Fitbit’s sleep tracking upgrade: A sleeker look, deeper insights

Fitbit devices have some pretty good sleep analysis capabilities, and the new redesign of its sleep section within the Fitbit app enhances this feature even further. The update offers both aesthetic improvements and refined ways of visualizing your sleep data, providing deeper insights for users across both Fitbit devices and the Google Pixel Watch range.


Aesthetic and interface enhancements

One of the most noticeable changes in the redesigned Fitbit app is its more visually appealing interface. The new sleep section boasts a sleek, modern design that prioritizes user experience. The more attractive layout reduces clutter, allowing users to focus on their sleep data without distractions.

The interface is also more intuitive. It presents crucial sleep metrics front and center, including your sleep score, duration, and a detailed sleep timeline, all conveniently in one place.

Previously, you could switch between Week, Month, 3-Month, and Year overviews of your sleep data. The updated UI streamlines this by offering Day, Week, Month, and Year views, simplifying the process of finding the timeframe you need. This means fewer screens to click through to get to the info you are after.

Fitbit new sleep section
New sleep section: Day, Week, Month, Year view

Users can utilise the week, month and year views to spot trends. For example, how your sleep patterns have changed over time.

Fitbit new sleep section
New sleep section: spot trends

All these changes should make the app more accessible to a broader range of users, including those who may be less tech-savvy. Here are a few screenshots of the sleep section in the old Fitbit app.


The new sleep timeline

The way the daily sleep data is presented in the Fitbit app has also seen a transformation. Previously, the app displayed a sleep score with additional information broken down into thre categories: Time Asleep, Deep and REM sleep, and Restoration. These were represented as cards that users had to interact with individually to access more detailed data.

Fitbit new sleep section
New sleep section: Sleep timeline

With the new design, Fitbit introduces a sleep timeline that integrates all this information into a single, interactive chart. This timeline allows users to press and hold on specific points to instantly access detailed insights about their sleep at those moments. This feature makes it much easier for users to understand the nuances of their sleep patterns and how they fluctuate throughout the night.


Ready to dive deeper?

If you’re a Fitbit or Google Pixel Watch user who relies on the sleep tracking feature, check out the updated app to experience a more user-friendly and informative experience. It’s a great step forward in Fitbit’s commitment to helping users understand and optimize their sleep.

Essential reading: Google Pixel Watch 2 review – more than just a pretty face

The rollout has begun, but it has not reached everyone yet. This is a software rather than a firmware update so is an update to the smartphone app. It seems more Android phone users have received the upgrade than iOS users. We’ve checked our Fitbit Android app – and the update has not reached us yet. So be patient.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

Ivan Jovin

Ivan has been a tech journalist for over 7 years now, covering all kinds of technology issues. He is the guy who gets to dive deep into the latest wearable tech news.

16 thoughts on “Fitbit’s sleep tracking upgrade: A sleeker look, deeper insights

  • Fitbit’s new sleep update made my Charge 5 unusable. Since the update, it has fialed to detect that I’m sleeping over 50% of the time. On top of that, if I am up for more than about 15 minutes, it decides that my sleep session is over. Any subsequent sleep, or a nap during the day, is not analyzed. Instead, it is simply noted as, for example, “Other sleep 1h 4m 5:53 AM-7:08 AM.” These “other” sessions cannot be edited, so even when I know that the Fitbit got the times wrong, there is nothing I can do about it. In the example above, I went back to bed shortly after 3 AM. What happened for nearly 3 hours while I was in bed, unconscious of anything, but according to my Fitbit, not sleeping? All together, it means that Fitbit no longer gives me accurate sleep data. I’m shopping for a different brand.

    Reply
    • So true. Desd sessions cant be deleted

      Reply
  • You must be paid by Google. The fitbit new sleep tracker sucks. It is hard to read and looks like it was designed by a second grader. The oxygen graph is missing as well.

    Reply
    • Yea right, Google is interested in paying us…! 🙂

      Reply
    • Google just did to Fitbit what Sears did to Craftsman. Turned already loyal repeat customers completely off. The changes to the sleep app is a disaster. The information requires several click throughs only to find it empty.

      After recommending Fitbit to a friend who needs sleep data at the suggestion of his DR I now have to call him back and explain it’s gone from Fitbit. I just upgraded my Fitbit, and returned it after the change to the sleep app.

      So, this article, pure for pay advertising.

      Reply
      • I don’t like the upgrade – I consider it a down grade. The old graphs were colorful and much easier to analyze. I thought that they were trying to force people to buy the Fitbit premium in order to get the old system back but no, it’s an ugly system. Very disappointed. Is there a way to communicate directly with fitbit in order to give them my 2 cents worth?

        Reply
    • Exactly what I was thinking!!! Google paid for this “ad”.

      Reply
      • We wish. A small blog – yup – we’re on Google’s paylist. Rolling in cash… ! :))) You guys are funny. Just because someone has a different opinion – doesn’t mean a conspiracy theory! Why are we not deleting any negative comments if we’re on Google’s paylist? And why have we posted this article as a follow-up a week ago? https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2024/04/22/fitbit-sleep-update-criticism/

        Maybe Google stopped “paying us” so we decided to write that follow-up article. That must be the reason. Another conspiracy theory in the making… 🙂

        Reply
    • Exactly… this is a google “ad”. The update is terrible!!

      Reply
  • It no longer tracks my heart rate while sleeping – or there’s no graph/chart that I can see. I really miss this feature as it was very helpful. Is it still there but I’m not finding it?
    Much prefer the previous sleep tracker graphs and wish we had the option.

    Reply
  • These “updates” reduced the usefulness of my sleep tracker tremendously!!
    I want the previous version back, which I had recommended to friends.

    Reply
  • I cannot get any sleep details beyond the times. This update sucks.

    Reply
  • I can not stand the new UI. I thought it was some kind of bug that had somehow destroyed my app. I logged out and logged back in a few times.

    Finally, when I had time, I called. The woman assured me it was not a bug and that they would not roll it back to the old UI.

    I am so disappointed in this downgrade, I may have to stop using it. It’s like going back to the dinosaur era of technology.

    PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP! I’ve used my fit bit for years every day and now I’m going to unsubscribe for sure. I may even stop using it as a tracker.

    Reply
  • The NEW upgrade sucks so bad, I am encouraging everyone I know to throw their FItbit in the trash, I personally will go to every blog and encourage this crap to be exposed, someone needs to be fired . What a joke, all my subscribers will expose this BS, you guys ruined a good thing

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.