sleep tracking gaps

[SpedAngie]

I cannot understand why my sleep data is showing gaps in time I was asleep.

It shows pretty accurately when I went to bed, if I got up for a couple of minutes (bathroom, drink, pet the cat, etc) and then continues when I went back to sleep.

The problem is that it frequently shows three sleep periods in one night.  One will end with showing me asleep.  Then there will be a time gap of one to three hours (and I was still in bed asleep) but this time is never accounted for; and then begin ANOTHER segment showing me still asleep.  This might once again show me awake for several brief intervals (I am sometimes a restless sleeper) and once again it ends with showing me asleep.

There will be another unaccounted for time gap when I was not awake, then sometimes a third segment is shown beginning with me asleep. 

Why is this happening.  I could even understand beginning a new tracking after I had been out of bed for a few minutes during the night (bathroom, drink seeing if it was snowing, pet the cat, etc) and then went back to bed. 

I cannot get why one segment ends WITH ME ASLEEP and another begins an hour or more later WITH ME STILL ASLEEP. 

I have begun jotting down every time I actually wake up enough to get out of bed and move around for 3-5 minutes and those are shown pretty accurately. I also do tend to wake up briefly more than once each night but not get up; these are depicted nicely as well.

  I have NO idea why there are these long spells of time where nothing is shown--one time ends with me asleep, then there is they mystery segment of an hour or two when apparantly I died and had no heartbeat; then there I am again (asleep) in a new tracking segment.

Any ideas what is going on here?

I have also noticed that even when there is no unaccounted for time, sometimes the tracking seems to be split into two or three strips, one below the other, but at least then there is no lost time; the first will end with me asleep at , oh say 1:50AM and the next, showing below the first, will show me asleep at 1:51AM, etc. Other times it just goes in one continuous line.

Additionally I wonder why the blue perpindicular lines that show you are asleep are very close together sometimes and further apart at others; any reason for that? 

All answers much appreciated.

[GoldaT]

I wish I could give you any answers. Have you tried posting your issue to
the community?

[Dfas5]

  Greetings, folks, I have the same problem, but I have a theory.   I think that when we are in a very deep sleep, the fit bit thinks that we have taken it off. The reason I believe this is that One night my fit bit had not been properly clasped and fell off my wrist. Woke up in the middle of the night put it back on.  The next morning, I noticed that the fit bit Had the same gray space for the time it was off of me. I apologize if I have missed an  explanation. I could only skim the previous three pages as I am recovering from a head injury.  

Of course, my theory falls apart If your fit bit’s are still registering a heartbeat during these times. I just have the flex two, and it doesn’t register my heartbeat, so I don’t know. I would certainly appreciate feedback on this. Thanks, fit bit community.

[GoldaT]

I still wear the original Fitbit Flex and don't worry about my heart rate
as much as I worry about getting my steps recorded accurately.

[Kate73]

Have the Flex2 I have been getting the 1-2  hour grey gap. Appears the grey gap has been around since 2016. I adjust my tracker and move on. I too use the rubber band during day & night. It does not make any difference whether the band is tight or loose. You would think by 2018 this problem would have been corrected.

[GoldaT]

They didn't get it right with original Flex either and I don't expect they
will now that flex 2 is out there. Hope they get it right for you and
other flex 2 users.

[Kate73]

Thanks GoldaT

[IowaMolly]

I think you’re probably right. I upgraded to a different model and no
longer have that problem.

[JMiller7]

I downgraded from an Alta to a Flex 2, and still have this problem most nights.  However, some time ago I noticed fitbit added the ability to edit your sleep logs.  This was not available previously.  Now, each morning I delete the second sleep log beyond the gap and edit the first sleep log to encompass the second's end time.  It corrects the problem, manually, but it's a step in the right direction.  

[GoldaT]

A step in the right direction YES. Too bad you can't count it as a fitbit
step. Keep on steppin'.😊😊😊

[wherbert]

In 2017 Dec I upgraded from the Flex to the Alta HR and I now have fewer problems with missed periods of sleep. Of the few I have about half are no sleep recognized at all. Manually closing the gaps or figuring out total bed time based on steps to manually enter still works. Reasonable sleep stages and sleep/awake ratios are computed in the manually fixed intervals.

[Rbokhary]

This issue seems to be there for almost 3 years and it’s a pity that people continue to experience the gaps in recorded sleep. I never had the problem till the time I was using SURGE but ever since I upgraded to Versa, this issue has cropped up. Fitbit needs to do better than that....

[4MyChild]

I’ve been wondering the same thing. I just bought my first Fitbit and it’s a versa. Some nights there are no gaps others there are, and I’m still in bed. I can’t find the answer anywhere. However I’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea and currently am not using a cpap (I’m working on getting one again) and I’m wondering if that could be a cause. I also am a restless sleeper some nights and am wondering if during that time I’m not truely asleep even though I don’t recall being awake. Any answers??? Anyone?

[4MyChild]

Is it possible sleep apnea could be attributing to this? I’ve been diagnosed with it and was wondering if that could be part of the issue?

[wherbert]

I don't have sleep apnea (the breathlessness part) but my sleep behavior is like you described with a lot of tossing and flailing around.

Read my 1 year summary where I am "fugality", my Flex identity,
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Sleep-Better/Trouble-falling-asleep/m-p/1165599#M3051

and some of my contributions to one of the gaps discussions,

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Sleep-Better/sleep-tracking-gaps/m-p/1826935#M4158  .

In summary, now that I'm using the Alta HR I have much less problems with gaps. But to achieve that I have to wear the band uncomfortably tightly. And I still have to manually close gaps 2 or 3 times a week. 

To deal with the band tightness, I wear it on my non-dominant left wrist in wake times, and on my dominant side for sleep. Two or 3 times a year I get an angry, swollen rash around half the band mark and I have to stop using fitbit for a couple of days while I recover. Hydrocortisone cream helps speed recovery.

The way I adapt to understanding my fitbit data is that I know that it fails to detect some of my fidgety sleep, and that it misinterprets my deep relaxation time as actual sleep.

The fitbit is not a perfect solution for measuring my sleep, but with my adaptations, it is the best tool I've ever had.

[GoldaT]

Sleep apnea & restlessness are among my issues as well. I find that things
are now better since sleeping attached to CPAP and purchasing a pillow
designed for sleep apnea sufferers. It's more expensive than a regular
pillow of which I needed to buy two to accommodate my neck, head and
breathing hose.

[BeActive723]

I have a Flex and occasionally get grey gaps on the sleep log. I usually sleep well and find it curious, but not a serious concern. I like to imagine it's an out of body experience or alien abduction 😆

[Bubbles7]

I’m wondering if my blood pressure drops and it doesn’t register

Sent from my iPhone

[writergal28]

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@BeActive723 wrote:

I have a Flex and occasionally get grey gaps on the sleep log. I usually sleep well and find it curious, but not a serious concern. I like to imagine it's an out of body experience or alien abduction 😆

---

hahaha!  I had the same issue overnight.  So now, it registered that I only slept for 5 hours and 45 minutes or so when I slept more (in two separate sets of data - one saying I was asleep for 1 hour 20 minutes and the other remaining 4 hours and 25 minutes in a second set.  It also seemed to think I was awake for 90 minutes in between (which I wasn't).  I don't remember being with aliens... hahahaha...

[Wildhavencat]

I also had a gap in my sleep log, I have a Flex 2 and it's been working great. After charging I always push the button on the charger three times, I've had times when it didn't sync so I started doing it every time. I was in the hospital this week for heart issues and the doctor is ordering a sleep study. This gray area has never happened to me before so I'm super stressed about it.

Can you please answer me.

[Wildhavencat]

Spoiler