Sense hasn't been accurately tracking my sleep

[Renewed_mind]

I got my Fitbit sense almost two weeks ago, and since then it hasn't been accurately tracking my sleep. 

I had an original Fitbit flex back in the day, which was very easy to use to track sleep. You just flicked it 3 or 4 times and it would vibrate to tell you that is had switched into sleep recording mode. Likewise when you got up you flicked it 3 or 4 times until it vibrated to let you know that it was noglw out if sleep recording mode.

This made it super easy to keep track of when I went to bed, and when I woke up the next day, since I was the one telling it when I laid down to go to sleep, and when I was actually waking up.

Since my device was stolen several years ago, I finally had the chance to buy another, and I went for the sense, thinking it would be just as easy, if not better at tracking my sleep than the original flex did. Little did I know how wrong I was.

For some odd reason you can't tell the sense that your going to bed at all. Sure there is a sleep mode button, but apparently all that does it mute notifications, just exactly like the do not disturb function does, which seems counterintuitive. Why do you need two buttons to do the exact same thing?

So I've only gotten 4 sleep scores out if the last 14 days because it will frequently have the times of sleep and wake way off.

For example one day last week it recorded my bedtime as 5:31am even though I had actually went to bed at 4:35 am. It recorded my wake up time as 8:01 am even though I didn't wake up until 8:45 am. So because 5:31 to 8:01 am is only about 2 & 1/2 hours. So it didn't give me a sleep score, even though my actual sleep time was 3 hours and 15 mins long which is more than 3 hours so it should have given me a score If it had correctly recorded my sleep and wake times. Not to mention I had also taken a nap later in the day, from 4:30 pm to 7:15 pm, and it never logged that at all.

I've seen on other days where it says I went to bed 5 to 6 hours after I actually went to bed. Even on nights where I do get a sleep score, the time I go to bed and the time I wake up are drastically different from the actual time I go to sleep and wake up.

I don't understand why it dosent record sleep time as the time you press the button to turn sleep mode on, and wake time as the time you turn sleep mode off. Ive seen several threads about this not working right, and now I'm seeing threads about the screens popping off.

However I've spoken to tech support, and they have offered to replace my watch, if I mail it to them at my cost of course.

Are all the newest watches this crappy with sleep tracking?

If they are all really are this bad at tracking sleep now unlike the original flex was, I'm seriously considering just sending it back to the place I bought it from and getting my money back, instead or worrying about getting a replacement, because more than likely it will be just as crappy about tracking my sleep as they all are for all of you too.

As it stands now I have to write down or text myself what time I go to bed & wake up, so I don't forget, and so I can correct it in the app anyway. So if I send the watch back, I can just keep writing it down, or texting it to myself, so that I'll have an accurate sleep record, since the watch obviously can't provide that information at all.

So what is your (the public's) experience with how well or bad these devices track sleep?

And do you think I should just send it back and get my money back?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Renewed_mind]

Unfortunately I think I'm going to call it quits with Fitbit, and just send my device back to the place I purchased it from, and get my money back, and look into possibly getting some other smart watch or tracker by a different company that acctually tracks sleep correctly, or at least better than any of the current Fitbit devices do. Or I will just continue to write down the time I go to bed, and wake up like I've had to start doing since I got my Fitbit sense, because of the fact that it isn't recording the correct times that I go to sleep and wake up.

You see I used to have the original Fitbit flex back in the day, before it was stolen. It was amazingly perfect at recording my sleep and wake times because I had to flick it 3 or 4 times in a row to switch it into sleep tracking mode at night, and again in the morning to switch it back out of sleep tracking mode. So as soon as I flicked it to put it in sleep tracking mode it instantly recorded that time as the time I went to bed, and as soon as I flicked it again in the morning after I woke up to take it out of sleep tracking mode it instantly recorded that as my wake time.

But these new watches don't seem to be able to track sleep hardly at all. I've seen multiple threads of people complaining about them not recording the time they went to sleep or woke up in the morning, which is the exact problem I'm having with mine right now.

You would think that since you don't have to flick it to put it into sleep tracking mode, that when you pressed the "sleep mode" button that it would instantly record that as the time you went to bed/sleep, and when you pressed it again to turn sleep mode off in the morning when you woke up that it would record that as the time you woke up.

But instead it relies on some sort of magic (I guess) to guess what time you went to sleep and to guess what time you woke up, and it's always wrong.

It's has been off by as much as 5 hours in the fortnight since I got it, and I've only received 4 sleep scores in that time, despite the fact that I was asleep for 3+ hours every night, because the watch guessed I wasn't asleep until anywhere from 1 to 5 hours after I actually went to sleep, and guessed that I woke up anywhere from 1 to 3 hours before I actually woke up.

I got this because my doctors always ask me about my sleep, wanting to know how many hours I slept, and what times I went to bed and woke up etc. But instead I have to keep track of that information myself, because the watch won't, and that's just plain wrong, and dumb.

So if I have to keep track of my sleep and wake times myself because it won't, then what's the difference in me keeping track of my sleep and wake times without the watch?

[Clove6060]

I think if you tap the sleep tile on the today page and then tap the plus sign upper right you can then select sleep now. Not sure how that would work but may also want to select sensitivity as normal vs sensitive. You can do that by tapping the gear icon and the option is at the bottom. I sync my app as soon as I get up. Give it a go.

I do not tell the watch when I go to sleep and I have normal sensitivity. Works great for me.

below is the manual that covers sleep.

https://help.fitbit.com/manuals/manual_sense_en_US.pdf#page47

Additionally, I would not suggest sending in for a replacement as they could send a refurbished one back.

[Renewed_mind]

Hello @Clove6060,

 I was told by customer service/tech support that if I used the in app going to sleep now option instead of allowing the watch to record the data itself, that I wouldn't get any sleep data at all, not even the simple awake, asleep, or restless data recording.

I actually switched the watch from normal to sensitive sensitivity when it didn't record the correct information the first two nights, and was advised by customer service/tech support to switch it back to normal sensitivity. I assume they were thinking that the fact that it was on sensitive was why it wasn't recording the correct time I went to bed, and woke up, even though that wasn't why. 

Also my watch dosent have any option to tell it that I'm going to sleep anyway. It would be a wonderful thing if it did, because then when I told it I was going to sleep it would record that moment as the time I went to sleep, same when I woke up in the morning when I would tell it I'm awake.

The only option it has is a sleep mode button, which doesn't really do anything, other than the exact same thing as the do not disturb button which is stops all notifications and vibrations from occuring because your asleep.

I also sync my watch first thing in the morning to see when it decided I was asleep and when I woke up, so I can correct it to the right times. Like I have to do every morning because it's always wrong.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @Renewed_mind, you may be interested in How do I track my sleep with my Fitbit device?

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[Guy_]

Hi,@Renewed_mind - Did you find in the watch Settings, Quiet mode, at the bottom Schedule Mode?

Here you can set approximate sleep periods which may help the watch more accurately detect when you sleep, and also use Sleep sensitivity at Sensitive, it can more accurately measure.

[Renewed_mind]

Hello @Gr4ndp4,

   No it does not. I'm well aware of the page, and have read it, several times in fact. My watch does not record the time I actually go to bed, it records that I go to bed anywhere from 1-5 hours after I go to bed, and says I wake up 1-3 hours before I actually wake up, as I said in my post. This is because they rely on some magic algorithm to guess when I go to sleep based on my movement rather than when I actually lay down to go to sleep. If I'm not asleep within an hour, I get back up and go do something until I feel tired. Which is how I know that I didn't fall asleep 5 hours after I went to bed. Because I'm an insomniac I move a lot in my sleep, even talk, puch the wall, smack my wrists against the bed rails, all kinds of stuff. So relying on a magic algorithm to guess when I go to sleep doesn't work for me.

Besides if I've been thought all the troubleshooting with Fitbit tech support, and they are offering to replace my watch, why would you think it's something as simple as I didn't read that page?

[Renewed_mind]

Hello @Guy_,

    According to Fitbit tech support having the device on sensitive makes it detect the tineist movements as being awake rather than restless. Which is why they had me switch it back to normal mode, as I previously stated.

Also quiet mode has nothing to do with approximate sleep times, it's only there for people who have a set schedule and don't want any notifications after a certain time at night, or before a certain time in the morning. It has absolutely nothing to do with telling the watch what time I'm going to bed, especially since I dont have a set schedule and my sleep wildly fluctuates from night to night, hence why I wanted to track my sleep.

I've decided I'm just gonna send my device back to the store I purchased it from and get my money back, and then go buy one of the old Fitbit flex devices that you had to tap or flick to tell it when you were going to bed, and to start sleep recording as they were far more accurate than these new watches that rely on a magic algorithm to guess when ive gone to sleep which never takes 5 hours.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @Renewed_mind , you will have noted that you need to have been sleeping for at least an hour for the time to be logged as sleep. You are not alone with a sleeping problem, have you looked at  Sleep Well - Fitbit Community  ?

Regards

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @Renewed_mind. @Clove6060, @Gr4ndp4 and @Guy_ Thanks for your help.

@Renewed_mind Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts about your Sense, and every step that you've tried so far. Also, for getting in touch with our Support team prior to posting. I understand how you're feeling and I'm sorry that you're going through this experience. Our team constantly works to improve our devices, features and services, and the comments shared in the forums are a big part of that process. Your feedback is appreciated and it won't be the exception.

Before anything else, let me clarify that the Sleep Mode is a function that prevents your watch from vibrating when receiving a notifications or turning on when moving your wrist. However, it won't affect how your watch detects and tracks your sleep.

That being said, if you've tried adjusting the band and the sensitivity settings, as well as restarting your watch, I'd recommend contacting our Support team one more time so they can see what can be done to bring you back on track. Please click here to get connected with them via chat or phone. You can also review our Warranty Policy here.