Charge 3 doesn’t track sleep stages

[danielvlopes]

I’ve been using this unreliable charge 3 for 3 weeks now, and it basically never tracks my sleep stages. There’s tons of people complaining about the same issue, and moderators give the same generic answers (which I tried all with no luck).

This is clearly a software or hardware problem, and should be fixed with a firmware update ora recall.

When are we going to hear any serious answer from the company? 

[Baz2000]

I am having the same issue, charge 3 not tracking sleep, never once had this problem with the charge 2, and i have looked to try solve the problem on this fitbit community and have seen the amount of sane complaints with the same Generic answers. Going in the bin this charge 3. It does not work properly like the charge 2 did. Firmware upto date, app on phone is upto date and still does not track sleep. Waste of space .. no one seems to have an answer/fix to the problem .. WASTE

[AlejandraFitbit]

Hey @Baz2000 and @danielvlopes, it's great to see you around.

I appreciate all the efforts in trying to fix this sleep stages issue. There are a few scenarios where you might see your sleep pattern (which shows your time asleep, restless, and awake) instead of sleep stages:

• If you slept in a position that prevented your device from getting a consistent heart-rate reading or wore it too loosely. For best results, wear your device higher on your wrist (about 2-3 finger widths above your wrist bone). The band should feel secure but not too tight.
• If you used the Begin Sleep Now option in the Fitbit app (instead of simply wearing your device to bed). For more information on automatic sleep tracking, see How do I track my sleep?
• If you slept for less than 3 hours.
• If your device’s battery is critically low.

Let me know how it goes. 

[SneakyPearse]

I don't understand this explanation; I'm getting sleep pattern instead of sleep stages, despite the fact that my battery was not critically low, my heart rate was recorded all night (I can see the changing HR over the whole night in the HR tab on my phone's app), I didn't sleep less than 3 hours and I didn't use any "Begin Sleep Now" feature - I don't even think that's an option for my Charge 3 - is it?

This is frustrating, as the sleep stages was one of the reasons I decided to get a Charge 3 with HR monitor, as I've struggled with sleep quality for many years and wanted to monitor more closely how different things affect it. 

[robsterclaws]

The fact is the charge 3 doesn't work correctly. I never had issues with my last fitbit. The 3 never catches the whole nights sleep. Not once since I got it on Christmas. I have worn my old fitbit and the 3 at the same time and the 2 catches every minute and the 3 never does. It's a flawed product and fitbit should figure it out and fix our charge 3s or replace them with something that works.

[SneakyPearse]

I don't want to sound like a total downer, but I'm starting to really worry about having bought the Charge 3. I assumed things would get better after a couple of months but mine regularly is wrong about flights of stairs climbed - it almost never catches when I go upstairs in my house even though we have really tall ceilings (so it's not like I live in some Being John Malkovitch bunker with 4 feet between floors). The other day it was quite windy outside, and I looked at my stats and suddenly saw 28 floors climbed out of nowhere.

Now the sleep is screwed up, and that sensor they promised still is working. The total lack of communication on ongoing issues seems incredibly shady. 

[Baz2000]

Yes i agree, something is not right with these charge 3's .. and funny you should say about random numbers.. i noticed mine counts steps when im sat watching tv haha .. The charge 2 worked flawlessly as you would expect. So you would expect the 3 to be as good if not better. Not the case .. seems like they have released these new charge 3's without actually testing them. As for the sleep tracking, i had a reply from fitbit saying reset the device and swap it to the non dominant arm before you go sleep. It did track sleep after that (its only been one night) will see how it goes. Other than that .. they are like some cheap ebay china item you would pay £10 for  

[SneakyPearse]

I upgraded from a One was was a basic model, but honestly was flawless in my experience. It counted steps and flights reliably, and I felt totally confident in the data. It helped me lost 60+ lbs... I was sure that upgrading would enhance the experience but now I just feel I can't trust what I'm getting.

[AstroLinea]

I have had my charge 3 for only a few days and it will not track my sleep stages either. I tried moving the watch to the inside of my arm rather than the outside but it didn't help. I thought maybe it's because I hug the pillow or my arm is fat or some other reason. Sort of a relief to know it's not me. I'm having another problem of it counting steps I'm not taking (I wake up with 167 steps!!)  but that's a different thread.

[AstroLinea]

I am having the same two problems you are. No sleep stages and it counts steps I'm not taking.

[danielvlopes]

I tried everything (switching wrists, resetting, rebooting the device, changing the positions I sleep) and nothing works. I will request another unit and see if they send one before I return my broken one, so I can see if the issue is hardware or software.

I'm considering buying an Oura ring, which is a bummer because I like the design and all the features of the Charge 3 😞 

[danielvlopes]

I did a restart by holding the button while the device is plugged to the charger and that seems to have fixed the problem. It's been showing the detailed view 3 days in a row now.

[Nick100]

Which restart did you use, I’ve tried the 8 second, no better, tried the 15 second as advised by customer support which has made things worse, now have to use restart every day on Fitbit itself to sync.

[AstroLinea]

Hi -- I did both, and nothing resolved the problem. Contacted Customer Support multiple times. They were courteous but couldn't resolve either issue (too many steps counted; sleep stages not recorded). So, I returned the dang thing! They make it quite easy. Good luck with your device. 

[Nick100]

Well I told them I would give it a week after trying what they told me to do,  but if I don’t get satisfaction after this, I will make sure I lay out clear as day on the forum.

[scw64]

I'm having the same issue and have been since getting the Charge 3 for Christmas. I'm quite disqusted. I've tried every recommended fix and nothing works. Frankly I'm tired of spending hours a day trying to get this thing to work properly as this is not the only problem I have with it. It doesn't sync properly either. I have to mess with it every single day, turn Bluetooth off and then back on, restart my phone, plug the charge 3 into the charger, etc just to get the **ahem** thing to sync and it doesn't always work. I hate this fitbit and will warn others about buying one. There's been enough complaints for a long enough period of time that these issues should have been fixed by now yet we get nothing. I suggest you find some solutions if you want people to purchase your products!

[danielvlopes]

I held the haptic button on the side for ~3 seconds with the device plugged on the charger until the happy face. 

I also realized that I used to move a lot at night because I tend to sleep on my stomach (with no pillow), and that was also making me press the Fitbit against the mattress. I changed my sleep position to be a side sleeper because of that. 

So, I'm not exactly sure if the reset fixed it or if it was my sleep position change that did the trick.

PS.: I never had problems with syncing.

[danielvlopes]

Never mind. The thing worked for a few days and then stopped again. Device is not reliable and support is not being helpful anymore. They basically told me that it’s my problem.

[danielvlopes]

Support sent a bunch of steps nothing worked so far. I'm gonna try for a couple of more days, but if it doesn't work I will have this device returned and get a refund

This is a waste of money. I'm buying an Oura Ring.

[Maz7916]

What a ridiculous explanation! There is obviously a problem with the charge 3. I never had issues with the charge 2 Andy like others upgraded at Christmas. Now my tracking is wooing. Missing steps. No sleep tracked. Sort it out fitbit. Get an update that works!