Nest Hub (2nd gen) update adds sleep stages & localized snore detection, tracking now free until 2023

Abner Li | Nov 9 2021 - 6:26 am PT

Back in March, Google announced the 2nd-generation Nest Hub with Soli-powered sleep tracking. An update to the Sleep Sensing capability today introduces sleep stages, while it will remain free on the Nest Hub for all of next year.

Google touts “improved algorithms” that allow for sleep stages, a conventional metric that all other wearables leverage. This information in hours and percentages — grouped by Awake, REM, Light, and Deep — appears on the “Duration” screen alongside the existing total time asleep and time to fall asleep information. Similarly, the “Quality” screen has been updated with a Sleep Staging hypnogram chart.

The Duration and Quality screens will tell you how long you were in each stage of sleep. Combining your sleep information with disturbance events can help you better understand what’s happening while you’re sleeping.

Better sound detection means that the Nest Hub will only pick up coughs and snores from the calibrated sleeping area, instead of the entire room, thus ignoring audible disturbances from partners and pets.

Any coughing and snoring that happens outside of your area will appear on the new “Other sounds” timeline. This new timeline will also show other loud noises.

The last update is a third-party partner development that sees Calm come to Google Assistant on Nest displays. It provides a library of Sleep Stories, meditations, and music:

To try meditation content from Calm, you can either say, “Hey Google, show me meditations from Calm” or “Hey Google, start a meditation.” If you have Calm Premium, you already have access to the full library. If you don’t, you can access several free tracks or sign up for an account that gives you access to Calm Premium.

Finally, Google shared that Sleep Sensing will be free through 2022, but that it will become part of Fitbit Premium in 2023, which is currently $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually.

Google and Fitbit continue to innovate within sleep and explore areas where integration with Fitbit and the Fitbit Premium subscription can provide even more helpful sleep and wellness benefits.

Sleep stages and the other new features are rolling out starting today to the 2nd-gen Nest Hub and will be available globally “over the next few weeks.”