Why Isn’t My Fitbit Tracking My Sleep Properly

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Are you wondering why isn’t your Fitbit smartwatch or fitness tracker tracking your sleep anymore?

If yes, then this article is for you. In this article, I am gonna share all the possible reasons why your Fitbit is not tracking your sleep sometimes. Not only this but I will also tell you how you can fix it so that you can keep track of your sleep properly.

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How Do Fitbits Track Sleep?

Before I tell you why won’t your Fitbit measure your sleep, let us first understand how Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers track sleep. This will help you understand the causes accurately.

There are actually two types of Fitbits available in the market, smartwatches that can monitor heart rate and others that cannot monitor heart rate. The way of tracking sleep in both kinds of Fitbits is different.

Whether the fitness tracker can track heart rate or not, it has an accelerometer sensor. This sensor is responsible for measuring the movement of your body. For Fitbits that cannot measure heart rates, sleep is measured by measuring the movement of your body. If your body is at a resting position and hasn’t moved for an hour then the watch considers that you are asleep. In this kind of Fitbits, 3 stages of sleep are measured:

  • Awake
  • Restless
  • Sleep

The awake stage is when you are obviously not sleeping, and the sleep stage is when your body is not moving much. The restless stage is when you are asleep but your body is moving regularly, this stage represents the time when you keep turning in your sleep.

On the other hand, along with accelerometer readings, heart rate is also considered on Fitbits which can measure heart rate. The variation in heart rate tells the watch whether you are having light sleep or deep sleep.

This is how Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches track your sleep. Let us now see why isn’t your Fitbit tracking your sleep anymore or is only tracking it sometimes.

Why Isn’t My Fitbit Tracking My Sleep?

Fitbit Versa 2 Sleep Mode

If your Fitbit has stopped telling you about your sleep score or sleep data then it could be because of the following reasons:

1) Syncing Issue

The first reason can be the syncing issue between your smartwatch and smartphone. It might happen that your fitness tracker is tracking your sleep accurately but it is not able to sync the sleep data to your Fitbit app on your smartphone.

2) Not Able To Track Sleep

The second reason why your Fitbit is not able to show you any sleep data may be because it is not able to measure your sleep at all. This can be because:

  • You are not wearing the watch properly
  • The sensors of your watch are not working
  • Your Fitbit watch is not up to date
  • The battery of your watch is about to die, etc.

Fixed: Fitbit Not Tracking Sleep Properly

Why Won't My Fitbit Track My Sleep

Now that you know the reasons why won’t your Fitbit measure your sleep. Let us look at the fixing methods.

1) Manual Sync

The first thing that you should do is manually sync your smartwatch with your smartphone. If your Fitbit is not able to sync your sleep data automatically to your smartphone then this will solve the issue. After manual syncing, you will be able to see information regarding your sleep on Fitbit mobile app.

2) Clean Fitbit Sensors

Your Fitbit will also not be able to track your sleep if its sensors are not clean. Fitbit consists of lights and optical sensors. These measure the amount of light that is getting reflected from your body and accordingly calculate your heart rate.

As discussed earlier, the heart rate is also used to measure your sleep. So if the sensors of your Fitbit are not working properly then your smartwatch will not be able to track your sleep. These sensors can get covered with dust and dead skin which can prevent them from working properly.

These sensors are present at the back of your watch, all you have to do is clean these sensors. And your Fitbit will start tracking your sleep again.

3) Wear The Watch Snuggly

If you are not wearing your watch snuggly then also it will not be able to track your sleep properly. Remember the sensors of the watch need to touch the skin of your wrist properly in order to track your sleep accurately. Therefore always wear your watch snuggly. The thing that you need to note here is that snuggly does not mean tight. If you will wear your watch tightly then it will become uncomfortable and you will end up waking in the middle of the night.

4) Check The Battery

While going to bed, always check the battery levels of your Fitbit smartwatch. If the battery level of your Fitbit is low then it will not track your sleep to save battery life. So always keep your Fitbit fitness tracker or smartwatch charged before you go to sleep.

5) Avoid Applying Moisturizer

Your smartwatch can also have a hard time tracking your sleep if there is a layer between the sensors of the watch and your skin. Some moisturizers are really thick in consistency and they can prevent your Fitbit from tracking your sleep altogether. Therefore, avoid using thick moisturizers on your wrist just before you’re going to bed.

6) Increase The Sleep Sensitivity

If your Fitbit is only tracking some of your sleep then this method is for you. You can increase the sleep sensitivity of your watch to make it more accurately track your sleep. If the sleep sensitivity of your Fitbit smartwatch is set to low then it will not be able to track your sleep properly.

7) Update The Fitbit Watch And App

If your Fitbit smartwatch and app are not up to date then they will be having some syncing issues. And if your Fitbit is not able to sync data then you will not be able to see it in the app and it is as good as not tracking sleep at all. Therefore to keep the syncing flawless, always keep your app as well as smartwatch’s software up to date.

8) Reconnect Your Fitness Tracker & App

If your watch is not able to sync your sleep data to your Fitbit app then you have to disconnect the two and then try reconnecting them again. This should resolve the sync issue and you should be able to see all your sleep data.

9) Restart Your Fitbit

If your issue is still not resolved then you should disconnect your fitness tracker from your Fitbit app. Then you should restart your smartwatch as well as your Fitbit app. Once the restart is complete, pair them again.

10) Reset Your Fitbit

If the issue is still not resolved then you can factory reset your smartwatch. Factory reset will solve any software-related issue that your Fitbit fitness tracker might be facing. Once the factory reset is done, you can start off fresh and connect your Fitbit app to watch.

11) Contact Support

If nothing seems to work for you then probably your smartwatch sensors are not working. The last option left for you is to contact the support team of Fitbit. Or you can take your fitness tracker to the Fitbit service center to get it repaired.

Does Fitbit Track Sleep Automatically?

Fitbit Sleep Mode

Yes, Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers can track your sleep automatically. As discussed earlier, Fitbit watches use accelerometers and heart rates to figure out whether you are asleep or not. Once you are asleep, your body stops moving and your heart rate starts varying according to the kind of sleep you are having i.e. light or deep. Fitbit watches use this data to track your sleep and sleep cycles.

Therefore to track your sleep with a Fitbit smartwatch, all you have to do is wear the watch and sleep. It will take care of the rest.

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FAQs

Should You Wear Fitbit Watch Tightly On Your Wrist To Track Sleep?

No, you don’t need to wear your Fitbit tightly around your wrist. Just wearing it snuggly is enough.

Does Fitbit Inspire 2 Automatically Tracks Sleep?

Yes, Fitbit Inspire 2 can automatically track your sleep.

How Does My Fitbit Know When I Am Sleeping?

Your Fitbit uses its accelerometer and your heart rate to figure out whether you are sleeping or not.

How Do I Get My Fitbit Versa 2 To Track My Sleep?

Your Fitbit Versa 2 can track your sleep automatically, so all you have to do is sleep tight and it will track your sleep automatically.

Hemant Mendiratta

Hemant's love for watches started when his grandfather gifted him his Rolex watch when he turned 18! Being a teenager it was a big deal for him. Later when he got his first job he bought Fossil Palm Pilot back in 2003 which was a smartwatch. Since then smartwatches have come a long way and so is Hemant's love for them. His experience with watches inspired him to start Wearholic and share his knowledge of wearables including watches, smartwatches, smart glasses, & smart clothing.

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