Apple Watch: Tracking Your Rem Sleep

The Apple Watch can track REM sleep, along with deep sleep and how often you wake up at night. The watch uses its heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and machine learning to determine the amount of sleep in each stage. The Sleep app on the Apple Watch can be used to create sleep schedules to help users meet their sleep goals. However, it is important to note that the Apple Watch only provides an estimation of sleep stages and duration, and does not provide a complete analysis of sleep quality.

The Apple Watch can track REM sleep

To track sleep, the watch needs to be worn to bed, and it can then estimate the time spent in each sleep stage. The user can also set up Wind Down, which gives a bedtime reminder and limits distractions before the user goes to bed. The Sleep Focus feature turns off the watch display and limits distractions before the user's scheduled bedtime.

Apple's sleep tracking focuses on the quantity of time spent in bed. This feature can tell when the user is awake in bed and not asleep. The watch also has a Do Not Disturb mode that can be manually disabled.

Apple's VP of Technology, Kevin Lynch, has stated that Apple's research has shown that the main thing about sleep is its duration. He also noted that the company decided not to show more complicated estimated sleep data because their sleep studies didn't show results that felt useful. Lynch also mentioned that Apple is not planning to use its users' sleep data for research or any other purpose.

It uses the heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and machine learning to do so

The Apple Watch uses a combination of the heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and machine learning to track sleep. The watch can estimate the time spent in each sleep stage: REM, Core, and Deep. It also shows when the wearer might have woken up. The Sleep app on the Apple Watch can be used to create sleep schedules to help the wearer meet their sleep goals. The watch uses motion to detect sleep when worn to bed.

The Apple Watch's sleep tracking focuses on the quantity of time spent in bed. This feature can tell when the wearer is awake in bed and not asleep. The watch can also track sleep stages, deep sleep, and how often the wearer wakes up at night. It does this by leveraging the watch's heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and machine learning.

Apple has said that it used polysomnography (a benchmark for tracking sleep in clinical sleep studies) to train its machine learning. Upon waking up, a graph of the wearer's sleep time and sleep stages is available on the Apple Watch. A detailed report, including respiratory rate data and heart rate data, can be viewed in the Health app on the wearer's phone.

The Apple Watch's sleep tracking setup is a straightforward process. The wearer must ensure their Apple Watch has WatchOS 7 or later and their iPhone has iOS 14 or later. They can then go to the Health app on their iPhone and configure sleep. The wearer can also select how long they plan to sleep, when bedtime starts, and when they want to wake up. The wearer can also decide whether to set an alarm and how they want it to sound.

You need to set up a sleep schedule on the watch

Setting up a sleep schedule on your Apple Watch is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you set up your sleep schedule and take advantage of the sleep tracking features:

Step 1: Update Your Devices

Before you begin, ensure that your Apple Watch has watchOS 7 or a later version installed, and your iPhone is running iOS 14 or newer. These updates are necessary to access the built-in sleep tracking features.

Step 2: Access the Sleep App

To set up your sleep schedule, open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch. Follow the on-screen instructions to guide you through the setup process. Alternatively, you can also set up sleep tracking through the Health app on your iPhone. Tap "Browse" and then select "Sleep" to get started.

Step 3: Define Your Sleep Goal

When setting up your sleep schedule, you will be prompted to set a sleep goal. This is the amount of sleep you aim to get each night. You can customize this based on your personal needs and preferences.

Step 4: Configure Sleep Focus

Sleep Focus is a feature designed to help you wind down before bed and protect your sleep once you're in bed. It limits distractions by turning on Do Not Disturb and simplifying your Apple Watch and iPhone screens. You can choose to turn this feature on or off during the setup process.

Step 5: Set Your Bedtime Reminder

The Wind Down feature allows you to set a bedtime reminder. This reminder will notify you when it's time to start preparing for sleep. You can also set a duration for your Wind Down time, during which Sleep Focus will be active to help you relax before bed.

Step 6: Enable Sleep Tracking

Make sure to enable sleep tracking during the setup process. This feature uses your motion to detect sleep when you wear your Apple Watch to bed. It will track your sleep and provide insights into the different sleep stages you go through.

Step 7: Customize Your Schedule

With Apple Watch, you can create multiple sleep schedules to accommodate different routines on weekdays and weekends. For each schedule, you can set your desired bedtime and wake-up time, choose an alarm sound, and decide on which days you want the schedule to be active.

Step 8: Review and Adjust Settings

Once you've set up your initial sleep schedule, you can always make changes and adjustments as needed. Go to the Sleep app on your Apple Watch or the Health app on your iPhone to review and edit your sleep schedules, goals, and preferences.

Remember to wear your Apple Watch to bed so it can track your sleep and provide you with valuable insights into your sleep patterns and quality.

The watch can distinguish between being awake in bed and being asleep

The Apple Watch can distinguish between being awake in bed and being asleep. The watch can track sleep by monitoring your movement, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. This allows the watch to estimate the time spent in each sleep stage, including REM sleep, and provide a graph of your sleep time and sleep stages.

The watch's Sleep Mode feature can help you prepare for sleep by dimming the display and limiting distractions before your scheduled bedtime. Additionally, the watch can track your sleep schedule and provide a monthly summary of your sleep patterns. This information can be viewed in the Health app on your iPhone, where you can see a graphical representation of your sleep results and a detailed report with respiratory rate and heart rate data.

It's important to note that the Apple Watch's sleep tracking feature is not intended to replace clinical sleep studies or provide medical advice. However, it can be a useful tool to help you understand your sleep patterns and make adjustments to improve your sleep quality.

Sleep tracking was introduced with WatchOS 7

With WatchOS 9, the Apple Watch can show how long the user was asleep and the amount of sleep they got in each sleep stage, including awake, REM, core, and deep sleep. It does this by leveraging the watch's heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and machine learning. Apple used polysomnography—a benchmark for tracking sleep in clinical sleep studies—to train its machine learning.

Upon waking up, users can view a graph of their sleep time and sleep stages on their Apple Watch. For a more detailed report, they can use the Health app on their iPhone to see in-depth sleep reports with respiratory rate data and heart rate data.

Sleep tracking on the Apple Watch focuses on the quantity of time spent in bed. It knows when the user is awake in bed and not asleep, even if they are using their phone. The Apple Watch's sleep tracking feature synchronizes with the iPhone clock's Bedtime feature, so users create a sleep schedule by turning it on. Before the preset bedtime, the watch helps users prepare for sleep with a wind-down time, during which it dims down and enters 'Sleep Mode'. During Sleep Mode, users must turn the Digital Crown to unlock the watch, similar to when stepping out of a swimming pool. Users can disable Sleep Mode, but this will prevent them from tracking their sleep.

To set up sleep tracking, users need to ensure their Apple Watch has WatchOS 7 or later, and their iPhone has iOS 14 or later. They can then go to the Health app on their iPhone or Apple Watch and configure their sleep settings, including their desired sleep duration, bedtime, and wake-up time. They can also set a relaxation time before going to bed and decide whether to set an alarm or how they want it to sound.

Frequently asked questions