It looks like it deserves a quick explanation 
This counter is a simple sql query from our analytics database. The database gets updated in real-time however there is also a nightly batch process every night that makes sure all the data is correct. During this batch process certain tables get recreated and thats when the number temporary goes down.
We were aware of this limitation of the counter (because it happens every day) but never expected people to actually check at night 
As a solution I will stop the counter update between 5am and 7am to avoid any further confusion.