Your sleep tracking just got more accurate

[StefanieFitbit]

If you’ve noticed that your sleep stages, sleep time and awake time have changed recently, you’re seeing our latest improvement in action. This is the first step in a series of upcoming improvements to improving our sleep tracking — so stay tuned to hear about these changes as soon as they happen. 

We understand that changes in your data can be surprising and appreciate your feedback. 

What changed?

We've updated our tracking technology. This is to provide a more precise measurement of your sleep stages. Our goal is to always give you the clearest and most accurate view of your health.

For example, you may see your awake time increase slightly as we now capture brief awakenings the old system missed. This is a normal part of sleep.

What this means for you

The sleep data you see now is a more accurate reflection of your night's rest. This more detailed data will help you better understand how your body is recovering each night.

We appreciate you being such an engaged member of our community.

Please note that these changes only rolled out to users of the following devices:

Smartwatches: Versa Lite, Versa 1, Versa 2, Versa 3, Versa 4, Sense 1, Sense 2, Pixel Watch 1, Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Watch 4

Trackers: Alta HR, Inspire HR, Inspire 2, Inspire 3, Luxe, Charge 2, Charge 3, Charge 4, Charge 5, and Charge 6

[KMmmmmmmmmmmmmm]

This update has been a disaster. Says I am up 2-3 hours a night and that is not the case. It has chunked my year and Fitbit sleep data going back almost 10 years.

[TiredV]

Yep. Mine told me yesterday that I was awake for 3hrs 13mins. 2hrs 49 sleep! Just not possible. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Biceboca]

Do the new features depend on updating the watch and/or phone app, or is it just changes in data processing, for data sent to Google's servers? I do not want to upgrade either the watch firmware or the phone app (I am still on the much lovelier old design app). But it is good to know Google is working to improve the data processing.

[whollis]

No, it is the servers that are using the sleep data differently.  Major flawed issue is now combining awake with restless, hence awake times of 2, 3 or even 4 hours of “awake” time.  Unless they finally listen to angry users you’ll continue to see flawed & useless data for your sleep data.

[CKGNM6]

Whollis, please see my latest response on ...
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Sleep-timeline-June-24-changed-the-next-day-and-sleep-st...

There is a comparison between two different sets of sleep stage data (with substantially different sleep stage data).

[jrblackburn]

I appreciate that Google is looking at improvements and increasing accuracy.  But you have got to keep users notified about changes!  You say stay tuned for information but I never got the initial information on the change.  I depend on my Fitbit for accurate data to help me improve my health.  Please keep us informed about changes, preferably before they occur.  Thank you, JR

[whollis]

Sharing for you and the Community the continued nonsense from a non-sensical algorithm downgrade. If we are to believe your PR post, why did it take you over a decade to state the previous methodology was so seriously flawed?

it isn’t possible to have another night with a 4 hour block of awake time, especially since I awoke feeling well rested and refreshed.  Impossible to get an HRV of 150!  So what was my sleep score rating - “Almost Dead”?

[QRDuke]

Agreed.  I'll go to another option if this continues. This is the primary use for me and it's depressing when I know I've slept all night. It can't be right.  

[LawnPaul]

to play devil's advocate with everyone.... my sleep data looks good. i dont even notice a difference, seems to be tracking correctly. maybe using pixel watch gives higher accuracy? im not sure, but all seems good on my end 

[CKGNM6]

Incidentally, two days ago, about this very topic, I saw an article by androidauthority.com on Fitbit and Sleep Tracking.

[CocoThePenguin]

I have an Inspire 3. The Fitbit app update has unquestionably improved the accuracy of my sleep tracking. I wake up and stay awake for 1-2 hours during every night, and the old app used to ignore this and pretend I wasn't awake. The awake periods are now very well tracked by the updated app.

[TiredV]

I have an Inspire 3. I got it to track and analyse my sleep as I have a medical condition and my doctor advised that I must get 7 hours sleep each night. Fitbit has shown that I was always getting the required sleep. Since the update on 24 June it is useless. The Fitbit app now assumes that Restless Sleep is Awake. This is ridiculous. All my historical data (since July 2019)  now shows that I have always achieved much less than 7 hours. It was showing since June that I was getting less-even when I felt well rested. It is now not even analysing it!

Please fix it immediately. 

I will go and buy a watch which is much cheaper and which performs many more functions and tell everI kniw that Fitbit it useless  

[Copland]

Yep the fitbit app sleep anaylsis for the charge 6 in the app is absolute rubbish.  I often have a daily readiness score usually in the 70 or 80's while according to the fitbit app I'm getting about 5 hours of sleep that night.   Meanwhile my weekly update says I'm getting on average over 8 hours sleep a night.  Come on @StephanieFitbit which do you think is the correct figure?  Listen to the Community and fix the app.

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New app update (v4.49) released yesterday - lets wait and see if it's fixed the issue or, if indeed, they think there is an issue that needs to be fixed.  Given the silence from the Community Leaders it's hard to know.

[TiredV]

Hopefully this is good news. Fingers crossed 🤞.

[katesavage]

I will wait to see if others are seeing an improvement. For now, my Chage 6 is dead to me.

[TiredV]

I have an Inspire 3. This most recent update is no better. Today (15 August) it tells me that I was awake for 11 minutes and Restless for 1 hour 7 minutes . This is patently wrong as I was up in another room doing things for 20 minutes at one stage during the night. My Inspire 3 at this stage is only a watch and step counter. Useless for sleep monitoring.  I am looking at other options (which are cheaper than Fitbit anyway)!

[whollis]

@StefanieFitbit = why your continued silence despite multiple posts condemning the change, challenging your post about “better” and more awake time? It amazes me as a long time Fitbit user that a company could be so deaf to its revenue providers.  Please comment or escalate to management & engineering the flawed algorithm is a disaster.

Perhaps you don’t remember years back Fitbit’s denials until the company was successfully sued by Canada for fraud and deception.

Why not post a poll of yea or nay to the change?  And part 2 should ask “should we roll it back and be honest we made a serious mistake!  Realize that would take courage and honesty.

[Copland]

New app update (v4.49) does not seem to have addressed the issue.  If you are not a bot, @StefanieFitbit can you kindly let the Community know your response to the following questions:

!) Does Fitbit believe there is any current issue with the sleep tracking accuracy?

2) If there is an issue, does Fitbit intend to address it with an update?

3) If the answer is NO to either of these questions, can you recommend a replacement product? 

[TiredV]

4.49 doesnwork for my Inspire 3 either. I now never get my sleep analysed and when I know I've been up and doing things during the night Fitbit doesn't record Awake time. Obviously wrong.
I'm looking at alternatives to Fitbit.