ELI5 Activity Trackers - how do they detect deep sleep?

ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

What are the creative ways people fool their FitBit? How does my activity tracker differentiate between steps and my tapping to a rhythm? Does it use GPS to calibrate? How does it know what stage of sleep I'm in?

 

... We explain like i'm five!

 

Help more people fund us by leaving a rating on iTunes.

 

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community, and specifically the following reddit users whose questions and responses formed the basis of this conversation: failtuna, fieldpeter, devilishgainz, srslylovesgames & groundhogcakeday

To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Join us on Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

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What are the creative ways people fool their FitBit? How does my activity tracker differentiate between steps and my tapping to a rhythm? Does it use GPS to calibrate? How does it know what stage of sleep I'm in?

 

... We explain like i'm five!

 

Help more people fund us by leaving a rating on iTunes.

 

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community, and specifically the following reddit users whose questions and responses formed the basis of this conversation: failtuna, fieldpeter, devilishgainz, srslylovesgames & groundhogcakeday

To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Join us on Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

2026-01-23 8 min
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