Fitbit just quietly made its sleep tracking a lot better

If you’re using Fitbit to track your sleep, you may have noticed your nights suddenly look a bit more restless. No, you’re not imagining it — and no, your sleep isn’t necessarily getting worse. Fitbit has rolled out a behind-the-scenes update to improve how it tracks your sleep, and it’s already showing results.Fitbit recently updated its support documentation to confirm that its sleep stage tracking algorithm has been overhauled. According to the company, the new system provides a “more precise measurement” of your sleep, particularly when it comes to brief awakenings that the old system used to ignore.

Fitbit’s new update might sting a little

Sleep reports are now more honest, which means you might start seeing slightly worse numbers than before. Fitbit says users may notice increased wake times and shifts in the overall breakdown of their sleep stages. But this isn’t a bug, it’s actually the new algorithm is doing a better job at telling you the truth. As Fitbit puts it, the new algorithm is “a more accurate reflection of your night’s rest.”Users on Reddit and Fitbit’s forums were already reporting unusual changes in sleep data over the past few weeks. This update explains it. And while it may sting a little to see those total sleep hours drop or REM scores shift, the improved data could be more helpful long-term for anyone looking to better understand their recovery and rest.

More sleep upgrades could be coming soon

Fitbit also hints that this update is “one of the first” in a series of sleep-tracking improvements.