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Sleep Monitor not suitable for people with low resting heart rate

Bautschx
4 days ago

Hi everyone,
I wanted to share my experience with the Garmin Sleep Monitor, which unfortunately doesn't work for me.

I’ve always had a naturally low resting heart rate – on some days it even drops to around 37 to 40 bpm. I’ve used several Garmin watches over the years, currently the Tactix 8, and with those devices, heart rate and HRV tracking during sleep has worked well. Sleep and wake-up times were also detected accurately.

With the Sleep Monitor, however, things are very different. When I lie down to rest and my actual heart rate is around 45 bpm, the device often shows values around 90 bpm. Sometimes this lasts for several minutes, sometimes even hours. As a result, the sleep tracking is completely off.

My assumption is that the Sleep Monitor is very energy-efficient and can't handle low heart rate situations properly. That would explain why the data is so inaccurate in my case.

I really like the idea of not having to wear a watch at night, but unless this gets improved with an update, the Sleep Monitor sadly doesn’t work for me.

Would be great to hear if others with low resting heart rate have had similar experiences.

  • 0 3 days ago
    Bautschx said:
    currently

    Same, RHR can go to low 30's. Sleep Index seems unable to track this. Opened a support ticket and hope this gets fixed in software soon. At the moment the thing worthless to me. It doesn't do the only thing it can ...

  • +1 2 days ago

    Hello!

    It would be helpful if we could get the following information from folks experiencing this

    1. What are you comparing the heart rate to? (Perceived knowledge? A previous device? If so, which one)
    2. Software Version for the Index Sleep Monitor
    3. Have you reviewed Putting on the Index Sleep Monitor Sleep Band for information about proper fit?
    4. Have you reviewed Tips for Wearing the Sleep Band for additional tips?
    5. Have you verified the Sensor is clean and there are no cracks?
    6. Do you have any Tattoos in the area where you are wearing the Index Sleep Monitor? Do you have a lighter/darker Skin Tone? (While our devices are designed for all skin tones, melanin levels can impact readings)
    7. Have you verified your User Profile Data in the Garmin Connect App?
    8. Are you wearing both your watch and the Sleep Index at the same time?
    9. May we review your Garmin Connect App data?
    10. Are the OHR lights (green LEDs on watch still flashing) after you take if off your wrist?

     We recommend charging whichever device you are not actively wearing to ensure that OHR lights are off

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to Garmin-Tracy

    Hi Tracy,
    I’ve compared it with my Garmin watch as well as with my WHOOP band. Apart from that, I generally know whether my heart rate is at 40 or 90 bpm – I don’t necessarily need a reference device for that.

    If I’m wearing the Sleep Monitor and my Garmin and WHOOP both show a heart rate of, say, 38, but the Sleep Monitor displays 90, then clearly something isn’t working right.

    I made sure to wear it correctly as instructed, and the sensor is clean and undamaged. Yes, I do have tattoos on my upper arm, but I also tested the Sleep Monitor on an area without tattoos – unfortunately, the measurements were inaccurate there as well.

    No, I don’t wear both devices during sleep – only the Sleep Monitor. You’re welcome to check the data in the Garmin Connect app.

    And yes, the light is definitely on throughout the night, although last night the monitor failed completely – constant dropouts.

  • 0 1 day ago

    I got the Index Sleep Monitor this past Monday. So far every night when I put the band on the RHR starts off at around 150 BPM. It seems to take at least 5 to 10 minutes before it starts to drop and get to my normal which I know to be around 50-60 BPM. Not sure why it does this but just sharing my experience.