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!

[DAK8273]

I turn my Fitbit on sensitive just to see how bad it looks. When I see 2 hrs and 35 minutes of sleep, I laugh.

[galaga6846]

Some nights I show 5 hours sleep, but I feel like a truck hit my eyeballs and I can barely function. Other times, I get 3 hours and feel like a million bucks. I am going to set the sleeping to a different setting. Thanks.

The other thing.....my son has a Garmin Vivofit, but it doesn't have the option to set the sensitivity to sleep... and he shows 2-3 hours a night. I wonder what would happen if we switched for a night? Hmmm...

[IAmBitFit19]

This helped SO much, thank you @CallieM! 

[Bhuvana]

Hi there

I am using new charge 2. My sleep log is not working as I expected. I was wide awake almost couple of hours in the middle of the night and tracker still reported as slept well. 

Does this happen any one of you? How to solve this? 

thanks

Bhuvana

ps: My sleep sensitivity setting is  "Normal"

[LilMissAngi]

I have the Charge HR 2, I cannot find this setting option anywhere.

[Healthstartbit]

good luck with that one.  Even though it shows I do not slep much I believe it is accurate.  I am always tired and now I know why.  I am looking into ways to change that restless sleep. ( aroma therapy, music ect.

[vjw_65]

WHEW ! Thank you for posting this tip.
I thought I was so wierd, I'm set on 'normal' now.
Will see how I do tonight.

[LilMissAngi]

How do you change it to normal? I cannot find this option.

[Camjames]

Your tracker does not use heartbeat to track sleep. It uses movement. It you have not moved in 0ne hour, your tracker will log it as sleep. However, it uses your movement (e.g. rolling over) to track your sleep quality, it also uses heartbeat for this same purpose.

[CMBravo]

                                    so if am to make any sort of conclusion,id be inclined to say the sleep monitoring feature is not reliable . More of a marketing feature?

[Ninfem]

I cannot locate this setting for nothing.  I have clicked everywhere in the app.

[CMBravo]

                                     Its a thought. But,my devise is set to Normal and still get all the unralistic marks. I do sleep well. Prob will not use it as a reference. All things considered ,unfortunatly I find the devise to be unreliable. High maintnance. charging and tweeking issues. Prob go back to my Polar TRACKER

[BondGrrl777]

Thank you! I know I'm not the best sleeper, especially since I don't have my waterbed right now.  However, 2 to 3 hours a night in actual sleep seemed pretty hard to believe.  I've changed my setting, hopefully this will give a more accurate log.

[801]

Hi Callie,

I just read your note about changing to normal if it seems like there is too much "awake time". I have a couple of comments and questions. You say that on sensitive the graph will show almost all movement as awake. That is not correct.The example you showed only shows awake once or twice (red) per night and the others are restless (light blue) or asleep. It also clearly says awake= 0 min. Not sure if you understand what the fitbit is trying to tell people. It is saying that you are moving LOTS during sleep and I believe that means poor quality sleep. I have seen lots of peoples logs that are set to sensitive and they will often have 90% or better. I have had at least 3 medical sleep studies and know excessive movement during sleep is bad. I think telling people to set their fitbits to normal if they say they are getting poor sleep is not good advice, unless the people are feeling refreshed and alert all day. What does fitbit say about all this?

BTW I have PLMB and sleep apnea. The apnea is 100% controled by my CPAP machine but I still only get 60% sleep according to the fitbit due to the PLMB. The advice you are giving could mask the PMLB in other fitbit users. When I switched mine to "normal" it showed good sleep which I know for a fact is not correct.

Also please everyone posting their sleep results MAKE SURE YOU STATE IF YOUR FITBIT IS SET TO NORMAL OR SENSITIVE!

[801]

you think you are asleep....you are not!

[801]

go get a sleep test..if you have insurance that is. I wore my fitbit to miy overnight sleep study and it was VERY accurate on sensitive.

[801]

Also, apnea is not the only reason to get poor sleep. RLS (restless leg syndrome) and PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder) can be the problem. I had no idea I had PLMD until my girlfriend told me I was twitching like mad in my sleep! The fitbit shows it when set to sensitive.

[801]

You are moving a lot during sleep! If it shows this when set to normal you have a problem. Are you tired during the day?

[801]

Is there no data at all for large chunks of time? If so you have a faulty fitbit. If it shows awake or restless then you are getting bad sleep or you animals are moving around and and your fitbit is showing that. Fitbit does not measure sleep by your heart rate. It tracks movement. Rolling over would show restless, more movement would show awake. I am not sure how much shows as awake bvut its pretty accurate. You cvan be "awake" and not know it or remember.

[801]

Assuming you have no other health issues it simple to tell if you are getting enough sleep. Are you tired during the day? It could not be more simple. I think the reason everyone thinks that the logs are "crazy or inaccurate is MOST peoiple do not get enough sleep.