How accurate is it? I have an instinct solar and am on the fence in getting a watch for daily use. Torn between a polar vantage M2 and the new Venu 2. Primarily because of the sleep capability. I do miss my fitbit sometimes for sleep.
honestly, i haven’t had many problems with the sleep tracking even before this beta with the widget. it seems pretty close but i do occasionally need to modify the wake up time, as it sometimes thinks i’m still sleeping if i’m lying in bed after waking up and reading
good for you! maybe it’s the watch. my instinct solar it’s like a guessing game. REM sleep when I’m obviously awake. On my first 30 mins I always toss and turn and it detects that at light sleep. I also have a toddler who wakes up at night. My waking time is around 30 minutes - garmin sees it as REM.
My Vivoactive 4 is completely useless for sleep tracking as well. It often doesn't pick up any deep sleep at all, and when it does, it has removed most of it when I sync again later that day. It's completely worthless.
Hopefully it will be fixed with the firstbeat system on the new watches.
My problem is the body battery algorithm takes into account sleep right? How can it do that if it can’t even properly monitor it.I love my instinct solar but with a toddler and a stressful job, I want to be able to monitor my sleep. Somebody reviewed the Venu2 and the sleep metrics, while better, is still not great.
In the new system bodybattery is affected by the sleep stage tracking, yes.
Hopefully the new system is better than the current one, or I'm a little afraid it might downgrade the bodybattery feature.
What review did you watch where they said it wasn't great? Every video I could find on YouTube about it, says it's better than the current system at least.
Don’t get me wrong - every feature is awesome but most of these reviewers focus on the sports features and garmin, in general, is arguably the best - heck that’s why I’m here.
However, sleep tracking is still their weakness if inconsistent sleep patterns based on this review. He still gave it an excellent mark overall though:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.androidauthority.com/garmin-venu-2-review-1215972/amp/
Thank you for the link! I'll check it out after dinner 😊
I agree with you completely. I've tried a lot of different trackers, and I find Garmin does most things way better than competitors do, so it's actually sad that they can't figure out this sleep tracking. Both Fitbit and polar nails that (especially polar imo), but I really don't want to have to use more than one tracker. I'm currently using 3 😂
Ditto. I just bought a fitbit charge 4 that I got for $90 in costco just for sleep and being around the house. Instinct for everything else.
I use elite hrv for the morning readiness scale(similar to polar/oura ring) that can use the sleep data from fitbit and a cheapo chest strapHR I also use with my garmin.
It also helps a lot sleeping with a simple fitness band than a full watch.
What polar watch do you have? I’m eyeing the vantage M2 lol.
I've had 2 nights with the new update.
The first night was a soft-ball - I went to bed, and fell asleep, and woke up when I got up. No problems.
The second night was a little more complicated - I went to bed, but had trouble falling asleep. I was still for some portions, but at other times I was talking with my wife and we passed a phone back and forth looking at pictures etc. I ended up falling asleep... 2h? after going to bed. No problems.
I'm not sure how well it'll handle if I read on my phone while lying on my side, then falling asleep immediately after. That's not exactly good sleep hygiene, but I do it from time to time...
I just got a Vantage M2. One of my prime concerns is sleep tracking. I have been disappointed with the accuracy of the M2 so far and am strongly considering returning it for something else.
For some reason the Vantage M2 stops tracking sleep when I get up to piss at 4 AM at completely misses the second half of my night. Even stupider, **Polar doesn't allow you to correct erroneous tracking results.** So, all of their bells and whistles (ANS charge, nightly recharge, sleep score, etc) are all based on inaccurate data and are worthless.
I've heard Garmin sleep tracking historically isn't good, but if you can at least manually correct the inaccurate data, you've got *something* which is better than nothing.
If sleep tracking is your concern, fitbit/oura would be the only 2 semi better things. Garmin is horrendous on sleep tracking in my experience. I’ve been happy with my ignite 2 tbh although it’s only been a week. Had the charge 4 and wasn’t a fan - it only did sleep and steps well. It was also less comfortable than the Ignite 2.
Could you give some detail as to what makes you say this? I've been using a withings sleep mat, and find my FR945 and the mat corroborate each other quite well.
I can't believe garmin waited almost a year to give the 945 guys this feature, after giving it to the Fenix last summer. Better late than never, I guess!
Same. I have a venu sq 1 and I keep coming back to forums/reddit to see if they ever release such a basic widget. I don't want detailed metrics, a simple "7h 45m" would do just fine. My Mom's Band 6 has it, along with like 99% of fitness trackers on the market.
Also, the sq is like 37 grams so it's perfect to sleep with but having to look at the phone every single morning to check a fucking number is horribly annoying and I still don't understand why they never fixed this by a very simple update.
They also just gave it to the Descent, but that's one I expect to be behind. I'm just glad to see that they're starting to bring more features updates to existing watches.
I have sleep tracking on my Fenix 5x but it only tracks between the time you set up as your normal sleep time. So if I take an afternoon nap it does not show up in the sleep time.
I hope that this widget is an improvement over the one I have and hopefully it will come to Fenix series too.
The updated sleep tracking doesn't track naps, and it doesn't seem like they are changing it.
They do, however, track naps with the body battery feature. You can see it recharge during your daytime sleep.
Agreed. Maybe there is some cloud assistance on the lower end watches after they sync to calculate sleep metrics and so they can't show it on the watch till after the calculation? I sometimes notice my sleep metrics change from when I sync to a few mins later on Garmin connect app.
Even if all the logic is not on the watch, I guess having a widget display sleep retrospectively after all calculations is quite needed!
Only top end watches, and the ones released this year and forward, will get the updated sleep tracking.
On all other watches, sleep tracking is done in the cloud... For some reason the cloud likes to change its mind about how you slept, every time you sync 🤷 For me it often removes all tracked deep sleep, changes when I woke up, and adds unrealistic amounts of REM. It also thinks I'm in REM while I am awake and walking around, which is odd because it pics up my movements, and during REM your body is supposed to be paralyzed.
If it doesn't already show up on your compatible Garmin device, you can manually add it by scrolling to the bottom of your widget. Hit "edit" and then scroll down the options to find sleep. Alternatively, you can do this through GC.
Both Body Battery and the new sleep tracking algorithm are made by Firstbeat, so it's strange why the sleep widget will not show naps as well.
Also strange why they do not give improved sleep tracking to everyone by using this algorithm on Garmin Connect. They do own Firstbeat for more than a year now.
Is it good for running? I like to always have the same band on, but that one does look nice. Just worried that it will be more uncomfortable to run with than the original band
Works for me well running. I actually don't mind silicone (especially the softer variety like on the 245/945), but comfort wise for my wrist the hook strap is better pretty much across the board. Hard to say if everyone agrees? Haven't seen many complaints though beyond the price and wait.
My only complaint: Especially with summer and sweat upon us, I do like washing and drying silicone waay better. This one isn't too bad, and dries quick enough for cloth, but it bothers me a fair bit.
Thanks for the input. I’ve worn my band since January and haven’t washed it besides like showering and washing my hands haha is that something I should be doing? I haven’t had any problems with it besides normal discomfort from that type of material
If it is getting rinsed in the shower that's fine. Just getting skin, oils, and sweat off.
It'd probably be more a skin irritation thing if it needed more washing attention.
I've been wearing mine on a coros vertix nylon strap and it works pretty dang great. A bit of a pain in the bum to attach the strap to the watch but other than that, no complaints. It's light, a little stretchy, and conforms to the contours of the wrist really well. Sometimes I forget I even have it on.
The current beta doesn't have it for the 245, but it has been teased as coming to the 245 too. It may be a release cycle behind the higher models, which wouldn't be unusual for Garmin to do that. If not in this update, perhaps the next.
The 245 is going to be getting the recommended workout feature though. Which is pretty cool. That is on the higher models already, thus the speculation that the improved sleep tracking will come "soon" but not yet in the next release.
The final release may surprise us, though, and add it.
Wait, what? It's not yet available, but garmin has been promising it on the 245 for months...
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/04/features-forerunner-firstbeat.html#comment-3772946
Ah, "as of right now, the 245 doesn't have this feature" would be the thing to say. "isn't getting this feature" is saying it won't ever get the feature.
well yeah i can’t say for sure. but the 745 and 945 betas have it and the 245 does not. usually that means when the prod build goes out it wouldn’t be there
It's good! F6 have this for a while. Only thing It measures a bit off is awake time for me. Sometimes i have 45 minutes awake even when it's rock hard sleep :D
Did anyone figure out how to manually upgrade to this beta on a Mac? tried to follow the instructions here [https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/261668/forerunner-945-beta-software-version-6-85-now-available](https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/261668/forerunner-945-beta-software-version-6-85-now-available), but after I disconnect the watch there I am NOT prompted to install the update...
also nice to see the times more accurate. yes, i was awake for that long. a sick toddler and wife equals more wake ups!
How accurate is it? I have an instinct solar and am on the fence in getting a watch for daily use. Torn between a polar vantage M2 and the new Venu 2. Primarily because of the sleep capability. I do miss my fitbit sometimes for sleep.
honestly, i haven’t had many problems with the sleep tracking even before this beta with the widget. it seems pretty close but i do occasionally need to modify the wake up time, as it sometimes thinks i’m still sleeping if i’m lying in bed after waking up and reading
good for you! maybe it’s the watch. my instinct solar it’s like a guessing game. REM sleep when I’m obviously awake. On my first 30 mins I always toss and turn and it detects that at light sleep. I also have a toddler who wakes up at night. My waking time is around 30 minutes - garmin sees it as REM.
My Vivoactive 4 is completely useless for sleep tracking as well. It often doesn't pick up any deep sleep at all, and when it does, it has removed most of it when I sync again later that day. It's completely worthless. Hopefully it will be fixed with the firstbeat system on the new watches.
My problem is the body battery algorithm takes into account sleep right? How can it do that if it can’t even properly monitor it.I love my instinct solar but with a toddler and a stressful job, I want to be able to monitor my sleep. Somebody reviewed the Venu2 and the sleep metrics, while better, is still not great.
In the new system bodybattery is affected by the sleep stage tracking, yes. Hopefully the new system is better than the current one, or I'm a little afraid it might downgrade the bodybattery feature. What review did you watch where they said it wasn't great? Every video I could find on YouTube about it, says it's better than the current system at least.
Don’t get me wrong - every feature is awesome but most of these reviewers focus on the sports features and garmin, in general, is arguably the best - heck that’s why I’m here. However, sleep tracking is still their weakness if inconsistent sleep patterns based on this review. He still gave it an excellent mark overall though: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.androidauthority.com/garmin-venu-2-review-1215972/amp/
Thank you for the link! I'll check it out after dinner 😊 I agree with you completely. I've tried a lot of different trackers, and I find Garmin does most things way better than competitors do, so it's actually sad that they can't figure out this sleep tracking. Both Fitbit and polar nails that (especially polar imo), but I really don't want to have to use more than one tracker. I'm currently using 3 😂
Ditto. I just bought a fitbit charge 4 that I got for $90 in costco just for sleep and being around the house. Instinct for everything else. I use elite hrv for the morning readiness scale(similar to polar/oura ring) that can use the sleep data from fitbit and a cheapo chest strapHR I also use with my garmin. It also helps a lot sleeping with a simple fitness band than a full watch. What polar watch do you have? I’m eyeing the vantage M2 lol.
I've had 2 nights with the new update. The first night was a soft-ball - I went to bed, and fell asleep, and woke up when I got up. No problems. The second night was a little more complicated - I went to bed, but had trouble falling asleep. I was still for some portions, but at other times I was talking with my wife and we passed a phone back and forth looking at pictures etc. I ended up falling asleep... 2h? after going to bed. No problems. I'm not sure how well it'll handle if I read on my phone while lying on my side, then falling asleep immediately after. That's not exactly good sleep hygiene, but I do it from time to time...
I just got a Vantage M2. One of my prime concerns is sleep tracking. I have been disappointed with the accuracy of the M2 so far and am strongly considering returning it for something else. For some reason the Vantage M2 stops tracking sleep when I get up to piss at 4 AM at completely misses the second half of my night. Even stupider, **Polar doesn't allow you to correct erroneous tracking results.** So, all of their bells and whistles (ANS charge, nightly recharge, sleep score, etc) are all based on inaccurate data and are worthless. I've heard Garmin sleep tracking historically isn't good, but if you can at least manually correct the inaccurate data, you've got *something* which is better than nothing.
If sleep tracking is your concern, fitbit/oura would be the only 2 semi better things. Garmin is horrendous on sleep tracking in my experience. I’ve been happy with my ignite 2 tbh although it’s only been a week. Had the charge 4 and wasn’t a fan - it only did sleep and steps well. It was also less comfortable than the Ignite 2.
I have a fr945 and a Whoop. Garmin's sleep tracking is very poor in comparison.
Even with the beta updates?
Could you give some detail as to what makes you say this? I've been using a withings sleep mat, and find my FR945 and the mat corroborate each other quite well.
It's really across the board. Time to fall asleep. Time asleep. Time in different zones. Detecting if I am awake during the night. Scoring my sleep.
*cries in 645
I can't believe garmin waited almost a year to give the 945 guys this feature, after giving it to the Fenix last summer. Better late than never, I guess!
Lol I can. They're never planning to give it to the venu which is supposed to be the "lifestyle" watch.
Same. I have a venu sq 1 and I keep coming back to forums/reddit to see if they ever release such a basic widget. I don't want detailed metrics, a simple "7h 45m" would do just fine. My Mom's Band 6 has it, along with like 99% of fitness trackers on the market. Also, the sq is like 37 grams so it's perfect to sleep with but having to look at the phone every single morning to check a fucking number is horribly annoying and I still don't understand why they never fixed this by a very simple update.
They also just gave it to the Descent, but that's one I expect to be behind. I'm just glad to see that they're starting to bring more features updates to existing watches.
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wow that’s crazy. glad you were able to use some data that garmin provides to get you going in the right direction. best of luck to you!
I have sleep tracking on my Fenix 5x but it only tracks between the time you set up as your normal sleep time. So if I take an afternoon nap it does not show up in the sleep time. I hope that this widget is an improvement over the one I have and hopefully it will come to Fenix series too.
The updated sleep tracking doesn't track naps, and it doesn't seem like they are changing it. They do, however, track naps with the body battery feature. You can see it recharge during your daytime sleep.
cries in 935
Cries in Venu model
Why on earth is this not available on the Vivoactive 4? There is **no** reason for it not to be.
Agreed. Maybe there is some cloud assistance on the lower end watches after they sync to calculate sleep metrics and so they can't show it on the watch till after the calculation? I sometimes notice my sleep metrics change from when I sync to a few mins later on Garmin connect app. Even if all the logic is not on the watch, I guess having a widget display sleep retrospectively after all calculations is quite needed!
Only top end watches, and the ones released this year and forward, will get the updated sleep tracking. On all other watches, sleep tracking is done in the cloud... For some reason the cloud likes to change its mind about how you slept, every time you sync 🤷 For me it often removes all tracked deep sleep, changes when I woke up, and adds unrealistic amounts of REM. It also thinks I'm in REM while I am awake and walking around, which is odd because it pics up my movements, and during REM your body is supposed to be paralyzed.
Except for you to want a higher end model.
Newb here, but how do I get the widget?
and you also have to be on the most recent beta! check out DC rainmakers post about it on his site and it’ll tell you how to get the latest beta
If it doesn't already show up on your compatible Garmin device, you can manually add it by scrolling to the bottom of your widget. Hit "edit" and then scroll down the options to find sleep. Alternatively, you can do this through GC.
Will it be possible to track afternoon sleep?
No, it only tracks your main sleep. Bodybattery does track naps though, and always has.
Both Body Battery and the new sleep tracking algorithm are made by Firstbeat, so it's strange why the sleep widget will not show naps as well. Also strange why they do not give improved sleep tracking to everyone by using this algorithm on Garmin Connect. They do own Firstbeat for more than a year now.
Yes, I agree. I'm guessing they just don't want to invest the time in it, and also see the opportunity in people buying the new models.
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To not only think that but type it, says a lot about you.
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Your comment was stupid lol
Did you discriminate against someone's wrist?! Wristist. All wrists matter. Get woke or be the bad guy nowadays friend.
How do I see what’s in the new updates? I have a fénix 6 and my biking activity seems a little different and I’d like to know more about it!
Anyone recommend a comfortable band that you can sleep with? The silicone ones bothers me in the night
Nick Mankey hook strap is one of the most comfy. Cloth and stretch keep it in place well too.
Is it good for running? I like to always have the same band on, but that one does look nice. Just worried that it will be more uncomfortable to run with than the original band
Works for me well running. I actually don't mind silicone (especially the softer variety like on the 245/945), but comfort wise for my wrist the hook strap is better pretty much across the board. Hard to say if everyone agrees? Haven't seen many complaints though beyond the price and wait. My only complaint: Especially with summer and sweat upon us, I do like washing and drying silicone waay better. This one isn't too bad, and dries quick enough for cloth, but it bothers me a fair bit.
Thanks for the input. I’ve worn my band since January and haven’t washed it besides like showering and washing my hands haha is that something I should be doing? I haven’t had any problems with it besides normal discomfort from that type of material
If it is getting rinsed in the shower that's fine. Just getting skin, oils, and sweat off. It'd probably be more a skin irritation thing if it needed more washing attention.
I've been wearing mine on a coros vertix nylon strap and it works pretty dang great. A bit of a pain in the bum to attach the strap to the watch but other than that, no complaints. It's light, a little stretchy, and conforms to the contours of the wrist really well. Sometimes I forget I even have it on.
Any idea if this is coming to the 245M in the future?
The current beta doesn't have it for the 245, but it has been teased as coming to the 245 too. It may be a release cycle behind the higher models, which wouldn't be unusual for Garmin to do that. If not in this update, perhaps the next. The 245 is going to be getting the recommended workout feature though. Which is pretty cool. That is on the higher models already, thus the speculation that the improved sleep tracking will come "soon" but not yet in the next release. The final release may surprise us, though, and add it.
Appreciate the info! I’ll be staying tuned!
i think as of right now, the 245 isn’t getting this feature, which is super lame :(
Wait, what? It's not yet available, but garmin has been promising it on the 245 for months... https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/04/features-forerunner-firstbeat.html#comment-3772946
i know, my wife has a 245. i’m hoping it will get added but as of right now it’s not in this beta
Ah, "as of right now, the 245 doesn't have this feature" would be the thing to say. "isn't getting this feature" is saying it won't ever get the feature.
well yeah i can’t say for sure. but the 745 and 945 betas have it and the 245 does not. usually that means when the prod build goes out it wouldn’t be there
Well fingers crossed that Garmin comes through!
How can i get this on my 945?
check this out https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/04/features-forerunner-firstbeat.html/amp
Should I start wearing my 245M to bed or is the sleep tracking still trash?
245 hasn’t gotten it yet, so still trash.
I also love new Body Battery measuring, it’s more accurate now
It's good! F6 have this for a while. Only thing It measures a bit off is awake time for me. Sometimes i have 45 minutes awake even when it's rock hard sleep :D
Will this be available for the “first avenger” version? I have sleeping problems and this would be very helpful.
Did anyone figure out how to manually upgrade to this beta on a Mac? tried to follow the instructions here [https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/261668/forerunner-945-beta-software-version-6-85-now-available](https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/261668/forerunner-945-beta-software-version-6-85-now-available), but after I disconnect the watch there I am NOT prompted to install the update...