit alternatives with snore detection

Notably, for all the emergency features Fitbit lacks, it’s among the front runners regarding snoring detection features. Few, if any, rivals feature baked-in snore detection. But if you aren’t shopping for a Fitbit, the alternatives below will also keep tabs on your snoring at night.

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (Amazon): Samsung’s 2021 flagship smartwatch gained snore detection a few months after its release. You will, however, need your phone nearby as it uses the phone’s microphone rather than the smartwatch.
• Apple Watch Series 7 (Amazon): There’s no official snore detection support for the Apple Watch, but third-party apps like Snore Control can monitor your snoring events and audio through your iPhone or iPad’s microphone.

In terms of tracking sleep apnea specifically, it’s also worth considering the Withings ScanWatch. This hybrid watch is geared entirely towards monitoring heart health. It also features clinically validated notifications that will alert users of atrial fibrillation (AFib) or breathing disturbances detected overnight.

If you’re serious about tracking your nightly snoring, consider purchasing a dedicated device like the Withings Sleep sleep tracking mat or the 2nd generation Google Nest Hub as a bedside monitor. You will need a Fitbit Premium account to use the latter, though.

More reading: The best sleep trackers you can buy in 2022

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