Evie Summers
The Apple Watch is a useful tool for tracking sleep, with the ability to measure various stages of sleep such as REM, Core, or Deep sleep, as well as when the user is awake during the sleep cycle. However, the watch does have limitations when it comes to automatic sleep detection. Users must activate Sleep mode or enable an automatic sleep schedule for the watch to track their sleep. This can be done manually by swiping up on the watch face and hitting the bed icon, or by setting a sleep schedule. The watch will then be able to provide a detailed analysis of sleep data, including additional metrics such as heart rate and respiratory rate.
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What You'll Learn
Manually tracking sleep on Apple Watch
To manually track sleep on your Apple Watch, you need to configure your Watch-specific sleep settings in the Watch app. First, open the Health app on your iPhone and tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap "Sleep" and "Get Started" below "Set Up Sleep".
Next, open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also set up a sleep schedule with general settings such as a sleep goal, whether to turn on Sleep Focus, and when to start winding down before bed. You can also create multiple sleep schedules, such as one for weekdays and another for weekends.
To manually start tracking your sleep, swipe up on your watch face to access the Control Center and hit the bed icon. Remember to do the same when you wake up to turn off sleep tracking.
You can view your recent sleep data by opening the Sleep app on your Apple Watch and turning the Digital Crown to view your Sleep Stages data, Time Asleep, and Sleep Duration for the last 14 days. You can also view this information in the Sleep section of the Health app on your iPhone.
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Apple Watch's Sleep app
The Apple Watch Sleep app has been available for a few years, but it is the watchOS 9 update that brings detailed sleep analysis to the Apple Watch. The Sleep app allows users to create their Wind Down and Bedtime schedules, which are synchronised with all other Apple devices registered to the Apple ID account.
To track your sleep, you must activate Sleep mode or enable an automatic sleep schedule. You can do this manually by swiping up on your watch face to access the control centre and hitting the bed icon when you go to bed and again when you wake up. Alternatively, you can set a sleep schedule, which can be done in the Sleep app on your Apple Watch or in the Health app on your iPhone. Here, you can also set a sleep goal, turn on Sleep Focus, and set a bedtime reminder.
The Sleep app will measure various stages of sleep, including REM, Core, and Deep sleep, as well as when the user is awake during the sleep cycle. This is done with signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor. Users can view their sleep stage data on the Sleep app on their Apple Watch, and they can also view more detailed information, such as time asleep, heart rate, and respiratory rate, in the Health app on their iPhone.
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Sleep tracking with watchOS 9
Sleep tracking is available on watchOS 8 or later. To use the sleep tracking feature on your Apple Watch, you must wear it to bed for at least 1 hour. If your Apple Watch is charged less than 30% before you go to bed, you will be prompted to charge it.
To track your sleep, you can create sleep schedules on the Sleep app on your Apple Watch. You can also set up a sleep goal, which is the number of hours of sleep you want to get. Additionally, you can turn on Sleep Focus, which limits distractions before you go to bed and protects your sleep after you're in bed. When you wake up, you can open the Sleep app to see how much sleep you got and your sleep trends over the past 14 days.
You can also view your recent sleep data on your Apple Watch by opening the Sleep app and turning the Digital Crown. This will allow you to view your Sleep Stages data, Time Asleep, and your Sleep Duration for the last 14 days.
If you do not want to set a sleep schedule, you can manually turn on Sleep Focus from the Control Center on your Apple Watch. This will initiate sleep tracking without a schedule. However, some users have reported issues with sleep detection when not setting a sleep schedule.
Additionally, your Apple Watch can help track your breathing rate as you sleep, which can give you greater insight into your overall health.
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Sleep tracking with AutoSleep
AutoSleep automatically tracks your sleep from your Apple Watch. There are no buttons to press, and you don't even need the Watch app. The app will track your sleep and quality and send you a notification in the morning. It uses the Apple Watch's sensors to follow your movements and determine when you fell asleep and woke up. It can also track the time you spent asleep, your sleep bank balance, sleep rating, sleep rings, heart rate, deep sleep, REM sleep, sleep blood oxygen, respiration rate, environmental noise, sleep analysis, sleep fuel, bedtime, readiness, temperature, sleep consistency, and lights-off time.
AutoSleep also integrates with the Eclipse Yourself and HeartWatch apps, which monitor heart, health, activity, recovery, and readiness. The app is highly recommended by users, with one commenting that they "don't have to remember to manually press any buttons when you go to sleep or wake up, it does it all automatically".
To use AutoSleep, you can simply download the app and wear your Apple Watch to bed. In the morning, you will receive a notification with your sleep data. You can also choose to not wear your watch to bed, in which case AutoSleep can still track the time you spent in bed by detecting when you touch your iPhone or put your Watch back on in the morning.
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Apple Watch's Sleep Focus
The Apple Watch can help you track your sleep, but it does have some limitations. Firstly, you need to activate Sleep mode or enable an automatic sleep schedule for the watch to track your sleep. This can be done manually by swiping up on the watch face to access the Control Center and tapping the bed icon, both when you go to bed and when you wake up. Alternatively, you can set a sleep schedule, which can be done in the Sleep app on your Apple Watch or in the Health app on your iPhone.
The Sleep app allows you to create Wind Down and Bedtime schedules, which can be synced with other Apple devices registered to your Apple ID. You can also set up a sleep goal, a bedtime reminder, and Sleep Focus, which limits distractions before and during sleep. Sleep Focus can be turned on manually in the Control Center or set to turn on automatically at your wind-down time.
It's important to note that the Apple Watch cannot automatically detect sleep like some other fitness watches. It requires you to manually activate Sleep mode or set a sleep schedule. Additionally, the watch needs to track your sleep for at least 4 hours each night or sleep interval for data to be recorded.
With the watchOS 9 update, the Apple Watch Sleep tracking feature has improved. It can now measure various stages of sleep, such as REM, Core, and Deep sleep, as well as when the user is awake during the sleep cycle. This is done using signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor. The Sleep app displays sleep stage data, and more detailed information can be viewed in the Health app on your iPhone, including time asleep, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
If you prefer not to use the built-in sleep tracking features, there are third-party apps available, such as AutoSleep, which can track sleep without the need to manually activate Sleep mode or set a schedule.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can track your sleep without setting up a schedule. You can either manually turn on Sleep Focus from the Control Center on your Apple Watch or use third-party apps such as AutoSleep.
Yes, you can set up a sleep schedule without an alarm. You can also set up a schedule with an alarm and turn off the alarm on days you don't need it.
Yes, third-party apps such as AutoSleep can track multiple sleep intervals or naps without setting a schedule.
