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Sleep Monitor not suitable for people with low resting heart rate

Bautschx
27 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 25 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 24 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 24 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 23 days 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.

  • 0 22 days ago

    I provided some experiences/examples with garmin support. Have been mixing FR959 and Sleep Index, experimenting a bit, so not super clear. Still, there's something not quite working for me.

  • 0 18 days ago in reply to Bautschx

    Hi!

    Would it be possible for you to sleep with both your Index Sleep Monitor and your Venu X1 being worn for several days. We are aware that will cause the watch to overwrite the Sleep Monitor in Connect, but we will be able to compare the data from both devices.

    Just to verify, you are wearing the Sleep Monitor with the sensor on the outside or back of your bicep correct?

  • 0 18 days ago in reply to Garmin-Tracy

    Hi Tracy,
    yes, I can do that. I’m currently installing the latest software update, so maybe that will also improve the results. I slept with the Sleep Monitor again last night, putting it on about 20 minutes before going to bed. After roughly 15 minutes, the heart rate dropped to a more normal level, though still about 10% higher than my actual heart rate. I also wore it on the inside of my bicep instead of the outside and the readings were better. I’ll try wearing both devices for several nights as you suggested.

  • 0 18 days ago

    In my case (only after 2 nights wearing it - on v3.60 firmware) I have not experienced this behavior. 

    May be it's a coincidence but for these 2 nights, my HRV and Body Battery levels felt to be optimistic in regards to what I would have thought. Not dramatically higher but I will keep an eye on this ! (edit : I am not the only one it seems)

    Otherwise I'm really happy with the device so far, I was a bit worried about the feel as I sleep on the side and switch sides during the night. No issue sleeping on the side where the monitor is installed. 

  • 0 17 days ago

    I tied the sleep index to a new garmin account and been comparing FR955 with Sleep index and H10 (chest strap).
    For HRV:

    For avg HR:

    all on version 3.60. Release notes for 3.70 were very cryptic; don't expect anything to change?