Charge 6 - Fitbit recently changed Sleep Algorithm

[whollis]

After several weeks of nonsensical results, I got confirmation that they quietly changed the algorithm to add awake along with restless = “New Awake” results dramatically increase and my sleep scores are now in the 60s & 70s.  Jan - May was an average in the low 80s.  A few nights ago it had a solid block of 4 hours awake.  I think I’d know if I were awake that long.

If like me angry over the **ahem**ic change, send feedback and call tech support so they are bombarded with complaints.  Wonder if they consulted with sleep experts and scientists for validation but so far no comment from an escalation supervisor.

Engineering didn’t even communicate the change to tech support & the supervisory teams!  My supervisor agreed with me it makes no sense.  AI will validate being restless is different from awake so it’s now providing a fake awake calculation.

it should be rolled back to mid June before they sneakily made the change to destroy your sleep scores to consistently poor or fair.  

How do others feel?  Did you notice a major different/degradation?  Be vocal if you support me in demanding it return to the original algorithm.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[ronjo1]

Thanks for the ifo

[ronjo1]

Your post was 11/29/2025. How long ago do you believe they may have
corrected the issue? Thanks.

[Woodsy1955]

Mine is like yours, chunks of time I would remember being awake that much. My scores are not just 10 to 20 points less, they are 1/2 to nonexistent. Causing me much concern over my health. Next time they should warn us ahead of time. 

[barneygoogs]

This has happened to me! Use this primarily for sleep evaluation, however, with changes, sleep worse, and it changes for no reason. Also, used to be able to edit if saw it calculated an hour when i was awake but not anymore.  I have had your products for over 10 years and think I need to find a different product for this reason. Have read that many have the same problem. This morning I had score of 85, which felt right, but then changed to 78. Unreliable! If you have a resolution, let me know. have tried everything you suggested without avail. Once again, i hate to lose you, but very frustrated with this!!!

[chucksax]

And I thought mine were off! 

[SSuzyS]

I’m still waiting to see a change in mine (i.e. reverting to the better/earlier algorithm). Apparently, last week, I didn’t go to bed until past 5am and only slept for a couple of hours. 

I was fast asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow at 1am. 

The last few nights I’ve felt like I’ve had great sleep - quick to sleep and not aware of waking during the night, then feeling nice and refreshed and full of energy throughout the day - yet my FitBit (Sense 2) is still telling me I’ve slept no more that 5hours of the 8-9 I’ve been in bed and hasn’t even given me a sleep score. 

Thought I’d do an experiment and set up a sleep recording app over night (I snore) and lo and behold when my Fitbit is telling me I was awake, the other sleep app has recorded me snoring!

Fitbit, please change the algorithm back. I was so confident with your scores and tracking over the 10+ years I’ve owned various FitBit models. I have now lost all confidence.

[ronjo1]

Thanks for your observation! I, too, have NOT seen a change back on the fitbit algorithm! I, too, am using other measures that do not agree with fitbit measures and wake up refreshed despite what fitbit says. Thanks again.

[CJW88]

It’s nice that yours ever worked, 90% of the time I had to edit my start or end times. But with the change, the edits are ignored in sleep score, charting and overall stats. It used to change those things to reflect the edit, now it doesn’t so it’s completely worthless as a sleep app. I’ll be switching to something new at the end of life for this watch (Charge 6 - unfortunately it’s not that old so I can’t justify switching just yet). 

[Micmacsr]

My sentiments exactly! So frustrating!!

[Ali123456]

Yes when I chose a new one I ignored the Google ones because they are likely the same. My new monitor though isn't as good with step count or real time heart rate so I still use my  Fitbit for that. New one is on contract so won't keep for more than a year 

[barneygoogs]

I have also had Fitbit for 10 yrs. Am also unhappy with the sleep algorithm and want it back to where it was!

[TrevorW]

I’ve also had Fitbit for 10 years and until recently I loved the way its sleep tracking provided me with the times of my ‘REM’ sleep and also the ‘light’ and ‘deep’ sleep. I’m so sad that this has now all gone and I read I have a stupid ‘restless’ category which I don’t want. It’s a major downgrade of what was for me, Fitbit’s most important feature.

I’m ready to throw my Fitbit charge 6 in the rubbish bin and cancel my premium subscription. I’m considering a whoop band instead or an oura ring. Any comments or suggestions to help me choose be those two?

[ronjo1]

I have just purchased another device (4 days ago). I am wearing Charge 6,  the other device and cross referencing to other health devices such hr chest strap,  motion sensors, o2 monitor,  etc, as well as subjective data. I figure I won't have any conclusions for perhaps couple of weeks to a month but after 4 days am seeing some encouraging trends.

[barneygoogs]

Please let me know what you discover between fitness and sleep trackers. I too am disappointed with fitbit since they changed the algorithm esp for sleep

[ronjo1]

Will do. It will be maybe a month

[kdrp]

My fitbit consistently says I'm awake when I'm not.  We're thinking we might give up our fitbits.  Right now, I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone.

[Micmacsr]

I've been frustrated for over a month myself! I have noticed, over the
last couple days, that my Fitbit device has began recalculating my sleep
stages again!! I just took a software update on my android cell. Not sure
if there was an accompanying Fitbit update or not but my Fitbit is now
working correctly again!!

[ronjo1]

Thanks for your update.  I will see if I get update and it changes the accuracy. 

[inahill]

This is such nonsense, and after 10 years with Fitbit all my statistics will be useless to compare. How can Fitbit not even communicate this properly to their user base?

[barneygoogs]

What tracker did you like?