Inaccurate Sleep Log? Change your settings!

[CallieM]

Hi sleepy Community members!

Does your sleep log look something like this?

If you think your log is inaccurate when it shows this much restlessness, you're not alone! A lot of Fitbit users have sleep logs like this, and many times it's due to the fact that Sleep settings are on "Sensitive" mode instead of "Normal" mode. A little about these two modes:

• The normal setting counts significant movements as being awake (such as rolling over) and is appropriate for most users.
• The sensitive setting will cause your tracker to record nearly all movements as time spent awake. This setting may be helpful for users with sleep disorders, or those who wear their tracker somewhere other than the wrist while asleep.

We strongly suggest that most users use the Normal setting. To change your settings to Normal, follow these steps, or visit our help article!

• To change your setting in the Fitbit iOS app, go to Account > Advanced Settings > Sleep Sensitivity.

• To change your setting in the fitbit.com dashboard, go to Settings > Devices > scroll down to Sleep Tracking.

I hope this helps - let me know if you have any trouble changing this setting or if you have seen a difference in the accuracy of your sleep log after switching!

[Chatteris]

My Alta is set at sensitive for sleep but still sometimes fails to register me as awake when I get up to go to the bathroom.  It also shows me as asleep when I am laying when I am awake but lying still.  Could changing the setting to normal help with this, I don't see why it would, but can't think of anything eslse that might help.

[Konababe]

The best I can see is that it is subtracting the minutes asleep during the night from the total hours "spent in  sleep." I know that  if you lie still after the alarm clock goes off, it will count those as minutes asleep. My alarm went off and I just laid there once for about 15 minutes  a nd that was counted as "time sleep" with the red at the end of the sleep stages chart. Perhaps if you wake up with the alarm but then doze off or just lay there, it thinks you are asleep. I read in bed with my Kindle and made the mistake of not moving for an hour and it said I was asleep. Now, I turn over a couple of times during the hour.

[BVS]

I have looked at the help article on Sleep. The last question reads as follows. 

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NORMAL AND SENSITIVE SLEEP SETTING?

Your tracker's setting can record your sleep in either "sensitive" mode for extremely detailed sleep reporting or "normal" mode for a more basic idea of your sleep patterns. Note that this setting doesn't apply if you use Alta HR, Blaze, or Charge 2 to track your sleep stages.

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I have a Charge 2 and changing the setting to sensitive seems to have made it sensitive to my sleep pattern. Also, I have a feeling from that day my Fitibit step count is no more accurate. (Or is it something to do with my device or the way I wear it?). I want to know if the above statement on being not applicable is correct.

[Konababe]

As far as I am concerned, I slept well last night. The charts, however, are showing a gap or missing time in which nothing related to sleep was recorded. This makes the third time this has happened, but the heart rate is recorded so I was alive. Last night, there is an hour and 39 minutes of time not recorded. One chart just shows the short period of time; the other shows two periods. Both are from the app. The website also shows the gap but has the time of total sleep.

App:

AppAppWeb

[c.hindin]

my fitbit started off correct but now it says I've slept less than an hour each night.  i checked-i am set for normal

[Oldtyke]

I no longer wear my fitbit at night. The stats are so inaccurate as to be useless.

[MarciM]

What type of Fitbit are you wearing? I find with my Charge 2 that if my heart rate is in the resting zone for a period of time, it tracks as sleep, which means if I'm on a conference call and relaxed for an hour it may show up as sleep. If your tracker isn't accurately tracking your sleep, you may want to check your heart rate to see if your resting heart has increased.

[JeanetteP21]

I am interested that you have been to Papworth about your sleep (or lack of it!) I have been pleading with doctors at my practice  to refer me to a sleep clinic after I fell asleep whilst driving on the motorway.  My sleep for years has been awful. Do Papworth take referrals for insomniacs nationwide?

[Tuner]

I have the same problem. For me the sleep function is not at all helpful. I do have a sleep disorder and take meds for it. I also use a CPAP. I think these two issues affect the sleep errors.

Tuner

[KGP]

I have a good handle on my sleep pattern, through various means. The Fitbit gives an understandable, useful and credible readout.............75% of their time. Then it goes haywire. The help from Fitbit has been condescending, ill informed and as inconsistent as the fitbit readout. I like the unit when it works. I was advised that it is not recommended by the professional reviewers and should purchase a better unit. Honestly, the biggest issue is the lack of good help at fitbit or acceptance that I am not a lunatic and that they have a problem. So they suggested this site. Again, not helpful. 

[Tuner]

HI KGP
I tried switching to my dominate hand per fitbit advise. I didn’t get any report. Next I will try resetting 3 times. My wife has a charge 2 also. She gets good readings 95% of the time. Will let you know result.
Tuner

[KGP]

Thanks for that
I swap hands, no pattern
It is just intermittently off the chart, 40% of the time

Cheers,
Ken

[PsychHike]

This is EXACTLY what my sleep logs look like!  I've owned the Alta HR for 6 nights - 2 nights showed the detailed graph (which was amazingly helpful), the other 4  nights showed just bars. VERY DISAPPOINTED as I wanted the FITBIT ONLY  for sleep patterns and work outs!...thumbs down on the FITBIT..especially after reading that SO many others are having the same problem.  False advertising by the company!..shame on them!

[PsychHike]

AGREE!!....look how many people are in this conversation running around in circles chasing our tails trying to figure out something that just doesn't work.  I just wonder why FITBIT doesn't chime in and give some REAL help on the matter!

[Tuner]

Hi again.
Just got new advice from fitbit. will try tomorrow night and let you know the results.
Tuner

[PsychHike]

 What is the advise?


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[KGP]

Good for 3 days. Wrong again last night. I have been advised to check the warranty statement by fair trading. Never once mentioned by Fitbit I smell a rat!

Cheers,
Ken

[PsychHike]

Hi Ken - not sure what ur referring to in ur last msg - about fair trade,  not being mentioned and smelling a rat?

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[PsychHike]

Hi Ken - not sure what ur referring to in ur last msg - about fair trade,  not being mentioned and smelling a rat?

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[PsychHike]

Hi~

I know you had posted what they advised you to do to re-establish the sleep cycle...but for some reason, I don't see it anywhere..could you repost?  Following these blogs can be very difficult at times!

Thanks~