Apple Watch 5: Sleep Tracking And More

Sleep tracking is an important feature for many people, and while the Apple Watch Series 5 does not support native sleep tracking, there are still ways to track your sleep using third-party apps. Apple Watches with watchOS 8 or later can use apps like SleepWatch and SleepMatic to track sleep, and even some older Apple Watch models can use these apps to monitor sleep habits. While the Apple Watch Series 5 may not have built-in sleep tracking, users can still take advantage of its health sensors and pair it with their iPhones to track their sleep.

The Apple Watch 5 does not have built-in sleep tracking

The Apple Watch Series 5 does not have built-in sleep tracking. While Apple added native sleep tracking to the Apple Watch in 2020, this was not available on the Apple Watch Series 5. However, there are many third-party apps that can fill the gap, keeping tabs on how long and how well you sleep. For example, SleepWatch can log your sleep history and times to the Apple Health App. It can also provide adaptive bedtime suggestions to help you optimize your sleep rhythm.

Another option is Bodymatter's Sleep Watch, which presents sleep data clearly, showing how much light sleep and deep sleep you got, how long it took you to fall asleep, and more. It also has a "smart" alarm that can wake you up when it detects you're in a light sleep phase.

If you want to use your Apple Watch Series 5 to track your sleep, you can turn off the Wake Screen on Wrist Raise feature by swiping up on your watch face and enabling Theatre Mode. This will stop the watch face from lighting up when you move your arm in bed.

Third-party apps can be used to track sleep

While the Apple Watch Series 5 does not have built-in sleep-tracking capabilities, there are several third-party apps that can be used to track your sleep. These apps can provide more detailed data than the native Apple Watch sleep tracking feature, which was introduced in watchOS 7.

AutoSleep is a popular third-party sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch. It offers a lot of data, including sleep duration, sleep cycles, and heart rate variability. The app also integrates with Apple's Health app, allowing you to view your sleep data alongside other health metrics. AutoSleep has both a free and a premium version, with the latter offering advanced tracking options and detailed sleep analysis.

Sleep Pulse 3 is another fully-featured standalone sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch. It tracks your heart rate, motion, and sleep duration. The app also includes a sleep view that can be accessed if you wake up in the middle of the night, showing your resting heart rate and how long you've been sleeping. Sleep Pulse 3 also offers the ability to track naps and record sleep talk.

Pillow is a third-party sleep tracking app that provides clear and actionable data on your sleep patterns. It ranks your sleep as disrupted, light, or restful, and offers a percentage score that you can work to improve. Pillow also provides data on heart rate variability, but some users may find that there is an element of data overload.

Sleep Watch by Bodymatter is a freemium sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch. The free version offers basic sleep tracking features, while the premium version includes additional features such as a "smart" alarm that can wake you up during a light sleep phase.

In addition to these apps, there are many other third-party sleep tracking apps available for the Apple Watch, each with its own unique features and data presentation styles. When choosing a sleep tracking app, it is important to consider the specific metrics and insights that are most important to you.

Sleep tracking is available on watchOS 8 or later

To set up sleep tracking, open the Health app on your iPhone and tap "Get Started" under "Set Up Sleep". You can then set a sleep goal, or the number of hours you would like to spend asleep, as well as your bedtime and wake-up times. You can also turn on Sleep Focus to reduce distractions on your iPhone and Apple Watch by simplifying your Lock Screen.

Once you have everything set up, your Apple Watch will gather your sleep data when you wear it to bed, and it will sync with your iPhone automatically. To view your sleep history, open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad and tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen. If you're on your iPhone, you can also tap "Show More Sleep Data" to see additional details, such as the average time spent in each sleep stage.

In addition to tracking the amount of sleep you get, the Apple Watch can also help track your breathing rate as you sleep, which can give you greater insight into your overall health. To view your respiratory rate, open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad and tap "Respiratory" and then "Respiratory Rate".

Sleep tracking requires the watch to be charged above 30%

The Apple Watch 5 can track sleep, but only when paired with third-party apps such as SleepWatch, Sleep++, SleepMatic, or AutoSleep. These apps can track how long you sleep and how well, and some can even wake you up when you're in a light sleep phase.

To use the sleep tracking feature on the Apple Watch, it is recommended that the watch is charged to at least 30% before going to bed. If the battery falls below 30%, you will be prompted to charge it. The watch will not track your sleep data if the battery dies, so it is important to ensure that it is charged adequately.

The amount of battery power consumed during sleep tracking varies depending on the model of the Apple Watch. For example, the Series 3 watch can track sleep for 8 hours with a 20% battery usage, while other models may use up to 35% battery power overnight. It is recommended to set up charging reminders so that you can ensure your watch is charged adequately before tracking your sleep.

Additionally, it is important to note that the watch must be worn for at least 1 hour each night to track sleep data accurately. The watch uses motion detection to track sleep, so if it is not worn, the graph may not show any data.

Sleep tracking data can be viewed on the Health app

The Apple Watch 5 does not have sleep-tracking capabilities built-in. However, you can use third-party apps to track your sleep. Once you've downloaded a third-party app, you can view your sleep tracking data on the Health app by following these steps:

• Open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad.
• Tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap "Sleep".
• If you have Sleep saved to your Favorites list, you can access it from the Summary page in the Health app.
• Tap "Full Schedule & Options".
• Tap "Wind Down" or "Sleep Goal" under "Additional Details".
• Adjust your time, then tap "Wind Down" or "Sleep Goal" to save your changes.
• Open the Sleep app.
• Tap the sleep-alarm-icon in the upper left.
• Tap "Wind Down" or "Sleep Goal" under "Options".
• Tap the plus and minus buttons to adjust your time.
• Tap the left arrow in the upper left to go back and save your changes.

You can also view your recent sleep data on your Apple Watch. Open the Sleep app on your watch, then turn the Digital Crown to view your Sleep Stages data, Time Asleep, and your Sleep Duration for the last 14 days.

Frequently asked questions