Key Takeaways
The Apple Watch has built-in tools that can help you keep track of how well you sleep. It does this by using special sensors that notice your movements, heart rate, and breathing. It then turns this information into useful data, like how long you sleep and what stages of sleep you go through. This can help you understand your sleep better and make changes to improve it. You can even set sleep goals and use helpful features to create better bedtime habits.
How Sleep Tracking Works
The Apple Watch tracks your sleep using two main tools: a heart rate sensor and something called an accelerometer, which detects movement. Basically, the watch watches how much you move and checks your heartbeat while you’re sleeping. Then, it uses smart computer technology (called machine learning) to study this information. It compares what it sees to real sleep studies to figure out when you were awake, light sleeping, or in deeper stages of sleep.
It also shows extra information like how much oxygen is in your blood, how fast your heart is beating, and how often you breathe. All of this helps paint a clear picture of how well you sleep each night. But keep in mind, this tool is only for tracking. It’s not the same as a doctor’s test and can’t diagnose sleep problems on its own.
Benefits of Tracking Your Sleep
Tracking your sleep can help you in many ways. Here are a few simple but important benefits:
See how long you really sleep: Sometimes it’s hard to know when you actually fell asleep or woke up. The Apple Watch gives you exact numbers so you can stop guessing.
Learn about your sleep stages: Your sleep has different parts like light sleep, deep sleep, and dreaming (REM sleep). Knowing how much time you spend in each stage can help you understand the quality of your sleep.
Watch how your habits change: By looking at your sleep data over time, you can notice patterns. Maybe you sleep better on certain days, or worse after staying up late.
Spot problems to talk about with your doctor: If you keep seeing bad sleep results, it might be a sign to talk to a healthcare provider.
Tracking your sleep is especially helpful if you’re trying to get better rest or change your lifestyle. For example, if you’re cutting down on coffee or going to bed earlier, the Apple Watch can show you if those changes are helping. It’s also great for anyone who’s just curious about how sleep works!
Tracking Your Sleep With an Apple Watch
The Apple Watch isn’t just a sleep tracker—it’s a smartwatch that does many things like showing messages, playing music, and tracking exercise. But it also has sleep tracking features, and you can even add extra sleep apps if you want more options.
One thing to remember is that the Apple Watch doesn’t track your sleep by itself. You have to turn on the sleep features first. Once it’s set up, it will track your sleep as long as you wear it properly. Make sure the watch fits snugly but comfortably on your wrist at night. If it’s too loose, it might think you’re moving more than you really are.
Check Your Software
To use sleep tracking, your Apple Watch and iPhone need to have the right software. Here’s what you need:
Your Apple Watch should be using watchOS 7 or later.
Your iPhone should have iOS 14 or later.
For the newest and best sleep tracking features, you’ll need watchOS 9 and iOS 16 or newer.
To update your device:
Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Tap Software Update.
If an update is available, tap Install and follow the instructions.
Updating makes sure everything works smoothly and you get the latest sleep tracking features.
Create Sleep Goals
Your Apple Watch lets you set a sleep goal, which is the number of hours you want to sleep each night. This helps you stay focused on getting enough rest.
Here’s how to set it up:
Open the Health app on your iPhone.
Tap Browse in the bottom corner.
Scroll and tap Sleep.
Under Set Up Sleep, tap Get Started.
Tap Next, then set your sleep goal (like 8 hours).
You can also set a Wind Down time. This reminds you to relax before bed and helps you avoid distractions like phone use or TV. You can even add calming apps, like a meditation app or a white noise player, to help you get ready for sleep.
Set Your Sleep Schedule on Your Phone
The Apple Watch also lets you set a sleep schedule, which includes your bedtime and wake-up time. You can make different schedules for weekdays and weekends.
Here’s how to do it:
Go to the same Sleep setup in the Health app.
Tap Sleep Schedule.
Create a schedule for weekdays and one for weekends if you want.
Tap Edit to change or remove a schedule.
You can also turn on or off the alarm for each schedule.
The app might suggest times based on your sleep goal, but you can change it however you like.
Next Wake Up Only
Sometimes, you might want to wake up at a different time just for the next day. With Next Wake Up Only, you can change your wake-up time for one night without changing your full schedule.
To do this:
Go to the Health app.
Under Your Schedule, tap Edit.
Adjust the bedtime and wake-up time just for that night.
It’s a quick and easy way to make one-time changes without messing up your regular sleep plan.
Turn On Track Sleep With Your Apple Watch
To start tracking sleep, you need to turn on the sleep tracking setting. Here’s how:
Option 1: Using your iPhone
Open the Health app.
Tap Sleep.
Follow the steps under Set Up Sleep.
Option 2: Using the Watch app on your iPhone
Open the Watch app.
Tap My Watch, then Sleep.
Turn on Track Sleep with Apple Watch.
To collect sleep data, you need to wear the watch for at least four hours at night. It’s also a good idea to turn on Charging Reminders, so the watch reminds you to charge it before bedtime.
Try Using Sleep Focus
Sleep Focus helps you avoid distractions before and during sleep. It turns off unnecessary notifications, dims your screen, and can even let others know that you don’t want to be disturbed (but still gives them the option to reach you if needed).
This feature is great for people who wake up easily or want to cut down on screen time at night. Sleep Focus can automatically turn on when your Wind Down time or bedtime starts, and it turns off when you wake up.
To customize Sleep Focus:
Open Settings.
Tap Focus, then Sleep.
Choose what notifications are allowed during Sleep Focus.
Set Your Sleep Schedule on Your Watch
If you don’t want to use your phone, you can set the sleep schedule directly on your Apple Watch. Here’s how:
Open the Sleep app on your watch.
Tap Full Schedule.
Tap Add Schedule or tap an existing one to edit.
Tap Active On to choose which days the schedule works.
Tap Wake Up or Bedtime to set the time.
Turn the digital crown to adjust the time, then tap the check mark.
You can also turn sleep schedules on or off anytime by using the switch next to the schedule.
Next Wake Up Only (on Your Watch)
You can also change just your next wake-up time right on the Apple Watch:
Open the Sleep app.
Tap your next bedtime.
Tap the wake-up time.
Turn the digital crown to adjust, then tap the check mark.
This change is only for the next sleep, not for future nights.
Reviewing Your Sleep History
To see how you’ve been sleeping, open the Health app and tap Sleep. You’ll see a chart showing how many hours you slept each day.
Tap D for daily view, W for weekly, M for monthly, and 6M for six months.
Tap Show More Sleep Data to see more details like sleep stages, average sleep time, heart rate, and breathing rate.
This information helps you notice patterns and make changes to sleep better over time. It’s a great tool if you’re trying to improve your health or just want to learn more about how you sleep.