automatic sleep tracking

[irisstarr]

Why can't fitbit automatically track sleep/wake, like it does for every other activity? Want.

[Odyssey13 · Accepted solution]

How would the FitBit know the difference between your sitting to read or watch a movie and sleeping? The tap method works well enough for me and my Flex.

You having trouble with sleep mode?

[Larry48]

That's a good question, that answer about reading or whatever is off the mark. Other devices do it automatically. I forget to put mine in sleep mode every other night. Plus getting it into and out of the modes is not exactly easy.

[gerrymcd]

Sleep monitoring with any similar device is just a guesstimate since its based on how much the wearer is moving..... not brainwave patterns, eye movements, etc. 

[Larry48]

Yes but you infer actions by observations. You can by by summarizing movements predict if a person is sleeping or merely watching TV.

[gerrymcd]

But its only accurate in conjunction with user feeback...... the user confirms they were sleeping or watching TV between two assigned timepoints.

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@Larry48 wrote:
Yes but you infer actions by observations. You can by by summarizing movements predict if a person is sleeping or merely watching TV.

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[Larry48 · Accepted solution]

The fitbit products can't determine if you are sleeping or watching TV. The software needs a switch turned on - the double tap. The question was why can it be automatic? One user expressed his satification with having to manualy enter into sleep mode. I disagee with his assessment that its easy to use, it is most definitely NOT. As another pointed out there is lack of input data to ensure accuracy. The Basis tracker has heart rate monitoring along with perspiration sensors and can determine when the wearer is sleeping. The answer? The Force would need more sensors to do it automatically  i.e. Higher Price.

[Larry48]

Has anyone seen the BASIS tracker in action?

[Odyssey13]

They haven't perfected their sleep tracker or anything else. The Basis forum is full of people having troubles with it.

note: I do not have personal experience with that product, only read about it.

[_dt]

I, too, was frustrated with getting it into and out of sleep mode.  Sometimes it didn't matter how much I pounded on it, it wouldn't change modes.  Recently, I was reading one of the Flex101 articles about the different ways to communicate with the Flex; problems solved.  Tap [vs. "pound"] twice to wake it up.  Immediately after the lights stop moving, tap it again several times until the mode changes; usually about the 5th tap is where it will switch into or out of sleep mode, but don't stop until you see the lights change.

Also, as FYI, when you go to sync the fitbit, tap twice to wake it up [see lights], then click sync on the PC or phone.

[Larry48]

It sounds good but didn't work for me, the putting it in sleep mode. I found myself tapping the fitbit repeatedly until it switches ...

[sevierflygirl]

I had the One up until last weekend and never had problems with the sleep tracking accept that I hated the wrist band that often came undone while sleeping. I bought the Flex over the weekend and have yet to figure out how to get the thing into sleep mode. I checked the website and followed the instructions there, but it's just not working. I've found the tracking itself (on the One) to be pretty efficient and accurate. I like the fact that if I forget to turn it on/off, I can enter it online and it still shows me how many times I woke up during the night.

[_dt]

You can do that with the flex. Just leave it in active mode and log your sleep start-stop times on the sleep log page. fit it.com/sleep

[_dt]

fit it.com/sleep
can't type on a cell 😁

[mkchaereddy]

I just got my fitbit flex for my birthday this weekend and started using it on Monday.  I put it in sleep mode last night but was bummed to find this morning there was no sleep log.  I manually entered my hours on the mobile app and it populated my sleep pattern for the night.  That makes sense since I'm sure there are nights we all forget.  So that is always an option!

[GSD1970]

As a guy from the IT field, it should be relatively easy to setup the auto sleep function, without any additional sensors. It could just require some more input from the end user. With better sleep habits, we should all strive to get to bed at approximately the same time. WIth the end user adding the normal sleep habit window in as an additional input...this could be combined with the activity state, and used as a layered condition...to determine if the user is asleep.

[Sasqch]

That is exactly how it is working for me. I have never gotten the tap mode method to register any sleep activity tracking on my dashboard. That is not to say my Flex doesn't go into sleep mode, it does do that, it's just that no logging occurs.

I have always had to manually log the sleep in the morning or use the start sleep and wake mode options from the iPhone app.

[totallyforgiven]

If you forget to turn it on, you can do to the sleep tab and and enter when you went to sleep and when you woke up and it will show you.

[Tim27]

You just solved my dilemma!!!  Thank you!

Now, if I could just figure out after all this pounding if I have turned the sleep mode ON or if I have turned it OFF!!!

[fitRN]

I also have the One and agree 100% with what you said about it Sevierflygirl. I also do not like the sleep band. The clip does not fit in it well and if you take the device out of the clip it falls out of the band (thus can go in the toilet...not good). I wear my One on a piece of leather around my neck and it tracks my sleep accurately when I stop moving around at night and logs any restlessness as awake time, which it probably is. Although I read in the help info that you can put the device into sleep mode by pressing the button and holding it in until the flashing stops, I do not see the advantage to this overall. The other people posting here, I am guessing, do not have the One. I chose it after reading the reviews on Amazon, and have never regretted my choice. I love it!