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!

[SunsetRunner]

Hi, thanks for the help but I’m still having trouble with my charge 3. Since Monday when I charged it up it hasn’t been tracking my naps during the day but at night it will track now my sleep is set on sensitive as I don’t get much sleep at one time ... I’ve rebooted, resunced the device and now I just don’t no what to do ? Can you help as I’ve only had it under a month....Thanks

[801]

Well, I have a charge 2 so not sure exactly how the newer one works. If you are sleeping in short bursts < three hours, it will not show sleep details only that you were asleep. If you are getting NO info you may have restless limb syndrome and be twitching so it thinks you are moving. Would you care to share with me why you only sleep for short times? Sleeping for very short periods can be serious and if you have good insurance you should consider going to a sleep lab for an overnight. I have done this several times so if you want to share more info with me I might be able to offer some advice. I had apnea and RLS so lots of experience.  Do you have sleep apnea?Good luck!

[Mom1216]

Thanks for the reply. I do have sleep apnea and a problem with arthritis in my hips and I happen to be a side sleeper so I wake up when I sleep too long on my side. I will say that the tracker has started working better. A person wrote and told me to tighten it on my wrist and not to leave slack. It seems to have helped.  

[801]

Glad to hear it's working better! Are you using a CPAP? That is a good way to tell how long you are sleeping. I compare what my CPAP says with my Fitbit. It seems the Fitbit tends to overestimate how long I have been sleeping. If you have apnea and are not using a CPAP...GET ONE! Save your life it can.

[Mom1216]

I don't use a CPAP.  I am seeing a doctor next week to discuss this. I was diagnosed 13 years ago; however, since I suffer from claustrophobia, the masks they used did not work on me then. I went out and bought a bed that I could raise the head. I can't say that it helped. I saw another doctor before the holidays. He has me taking some type of breathing test at the hospital, and a chest CT. He thinks he can find a mask that I will be able to use with the claustrophobia. 

[801]

Use the nose pillows. Very comfy! This is what I use with my resmed 10. You will forget they are there...eventually.https://www.amazon.com/P10-Nasal-Pillow-Size-Large/dp/B072Q4LG8Q/ref=pd_bxgy_121_img_3/136-1272489-8...

[SunsetRunner]

Umm thanks for your reply and the answer to your question is I’m a very
light sleeper and once I’ve had a couple of hours sleep I’m wide awake
....I’ve tried turning over and trying to get back to sleep but no I would
be still awake so I get up leaving me very exhausted during in the day,
I’ve tried telling my GP for a good couple of years now but all she wanted
to do was put me on temporary sleeping tablets which I had said no too as I
take many other tablets for epilepsy,chronic pancreastes, diabetes but I’m
not over weight I’m 10 stone and codien pain killers as I’ve just had a hip
replacement........

Now last night my Fitbit only tracked the last 39 mins before midnight then
I got up went back to bed at 3am and got up at 9-30am and it tracked it
from 4-35am to 9-30am and I just don’t don’t why as it’s the Fitbit charge
3 advanced fitness and I purchased it from amazon on the 19th dec 2019....

I wear the Fitbit 2 fingers up from my wrist bone, not too tight it’s on
the 6 nudge leaving 5 remaining as I have thin arms lol

If you need anymore information please don’t be afraid to ask and thanks
again for trying to help me as I’m currently emailing support but there not
very helpful


Thankyou Dave

[bayleigh]

I've given up as has my sister. Apparently Fitbit's used to be decent but
now they are just cheap, ineffective crap. Bought a Garmin for Christmas
and so far I already like the app so much better!

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for replying I feel the same way about Fitbit and sleep and heart
monitoring they where ment to be the best but they have slipt up somewhere
but I only just purchased this early December last year and I paid £100
off amazon and I feel disappointed..... as soon as Apple bring there’s out
this year I will be purchasing if not what’s the Garmin like ?

[Minty67]

My garmin is accurate, this is not. Its that simple.

[beatlefest74]

Callie,

  I nominally go to bed at 9pm, maybe read a few minutes and then get up, turn the light off and go to sleep.  My alarm wakes me up at 5am.  The sleep monitor (inspire hr - normal setting) indicates I don't get to sleep till somewhere between 3 and 4 am and get between 1 and 2 hours of sleep a night.  Granted I do get up 2 or 3 times/night to pee but I simply can't believe I'm only getting an hour or two a night.  What triggers my fitbit to start "sleep" and what triggers it to start "awake".  Last night I went to bed at 1am (fri nite) and it said I wasn't asleep till 5am and then it looks like a normal sleep pattern with a couple of awake moments when I used the bathroom.  What is going on with the tracking?

[SunsetRunner]

Thx for the detailed post umm how much light sleep does the Fitbit app show
and same with deep sleep because majority of people get more light sleep
than deep/rem sleep....,

I myself only get a few minutes of deep sleep but light sleep I would get a
lot of as that’s classed as sleep stage 1/2 in other words from being awake
and falling into sleep mode

And the answer to your question about how it tracks your sleep it’s all to
do with your heart rate.... hope this helps as I’m still new to Fitbit and
I’ve been having trouble with charge 3 but there’s a lot of answers in the
community

Thanks Dave

[beatlefest74]

Thanks Dave - so last night when I went to bed at 1am - it did not show any sleep at all till 5:45 am and most of it was light sleep (3 hr 23 min); 35 min awake (16 small awake periods); 45 min deep sleep and 22 minutes REM.  The rest of the nights this past week it only indicates 1-2 hours of sleep and therefore will not break it down in detail (need more than 3 hrs).  My big question is why does it not show me asleep until I've been laying there for 4-6 hours?  And I keep seeing people referring to "sleep now" but I can't find that anywhere on my app (inspire hr).

[SunsetRunner]

That’s a good question Fitbit records while your lying down that’s what
I’ve been told by many in the community and watching YouTube vids and sleep
now that’s on the actual app so if you press on your sleep icon on the
dashboard then press the + sight at the top right corner then you will see
begin sleep now and you just press it when you go to bed and when you wake
up there will be a button that says I’m awake and you press that
I’ve never used that so I hope this helps and let me no how you get on with
it

[beatlefest74]

Yeah when I press the + sign on sleep it just lets me change the log time – there is no “sleep now” option – everyone keeps talking about it but I don’t see it!


Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[SunsetRunner]

Oh right are you on the latest version of Fitbit if so maybe you want to
send a message to Fitbit And are you running it on iOS or android.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help

[beatlefest74]

Thanks Dave for your responses.. I’ll figure it out sooner or later!


Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[elliezoe]

No, I do not have sleep apnea, but I had a full knee replacement and the
medicines (including general anesthesia) affected me adversely.
I have a charge 2 also.

[bayleigh]

I don't need too much with text and calls, it notifies me but I got the
vivosmart4 as i like the smaller watch. But it won't have as many bells
and whistles as the Apple, obvs. So far i find it accurate and it also
alerts me to breathe when I guess my stress levels are up? So a very
positive experience one week in.

[Minty67]

I had a vivo. Has proper hands. Dead accurate.