Charge 3 not tracking sleep properly

[Kennglobus]

I upgraded from a charge 2 to a charge 3 at Christmas. I use the charge devices mainly for pulse monitoring and sleep monitoring due to a medical condition I need to monitor. I have found that the charge 3 starts sleep recording 1.5 or even 2 hours after I actually go to sleep. To check this I have worn both the charge 2 and charge 3 together on several nights and the 2 is almost perfectly accurate, the 3 consistently inaccurate by 80-120 mins.

I have read this same problem reported elsewhere in the forum by several users, and the "accepted fix" put forward which is to manually switch on and then off sleep times via the app. - I don't find this acceptable (or useful in my case), especially when I expected the charge 3 to work and monitor in the same way as the charge 2, - e.g. automatically and reasonably accurately.

Is there a fix for this problem/shortcoming in the charge 3, or a new software update being planned which will improve this situation soon?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome on board @Kennglobus, it's nice to see you around here! Thanks for the information provided and for the time you took to test your trackers, nice way to go!

Make sure that you're getting a solid heart rate reading , since sleep stages requires consistent HR. 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. Also, double check that your watch is charged up. 

Additionally, I'd recommend checking the following that could be preventing you from receiving sleep stages:

• If you used the "Begin Sleep Now" option in the Fitbit app (instead of simply wearing your device to bed).
• If you slept for less than 3 hours.

For more information about why you see your sleep pattern, tap or click the sleep record that shows your sleep pattern. 

In addition, I think it's great that you update the Fitbit app to the latest version (iOS and Android). I always recommend keeping both the tracker and the Fitbit app up to date with the latest versions. 

I'd also recommend restarting your tracker by following these steps. 

Keep testing your Charge 3 the next few nights and let me know if your sleep stages are missing. I'll be around! 

[Kennglobus]

Hi Maria,

Thanks for the detailed reply.

The Charge 3 is worn in the same position as my previous charge 2, similar to where you suggest, and seems to be giving a consistent and relatively accurate heart rate.

I don't use manual "Sleep now" or similar functions. It is important that the tracker does this for me automatically.

The Application is set to automatic update via Google play store, (Android) and I checked it yesterday again, no further updates are available for my charge 3. The tracker is synced with the phone and also set to automatic update, which it seems to do ok.

I did a full restart yesterday and again today on the tracker. I did it again today as after yesterday's restart, the tracker still seems to show sleep beginning circa 40 mins later than actual, and just shows on stats as me appearing in "light sleep" . I wore the charge 2 again on myh other wrist last night, which seems to show correctly the earlier sleep time and my going from "awake" into differing sleep modes... Interestingly, after that, they both seem to show more or less the same sleep pattern, - its just the start of sleep which is off...

- Any other ideas?

[Oneyrus]

I wonder if an enhancement could be done for sleep tracking - that is, how long do I have to sleep to have it measured as sleep-time, and not as a nap. Secondly - for how long can I be awake and the awake time is included in total measured time? Example of how I have experienced how time is measured: I sleep for seven hours, but I will wake up after three hours and fall asleep after ten minutes again, to sleep for another four hours. Somewhat randomized the tracker will state that I either slept three hours or four hours but not seven hours with ten minutes awake time. The enhancement would be that I should be able to state minimum time sleeping to be considered sleep-time, like a range between e.g. 1,5 h to 3 h. Then I should also have the possibility to state time awake and if I fall asleep before allowed awake time, the total time would be sleep + awake + sleep. So far my experience is that if I awake, total "sleep-time" is not measured accordingly.

What could be done?

Regards

[Kennglobus]

Despite the suggestions, the charge 3 is wrong on its tracking of sleep hours/time most nights, and has skipped two nights entirely this week and said "sleep not tracked"...

It is at the lastest update (automatic updates on also) and I have restarted it more times than my car...

No idea why...

Is this unit simply a dud I should send back?

[Ploddingalong]

I have the same issue. I have followed all the suggestions and still am receiving simplified sleep data. It is the most important feature for me so quite frustrated that the charge 3 seems to have an issue. I would love a fix on this please Fitbit?

[Woodrowii]

Same problem.

[Kennglobus]

Just as a final update on this subject...

I never did get the Charge 3 to consistently track sleep, no matter what I tried, HOWEVER, after 6 months of use, the Charge 3 suddenly demonstrated a bad screen (two thick white line showed up, top to bottom, and wouldn't disappear regardless of restarts or anything else). I was rapidly sent a totally new Charge 3 under warrantee...

Since the new unit arrived, I haven't once had the problem with tracking sleep or sleep time tracking starting later than it should, nor have I had to re-start it...

So, it seems that, as I suspected in the first place and asked about in this forum of the original Fitbit responder, the unit itself was suffering some problems from day 1.

All sorted now, - so all's well that ends well (in my case).

[skimombjw]

Same problem. Suddenly my charge 3 is tracking two different times per night. It will track up until midnight, then change and track from midnight on, and the times are not always correct, as I know what time I went to bed. So of course I never get the correct amount of sleep since it doesn't add them together!

[Lsweet]

Ever since the new upgrade on this app I have continually been having problems with many things, including tracking my sleep. I initially bought this years ago to track sleep and until the upgrade it worked great.

I have tried all the fixes, nothing works. I typically fall asleep and sleep until about 2 or 3 a.m. then go back to sleep around five for another hour or two. It doesn’t track my last part of sleep. When I try to enter it manually, it tells me I didn’t sleep for more than 30 minutes so it won’t track it. I know that I have slept for at least an hour.

 Are used to complain about this on the different forums, but there hasn’t been any fixes that worked for me.

I am super excited, I heard google is buying Fitbit, hopefully they will listen to everyone and get the fixes in that are needed!

I truly find this such a frustrating app, after having one that I loved for eight years!

[rhouston6]

Same here Charge 3 is useless.

[JBechthold]

Same issue for us, we purchased 2 charge 3 Fitbit for the wife and I, mine sort of works, get a sleep score but for only 4-5 hrs of the 8 hours I was actually sleeping. Go to bed at 11:30 and tracking does not start until 1 am. My wife gets no sleep score at all regardless of what wrist or the fact that it is very snug on her wrist 2-3” above the wrist bone. Did not purchase the charge 4 as I don’t need GPS

[trashachinaMANX]

Same here.  The previous poster described the Charge 3 in one word.

Hope you receive a Moderator response other than the 'Standard' that helps nobody.

[hodmur]

I consider the wrist bone as the large protrusion on the outside of my arm. If I wore my Fitbit 3 fingers 'up' it would be a quarter (1/4) of the way to my elbow. I do however always have on full finger away from my wrist , snug. Still now working.