Polsen Health glossary: Key terms explained – Polsen Health Help

Not sure what a term in the app means? Learn the Polsen Health glossary of key terms, such as Reactivity Monitor and Heart Rate Variability.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

A

Activity

Physical or non-physical sessions you log to understand how different experiences affect your well-being. Activities add context to your data and provide heart rate insights, including zone breakdowns.

Some activities (walking, running, cycling) are auto-detected, but manual logging is recommended for accuracy. You can also enable vibrations for heart rate thresholds or zone changes before starting an activity.

Learn more: Activity

App update

We release app updates every two weeks, including performance improvements, bug fixes, and new features. Keeping your app updated ensures the best experience.

Learn more: App updates

Asleep

The total amount of time you spent sleeping.

Awakening

The number of times you woke up during the night.

Learn more: Awakenings

B

Beta access

Early access to experimental features still in development. Beta features may change or be unstable. Feedback from beta users helps improve future releases. Requests are reviewed within 30 days.

Learn more: Beta access

C

Check-in

A self-reflection tool that helps you connect with your body and emotions, supporting interoceptive awareness. We use vibrations through the watch to remind you to complete a quick check-in in the app.

Learn more: Check-in

Cumulative stress

Cumulative stress is the total amount of stress your body builds up over time, rather than stress from a single moment or event. Instead of looking at one stressful situation, it reflects how multiple stressors—big or small—add up across hours or days.

F

Factory reset

Restores the device to its original settings. This deletes all personal data and is useful for troubleshooting or before gifting/selling your watch.

Learn more: Factory reset

Firmware

Built-in software that controls how your device operates. Updates improve performance and add features.

Learn more: Firmware

Flight mode

Disables Bluetooth while still collecting and storing data. Useful for saving battery or reducing wireless exposure.

Learn more: Flight mode

H

Heart Rate (HR)

The number of heartbeats per minute (BPM).

Learn more: Heart Rate

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Variation in time between heartbeats. A key indicator of recovery and nervous system balance.

Learn more: HRV

Heart Rate Zones

Five intensity zones (1–5) based on your max. heart rate, showing how hard your body is working during activity.

Learn more: HR Zones

Homeostasis

Your body’s balanced state—calm, focused, and stable (e.g., when reading, working, or having a relaxed chat).

Learn more: Homeostasis

I

Insights

Personalized reports generated with AI that highlight important patterns or changes in your data — especially ones you might not notice on your own. You don't receive them every day, but when it matters the most.

Learn more: Insights

Intense Activity

Any movement that raises your heart rate to Zone 2 or higher.

• Daily Active Time: Time spent active
• Regularity: How consistently you stay active

Learn more: Intense Activity

Intentions

Short guided exercises to support mental states: Return to Calm, Harness Stress, Boost Energy, Feel Positive

Learn more: Intentions

M

Motion

Tracks daily movement across five levels: Rest, Light, Mild, Moderate, Vigorous

Learn more: Motion

N

Nervous System

Your body’s communication network controlling movement, sensations, and automatic functions, like breathing and heart rate.

P

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The part of your nervous system that helps your body relax and recover (rest-and-digest" system). It slows your heart rate, supports digestion, and promotes a state of calm after stress.

Learn more: Parasympathetic Nervous System

Physically active

A state detected during movement or exercise. It is considered highly reactive.

Learn more: Physically active

Physically recovering

A state detected after activity when your body starts resting.

Learn more: Physically recovering

Prolonged Stress vibrations

Gentle vibrations from your watch when you’ve been under sustained stress for 5 minutes or longer, inviting you to log a check-in. They help you notice the moment and reconnect with how your body feels.

Learn more: Prolonged Stress vibrations

R

Random vibrations

Gentle vibrations from your watch that serve as reminders throughout the day to log a check-in and reflect on how you’re feeling, no matter your emotional or stress state.

Learn more: Random vibrations

Reactive

Your body’s response to situations, including emotions and activity.

• High reactivity: stress, excitement, activity
• Low reactivity: rest, sleep

Learn more: Reactive

Reactivity Monitor

A chart that shows how your body responds to stress and physical activity using heart rate and movement data. It reflects both mental (e.g., nerves before a presentation) and physical (e.g., illness) stress.

Learn more: Reactivity Monitor.

Reboot

Restarting the device to refresh the system. It closes all running processes and reloads the software. Used to fix minor issues.

Learn more: Reboot

Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

The number of times your heart beats per minute while awake, still, and relaxed. For most adults, a normal RHR ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Lower RHR: Better fitness and recovery.
Higher RHR: Signals stress, poor sleep, or illness.

Learn more: RHR.

S

Skin temperature

Skin temperature is the temperature measured at the surface of your skin, typically recorded at night while you’re at rest. It reflects how your body responds to both environmental conditions and internal changes, such as physical activity, stress, or illness.

Learn more: Skin temperature

Serial number

The unique number assigned to your device, located on the back of the watch. It is especially useful when pairing your watch with your phone.

Sleep Duration

Total sleep time per night. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.

Learn more: Sleep Duration

Sleep Heart Rate Variability (Sleep HRV)

The variation in time between heartbeats during sleep. Higher sleep HRV often means better recovery.

Learn more: Sleep HRV

Sleep Regularity

Shows how consistent your bedtime and wake-up time are.

Learn more: Sleep Regularity

Sleep Stages

The different phases your body cycles through during sleep: light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and awake. Each stage plays a unique role in physical recovery, memory, and overall rest.

Light: The stage that helps your body start to relax. It makes up the largest portion of your sleep and prepares you for deeper stages.
Deep: The most restorative stage, essential for physical recovery, muscle repair, and immune support.
REM: The stage where most dreaming occurs. It supports memory, mood, learning, and overall brain function.
Awake: Brief periods of wakefulness during the night. These are a normal part of healthy sleep cycles.

Learn more: Sleep Stages

Steps

Tracks the steps you take throughout the day, shown in 30-minute blocks.

Learn more: Steps

Stress Duration

Total time spent in a reactive state. This is shaped by how often you feel stress (Stress Frequency) and how quickly you recover (Stress Recovery).

Learn more: Stress Duration here.

Stress Frequency

Shows how often your body enters a reactive state during the day.

Learn more: Stress Frequency

Stress Recovery

Shows how fast your body returns to Homeostasis (balanced state) after a stress response.

Learn more: Stress Recovery

Stress response

Your body’s natural reaction to physical or mental challenges. It triggers changes like a faster heart rate and sharper focus to help you respond effectively. Stress isn’t always a bad thing — in healthy amounts, it can improve performance and help you stay alert and motivated.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The sympathetic nervous system is the part of your nervous system ("fight-or-flight") that prepares your body to respond to stress or danger. It increases your heart rate, sharpens focus, and boosts energy so you can react quickly.

Learn more: Sympathetic Nervous System

T

Time in bed

The amount of time spent in bed while not asleep.

Learn more: Time in bed

Time in Heart Zone

The amount of time your heart rate spends in different intensity zones. It reflects how hard your body is working during physical activity.

Times Awake

The number of times you woke up during the night. If an awakening lasts 5 minutes or longer, it is counted as a time awake.

Typical

Your personal baseline used for comparison.