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!

[Tuner]

Hello Starr C. Same thing happens with my Carge2. Now it only records from after 3:00 AM to whatever it feels like quitting

[sleep-readings]

The sleep patterns on my fitbit charge2 are very inaccurate. I go to bed at night to watch TV & is registers that I am asleep...............not true!!. . 

Also says when  I wake up when I i have already been awake for over 30 mins but just lying in bed not moving

Sleep pattern very unreliable

Any suggestions?

[Tuner]

Hi,
It probably thinks your sleeping if you are in bed watching TV. Your heart rate tells the Fitbit you are asleep. That sais, my replacement is not any better than the original. I do have some severe sleep disorders and where a CPAP plus I take medication for sleep disorder. I don’ think I can rely on the fitbit tt be accurate for me. My wife gets very good results from her Charge2.
Tuner

[801]

Hi Tuner,
I am not sure if you are correct about the sleep being guideed by heart rate. I have an Charge HR. How would fitbit know your personal "sleep" heart rate which can change from day to day. My heartrate is very different to my girlfriends (higher). I think fitbit goes by movement and that's why it can be fooled into thinking you are sleeping when you are still. Plus, I have been monitoring my fitbit at the gym and the heart rate takes 15 or more mins to "catch up" and be  semi-accurate when compared to the eliptical machinesI work out on. I have to stand by mt opinion that fitbit is a toy that is fun but not something to trust for medical grade information.

[Tuner]

Base Runner,
I think your correct. There are things you can do to trick the Fitbit .

[PsychHike]

Fitbit measures sleep by non-movement..wasn't that in the directions?..when it senses you have been still. I let someone else where my fitbit overnight and his pattern was very similar to mine - but he said he was up for about 45 minutes and that did not register...when I asked him if he was lying still, he said, "yes". My only issue was that he was in bed still much longer than I yet his "sleep time" (without the awake time) was just as short as mine usually are. So had a serious question about that. I think the fitbit is a "general" (at best) indicator of sleep..to give you some idea of what happens in the night time.

[PsychHike]

I am getting the pretty graphs!..only the beginning when I got it, that it was off and not giving me graphs. Sounds like you have your finger on the pulse of your sleep habits...I guess you are looking for the fitbit to confirm if the other tools are helping your sleep (meds, CPAP, etc)....Sorry for your disappointment..as I can understand the meaning for you. I was waking feeling/looking like I haven't slept and was looking for the fitbit to give me some idea as to a pattern. I'm not being treated for Lyme so perhaps that was my issue. My sleep study (all of 3 hours of sleep) showed nothing out of the ordinary. So, I guess I have my answer...

[pattypepper40]

I also sleep with a Cpap machine as well. I am waiting on a replacement Fitbit. I will never buy another one. I also take over the counter zzzquil. 

[PsychHike]

It sounds like you are looking for truly accurate data given your situation, which is unbderstandable!! - hoping FITBIT can help with that and that they are not or did not promise to folks what they can not deliver! For some its simply a play tool or gives some gander of information, but for folks like you, they need to be held to what they advertise. Hope this works out for you!

[Tuner]

Hi,
I have other crazy sleep issues other than apnea. I like the Fitbit for the other features. I am more aware of what I eat by tracking what I eat and getting more exercise. I have lost 10 lbs. since early June. Tuner

[Tuner]

Hi Psychhike,
There other items on the fitbit I find useful especially the weight section. It makes me more aware of what I am and should be eating. I am trying to lose weight and so far I have lost 10 lbs. since June.
Tuner

[PsychHike]

GREAT job! Keep it up!

[Mgerlich]

I was wondering why my fitbit goes back in forth between the two layouts? I have only had my alta hr for about two weeks and a few days ago the top pic you show (the old version?) popped up. 

[Tuner]

Hi Mgerlich,
If the battery is dead on the original device this should not happen. If the battery is still got charge in it , be sure the old Fitbit is not close to the device you sync to.

[Fircrest]

I have my Ionic on Normal sensitivity for Sleep and still receive ridiculous readings.  

I also use a Garmin Fenix 5x and an Apple watch to track sleep.  They seem to be quite accurate.  The Fitbit function is worthless.

Last night the Garmin indicated I slept about 8 hrs and 10 minutes and restless about 25.  Fitbit Ionic indicated that I slept 5 hrs and 5 minutes.  This is bull**ahem**!  Worthless!

[SleepyOregon]

Do other people have this experience?: My wife wears a different manufacture's product. We sleep in the same bed.  My fitbit's sleep tracker EVERY night, shows I fall asleep at the same time my wife gets up?  I go to bed at 10:30 and away at 6:30, but my fitbit shows I fall asleep at 5:15 (when she gets out of bed) and I wake up at 6:30.

Is her fitbit's electronic signal interacting with my fitbit until she leaves the room? I am asleep all night....

Any suggestions? 

[Fircrest]

Get rid of the Fitbit and get either a Garmin or Apple Watch.  Have tried several different Fitbit products for sleep and they are worthless.

[Tuner]

U might think you r sleeping all night, but in fact everyone wakes up 10 to 25 times per night some r only 30 seconds up to several minutes. In my case, I have some serious sleep disorders, I wake up approx. 20 times a night on average. There a r some ways you can try to get better results from your Fitbit. check with help at Fitbit.

[StarrC]

Both devices are Bluetooth, so it's not impossible that they're crossing paths and seeing each other as new devices with which to interact. It's more likely that you move when she stirs and your Fitbit shifts a bit on your arm.

When I wear a different band on my Fitbit Alta HR I sometimes get blank spots on my sleep reading of as much as 2 or 3 hours where it reads as if the device was not on my arm for that period...then sleep takes up again. Last night (after a long trip) I slept nearly nine hours but the Fitbit only recorded about 6 with two blank periods. I'm convinced it's because it shifted on my arm or I moved my arm under the pillow (phone is very nearby) and that somehow confused it. Tonight I'm going to turn OFF the continuous update feature on the app and see if that makes a difference.

[StarrC]

A couple of friends who use Apple watches said that sleep/exercise monitoring are NOT dependable or sometimes even workable. There must be a "trick" to getting the good results on them...maybe you could share?