Huge Difference Between Normal & Sensitive Sleep Setting

[BethBritton]

Hi! I don't sleep well, so I'm really interested in the sleep tracker on my HR. However, there is a significant difference between the info I get on the "normal" setting & what I get on the "sensitive" setting. So, my questions are: why the big difference, & is it even accurate? I've read the information on the differences in the sleep settings, but it doesn't answer my questions. Anyone else have this issue? Thanks!

Moderator edit: format. 

[Nyau]

Doctors so don’t believe in low magnesium... (one refused to test for it) like you I overdose and it has worked miracles on lots of issues!

[Lori83]

Not all sleep apnea includes snoring. Central sleep apnea is more about brain function while obstructive sleep apnea includes snoring. 

[BCGhostbear]

Sleep Apnea isn’t caused mainly from snoring, it is caused by the air valve closing so one stops breathing. It then relaxes and opens letting air in, but can close again. This can be deadly

 so do get checked out.
Where are you napping? You are probably more relaxed so you get a good rest. Are you napping slightly raised?

When you go to bed, have you given yourself a half hour quiet time, meaning no reading in bed, no tv, computer, phone, etc …plus you are going to bed not stressed? These are things that truly help with the sleep mode on the HR. Mine is on sensitive as I know I toss a bit and it is fairly accurate even verified with my doctor. My doctor had me count back the number of hours I should get and set up a routine. 
example: if you have to be up at 7 then count back 7-8 hours you require, that is the time you should be IN bed. 
For me, I have to be in bed by 11:30 so I have set my reminder to get ready for 10:30. Give it a try might work for you. 

[KiwiKim]

I have read the sometimes going to bed later and having less time in bed can cause you to have more sleep. Perhaps you could try going to bed later?

[BCGhostbear]

Do you have any electronic device on prior to going to bed? I have my HR set to sensitive as I wanted to see the difference between watching TV/iPad/phone before going to bed and not having any of those devices on at least a half hour before bed…there was quite a difference in my sleep time! I now turn off all electronics (there are none in my bedroom), turn the clock around so I don’t see the light; as well I relax with a non-caffeine tea, either read a book or listen to ‘peaceful’ music…on average I now get 7 hours sleep pretty well rested compared to before. True, there will be days when things are a tad hectic and it takes me longer to relax, but I am still okay with the sensitive setting. I hope this helps.

[BCGhostbear]

My spouse has sleep apnea and doesn’t/didn’t snore. Get your GP to order a sleep test through a clinic. We found out that there was a heart issue which required surgery…spouse still uses a sleeping device, but so glad issue was found. 

[BCGhostbear]

Lucky! You are a relaxed and good sleeper…enjoy! Happy New Year🎉

[BCGhostbear]

Get a test through a sleep clinic…don’t let this go. You might or might not have sleep apnea, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Through a good sleep clinic and doctor, there might be something else that is causing sleeping issues. The HR is a cautionary device which shows things to be aware of…could be a warning or an encouragement, but your doctor should be your final go to. 

[BCGhostbear]

Please review the responses to others saying the same thing…you might need to adjust your sleep routine. I have had my HR for years and in sensitive mode for sleep…there are days when it shows poor sleep and I go back and think of why, normally it was a stressful day, an disagreement with someone, lack of downtime, didn’t eat/exercise etc. I usually can resolve why the showing. If I can get my REM and Deep to an hour I know I have had a good sleep anything less and I know I will have to adjust my relax time before bed. There are always going to be ups and downs, you will find your rhythm. All the best!

[belljp]

Hi BethBritton:

My friend Joel had the same problem: he went to sleep at an hour early enough to ensure he would get 8 hours of sleep.  He was ALWAYS tired, 'though.  We went on vacation together and shared a room.  I kept getting woken up when he would gasp from apnea.  He had NO idea!  After the vacation, he underwent a sleep study that confirmed his apnea.  He has now been using a CPAP for many years and reports much more restful sleep!

[thomwgrace]

I read recently in the documentation (Sense). That sensitive setting will be more sensitive to movements and consider them as awake. Normal is less sensitive to movement. So what you got on the two settings makes sense. 

[Caulodren]

The sensitive setting I think is rubbish as it disables after you wake up so if you fall asleap again it won't detect, going back to normal setting to try again 

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Caulodren , the normal and sensitive sleep setting is an older option for earlier Fitbits.  This setting is only relevant for devices that detect sleep “patterns” rather than sleep “stages”.  If you have a device which detects heart rate, then your device can detect sleep “stages”.  In this case the normal vs sensitive does not have any effect at all.  

[belljp]

And you “know” this exactly how? Are you a Fitbit software engineer?

Sent from my iPhone

[Julia_G · Accepted solution]

Hi, @belljp , this comes from the Fitbit help files:

“For devices that record sleep patterns instead of sleep stages, you can set your device to track sleep in a normal or sensitive mode.

In normal mode, when you make significant movements like rolling over, your device records time spent awake. This setting is appropriate for most users. In sensitive mode, your device records nearly all movements as time spent restless or awake. This setting may be helpful if you wake up feeling tired even though your sleep history shows sufficient rest.”

Note that this setting is “for devices that record sleep patterns instead of sleep stages”.  Those are older Fitbit devices that do not detect heart rate.

The normal / sensitive setting is a legacy setting from the days before most (and now all) Fitbit devices could detect heart rate, and it has now become largely redundant, as most users track their sleep using Fitbit devices that detect heart rate.  For most users it will not make any difference at all in how sleep is recorded.

I hope this helps!

[ferneycompletin]

I totally get what you're going through. I also struggle with sleep and finding ways to improve it. I have a sleep tracker too, and while I haven't noticed a significant difference between the "normal" and "sensitive" settings, I can imagine why it might be confusing. Have you tried testing it out over a longer period of time to see if there's a pattern? As for accuracy, I'm not entirely sure, but I do know that sleep trackers aren't 100% foolproof. It's always good to take the results with a grain of salt. By the way, have you heard of bed cooling systems? I recently got one and it's been a game-changer for my sleep quality. It might be worth checking out if you're looking for additional ways to improve your sleep. Hope this helps!