Fitbit’s ability to monitor your sleep patterns can help you improve your bedtime habits, so you can get quality sleep every night. So if your Fitbit stopped tracking sleep or it’s not doing so accurately, you need to find out why and then fix the problem.
Your Fitbit stopped tracking sleep because its sensors are dirty, the heart rate settings are wrong, or the sleep sensitivity settings are inaccurate. It’s possible that the battery is draining or you got the Fitbit placement wrong. Also, the device may have a glitch that needs a reset.
In this guide, you’ll learn about all the possible reasons why your Fitbit stopped tracking sleep.
I’ll also share a quick fix for every issue, so you can get your Fitbit model tracking sleep accurately again.
Why is My Fitbit Not Tracking Sleep? (7 Problems Fixed)
I get that Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers stand out for their robust build and special features.
But even if you have the best models such as Fitbit Charge 5, Sense, Luxe, Versa 3, and Charge 4, you’re going to run into the problem of the device not tracking sleep accurately or not tracking sleep at all.
Generally, your Fitbit won’t track sleep because:
| Why Fitbit Stopped Tracking Sleep | Quick DIY Fix | |
| 1 | Device isn’t recording your heart rate data. | Turn off heart rate monitor, restart Fitbit, and turn heart rate monitor back on to fix the problem. |
| 2 | Your Fitbit may have had a system glitch | Restart or reset your Fitbit to fix the problem. |
| 3 | The app and device are not up to date | Go to Google Play Store or Apple App Store and update the app. Also, update Fitbit firmware directly from your account. |
| 4 | You haven’t set sleep sensitivity on your Fitbit device | Go to settings in your profile and adjust sleep sensitivity settings. This applies strictly to devices without heart rate sensors. |
| 5 | The Fitbit placement on your wrist is wrong | Wear the device to a snug, so the sensor makes contact with the skin. Don’t wear the device on your dominant hand. |
| 6 | Your Fitbit doesn’t have enough charge | You should charge your Fitbit at least 3 hours before bedtime. |
| 7 | Syncing problem between the app and the tracker | Unpair the tracker from the app and try syncing it again to fix the problem. |
1. Your Fitbit Isn’t Recording Heart Rate Data
Fitbit must read your heart rate data to determine and log your sleep stages and assign and overall sleep score optimized specifically for you.
If your device’s sensor can’t get your pulse information, it’s unlikely it will return accurate readings for sleep. Worse still, it might not track sleep at all.
Turning OFF the heart rate monitor and turning it back ON can help to fix this problem.
To do this:
- Swipe or tap on your device’s screen (depending on the model) to access the settings screen.
- Scroll until you see the heart rate option.
- Tap on it and make sure it turns off.
- Restart your Fitbit.
- Go back to the settings screen and turn the heart rate monitor on.
Your Fitbit should resume tracking sleep and giving you an accurate estimate of your stages once you have heart rate issue fixed.
My guide on how to fix heart rate on Fitbit has more troubleshooting tips. So be sure to check it out.
2. Your Fitbit Has a Glitch and Requires a Restart or Reset
Sometimes Fitbit fails to track sleep because of a hardware glitch. And while this isn’t a common problem with the brand’s devices, it can be somewhat inconveniencing if it happens.
The best possible fix for a hardware glitch is to do a restart or a reset.
First, try restarting your Fitbit and test it again to see if it resumes tracking sleep. Check my guide on how to restart Fitbit to learn more.
Note that restarting your Fitbit device isn’t going to erase your data from the Fitbit app or alter current device settings.
Although in rare cases, the device might fail even after a restart. In this case, you might need to do a complete reset to get your Fitbit to work properly.
My guide on rebooting a Fitbit will show you how to reset your device without losing your previous data.
3. The Fitbit App Is Not Updated
Fitbit releases new updates for its Android and iOS apps to add new features, fix bugs, enhance usability, and improve security.
If you’re using the older version of the app to track sleep, you might get inaccurate stats – or Fitbit might stop tracking sleep altogether.
Updating the app to the latest version only requires internet connection and a few minutes of your time.
Simply log on to Play Store or Apple Store, depending on the type of smartphone you use, and update the app to the latest version.
4. Fitbit Sleep Sensitivity Mode Not Set
If you have a Fitbit without a heart rate monitor, you’re likely to get inaccurate sleep data if you don’t configure the sleep sensitivity feature.
In practice, the Fitbit can track sleep in “normal” or “sensitive” mode.
- Normal mode: It’s the best option if all you want to see is a basic overview of your sleep patterns.
- Sensitive mode: It’s ideal for detailed reporting. The sensor forces the tracker to record all movements as moments spent awake or restless.
Depending on whether you’re a light or heavy sleeper, you should adjust these settings accordingly, so you can get more accurate sleep data.
To adjust the sleep sensitivity of your device;
- Open the Fitbit app and tap your profile
- Choose Advanced Settings
- Tap on Sleep Sensitivity
- Choose the mode you prefer and save changes
Fitbit will now track your sleep stats based on the level of sensitivity of your choice and give you an approximation of the quality of your sleep based on your entry.
5. You’re NOT Wearing Your Fitbit Right
If your Fitbit’s heart rate sensor works fine, the device and the app are up to date, and the battery level is decent enough to last through the night but you still can’t track sleep, you’re wearing your Fitbit wrong.
To be clear, it matters where you wear your Fitbit. Also, how you wear the tracker can determine whether you’ll get an accurate estimate of your sleep or no reliable sleep data at all.
If you have your Fitbit wrapped around your dominant hand, you’re doing it wrong. It has to be on your non-dominant hand to get you the best results.
Positing also matters. I strongly advice moving the device to at most three finger widths above your wrist bone, or you’ll more than likely get inaccurate estimation of your sleep.
If you’re wearing the device too loose, the heart rate sensor won’t make a stable contact with the skin. Tighten it to a snug, but it shouldn’t be too tight or you risk getting Fitbit to hurt your wrist.
Get the placement right, and Fitbit will monitor your heart rate with ease and give you the most accurate estimation of your sleep.
6. Your Fitbit Doesn’t Have Enough Charge
Fitbit has built it device such that they have decent battery life, with models such as Luxe, Charge 5, Sense, and Versa 3 having a runtime of up to 7 days.
And that’s on a single charge, provided the GPS tracker isn’t active.
Like any other smartwatch and fitness tracker, Fitbit batteries drain the more you continue to use them.
If you notice your Fitbit no longer tracks sleep or is not able to do so accurately, it’s likely that the device doesn’t have enough charge.
The problem isn’t difficult to fix, as all you have to do is to make sure you charge your Fitbit at least 3 hours before you go to sleep.
7. The Fitbit Isn’t “In Sync” With the App
You need to get three things right for your Fitbit smartwatch or fitness track to monitor your sleep.
Ensure that:
- Your Fitbit device and app are up to date.
- The tracker or smartwatch has full charge.
- You’ve worn the tracker on the non-dominant wrist in a snug fit.
If you’ve done these three things, but you still can’t see your sleep data, there’s a high chance your tracker and the app are not “In Sync”.
I have a guide on Fitbit device not connecting to app. Be sure to check it out to learn how to solve this issue.
Final Thoughts
Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers are incredibly useful in helping you to understand how much sleep you get and how well you sleep.
So I understand that it can be quite frustrating if yours stopped tracking sleep or isn’t doing so accurately.
The best thing is:
You can easily fix the problems causing your Fitbit not to track sleep. And you can do so in minutes and get the device doing its work well again.
