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Galaxy Watch Ultra Sleep Tracking for Shift Workers

If you work night shifts or sleep during the day, your Galaxy Watch Ultra may show gaps, delays, or missed sleep sessions. There's a confirmed workaround that dramatically improves accuracy.

The Problem​

Galaxy Watch Ultra sleep tracking is optimized for traditional nighttime sleep schedules. Day sleepers and shift workers often experience:

  • Delayed Detection: Sleep only registers 1-2 hours after falling asleep
  • Tracking Gaps: Missing hours in the middle of sleep sessions
  • No Detection: Entire sleep sessions not recorded at all
  • Incorrect Wake Times: Watch records you as awake when you're sleeping

The AOD Fix (Confirmed Solution)​

Enabling Always-On Display (AOD) during sleep fixes tracking gaps for most shift workers.

  1. On your watch, go to Settings Display Always On Display
  2. Set AOD to On or Always
  3. Sleep with AOD enabled
  4. Check Samsung Health after waking

Why AOD Helps​

The AOD wakelock keeps sensors continuously active. Without AOD, the watch may enter deep sleep modes that pause sensor monitoring, especially during daytime when the algorithm doesn't expect sleep.

  • Sensor Continuity: Heart rate and motion sensors stay active
  • No Deep Sleep Mode: Watch doesn't enter power-saving states
  • Trade-off: Uses more battery (approximately 5-10% extra overnight)

Additional Optimization Tips​

Combine these with AOD for best results:

  • Watch Position: Wear on non-dominant wrist, 2 fingers width above wrist bone
  • Snug Fit: Tight enough for sensor contact but comfortable
  • Disable Power Saving: Go to Settings Battery Turn off power saving mode before sleep
  • Switch Wrists: Some users find switching from left to right wrist helps detection

Samsung Official Fixes​

Samsung Support recommends these additional steps:

  1. Toggle Power Saving: Enable then disable power saving mode to reset sleep tracking
  2. Clear Samsung Health Cache: On phone, go to Settings Apps Samsung Health Clear cache
  3. Check Permissions: Ensure Samsung Health has access to all sensors and data sources
  4. Update Software: Install latest watch firmware and Samsung Health app updates

What to Avoid​

Some features paradoxically worsen sleep tracking:

  • Bedtime Mode: Some shift workers report worse tracking with Bedtime Mode enabled
  • Power Saving Mode: Severely limits data collection during sleep
  • Loose Fit: Sensor contact loss causes gaps more than AOD settings

One UI 7 Improvements​

After the One UI 7 update, AOD can be configured per sleep mode. This allows shift workers to:

  • Automatically enable AOD when sleep mode activates
  • Set specific schedules for daytime sleep
  • Customize display brightness during sleep

See Also: Galaxy Watch Sleep Tracking Issues|Galaxy Watch Ultra Battery Life|One UI 8 New Features

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