Sleep Tracking: Iphone's Native Features And Third-Party Apps

Sleep tracking is an important feature for many iPhone users, as getting enough sleep is essential for overall health. While Apple removed the iPhone-only sleep tracking feature in iOS 18, there are still ways to track your sleep using your iPhone. The Health app on your iPhone can help you set a sleep goal and create a customized sleep schedule. Additionally, there are third-party sleep tracking apps available on the App Store, such as Sleep Cycle, which offer features like sleep sounds and detailed sleep analysis. You can also use a combination of your iPhone and Apple Watch to track your sleep, with the Apple Watch providing more accurate data by analyzing your movement patterns and heart rate during sleep.

Sleep tracking on iPhone without Apple Watch

Sleep tracking is an important feature for many iPhone users, as getting enough sleep is essential for overall health. While the Apple Watch is a popular wearable device for tracking sleep, there are several ways to track sleep on your iPhone without it. Here are some methods and applications that can help you monitor your sleep patterns and improve your sleep quality:

Built-in Sleep Tracking Features:

Apple has introduced sleep tracking features in the Health app for iPhone users. To access this, open the Health app and tap “Browse” at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap “Sleep” and follow the prompts to set up sleep tracking. You can create personalized sleep schedules, set sleep goals, and view your sleep history. This feature helps you simplify your bedtime routine and improve your sleep habits.

Third-Party Sleep Tracking Apps:

There are several third-party sleep tracking applications available on the App Store that do not require an Apple Watch. One popular option is Sleep Cycle, which uses sound analysis to track your sleep patterns. It offers features such as sleep analysis, detailed sleep statistics, gentle wake-up tones, and relaxing sleep sounds. Another option is Pokémon Sleep, which provides detailed sleep information but requires your phone to be charged throughout the night. Additionally, apps like Oura and SleepWatch work in conjunction with your Apple Watch data to provide more comprehensive sleep insights, sleep scores, and personalized tips for improving sleep quality.

Manual Input and Insights:

If you don't want to use a dedicated sleep tracking app, you can manually input your sleep hours and insights into your iPhone's Notes app or a similar note-taking application. While this method may not provide in-depth analysis, it can help you keep a basic sleep log and identify patterns in your sleep habits over time.

It is important to note that while sleep tracking can provide valuable insights, it should not replace medical advice or a clinical sleep study. If you have concerns about your sleep, it is always best to consult a healthcare professional.

Third-party sleep tracking apps

While the iPhone does not have a built-in sleep tracker, there are several third-party sleep-tracking apps available on the App Store. Here are some of the most popular options:

Sleep Cycle

Sleep Cycle is a popular sleep-tracking app that uses sound analysis to identify sleep states and provide detailed sleep statistics and daily sleep graphs. It offers a variety of features, including a sleep analysis tool that detects sounds like snoring and coughing, and a library of relaxing sleep sounds and stories. Sleep Cycle also allows users to compare their sleep patterns to world sleep statistics and see how factors like weather or drinking coffee affect their sleep quality. The app also has a gentle alarm clock that wakes users during their lightest sleep phase, helping them feel more energized in the morning.

Calm

Calm is a sleep and meditation app designed to help users relax and reduce stress and anxiety, which are common causes of sleep disturbances. It offers a wide range of sleep stories, sounds, white noise, and sleep meditations to help users fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling rested. Calm also features music playlists and celebrity sleep stories, making it a versatile tool for improving sleep quality.

SleepScore

SleepScore is another highly-regarded sleep-tracking app that offers robust privacy policies and data security. The technology behind SleepScore is based on over 12 years of scientific research, and the company is transparent about its methods, making the science behind the app easily accessible to users. SleepScore uses a different type of sound-sensing technology than Sleep Cycle, which requires more precise phone placement to track sleep accurately.

In addition to these options, there are other sleep-tracking apps available for iPhone, such as the native "Health" app, which can be used in conjunction with an Apple Watch for more detailed sleep data. These third-party apps offer a range of features to help users understand and improve their sleep habits.

Siri sleep tracking

Sleep tracking can be a useful tool to increase awareness of sleep and encourage healthy sleep behaviour. It can help you establish a routine, which is vital for improving your sleep quality. However, sleep tracking is not for everyone. Some doctors and specialists have warned that tracking sleep can increase anxiety about insomnia and do more harm than good.

Apple's Health app can help you set a sleep goal and create a customised sleep schedule. You can also use Siri on supported models to ask, "How much did I sleep last night?" To receive sleep data, you must wear an Apple Watch for at least one hour each night. When Sleep Tracking is on, your Apple Watch tracks your sleep and adds sleep data to the Health app on your iPhone. You can also enable Charging Reminders so that your Apple Watch reminds you to charge it before your wind-down time.

To set up sleep tracking, open the Health app on your iPhone and tap "Get Started" under "Set Up Sleep". Then, set your sleep goal, bedtime, and wake-up times. You can also turn on Sleep Focus to reduce distractions on your iPhone and Apple Watch.

To view your sleep history, open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad and tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen. Tap "Sleep", and you will see a bar graph of your sleep history for the past week, month, or six months. You can also tap "Show More Sleep Data" and select a category to review additional sleep details, such as the time and percentage you spent awake or in REM, core, or deep sleep.

In addition to Apple's built-in sleep tracking, there are also third-party sleep tracking apps available on the App Store, such as Sleep Cycle. These apps can offer additional features such as relaxing music, sleep stories, and meditations. However, it's important to note that no sleep tracker can match the medical monitoring you would receive in a sleep clinic, and some trackers may give the impression that they can diagnose medical conditions when they do not have the data to back up those claims.

Sleep tracking with Apple Watch

Sleep tracking is available on the Apple Watch and can be used in conjunction with an iPhone. To receive sleep data, you must enable "Track Sleep with Apple Watch" and ensure your watch is charged to at least 30% before bed. It is recommended to wear your Apple Watch for at least one hour each night to accurately track your sleep.

To set up sleep tracking, open the Health app on your iPhone and tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Sleep". If you have Sleep saved to your Favourites list, you can access it from the Summary page in the Health app. From there, you can set up your sleep schedule, including your sleep goal, bedtime, and wake-up times. You can also enable Sleep Focus, which reduces distractions on your iPhone and Apple Watch before bed.

To view your sleep history, you can use the Health app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Sleep". You can view your sleep data by week, month, or month, and see the time and percentage spent in each sleep stage (Awake, REM, Core, or Deep sleep). You can also view your respiratory rate and heart rate in relation to your time spent asleep.

Additionally, you can use third-party apps for sleep tracking, such as Sleep Cycle, which offers features like sleep sounds, stories, and meditations, as well as gentle wake-up tones.

Limitations of iPhone sleep tracking

While the iPhone does offer sleep-tracking capabilities, there are some limitations to this feature. Here are some of the limitations of iPhone sleep tracking:

Limited Data Sources

The iPhone's built-in sleep tracking feature relies primarily on data from the Apple Watch. This means that users who do not own an Apple Watch may not be able to take advantage of this functionality. While there are third-party sleep tracking apps available on the App Store, they may not integrate directly with the iPhone's Health app.

Inaccurate Results

Some users have reported inaccuracies in the sleep tracking data. For example, activities such as talking on the phone or cleaning up broken glass were misidentified as "light sleep." These discrepancies can affect the accuracy of the sleep analysis and may impact the effectiveness of personalized sleep schedules.

Limited Manual Input

While the Health app allows for some manual input of sleep data, it is a fairly basic feature. Users can add or delete sleep data, but there is limited ability to correct or modify the data collected by the iPhone or Apple Watch. This can be frustrating if the automatic tracking is inaccurate or fails to capture all relevant sleep information.

Insufficient Context

The iPhone's sleep tracking provides data on sleep duration and sleep phases, but it may not offer enough context for users to fully understand their sleep patterns. Other factors that influence sleep quality, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and ambient noise, are not comprehensively addressed. Without a more holistic view of sleep health, users may find the insights from the sleep tracker less meaningful or actionable.

Battery Considerations

To use the sleep tracking feature on the Apple Watch, the device needs to be charged to at least 30% before bed. This requires users to develop a consistent charging routine to ensure their watch has sufficient battery life each night. A fully charged Apple Watch may still not last through the night, particularly if the user tends to sleep longer than the average duration.

Despite these limitations, the iPhone's sleep tracking capabilities can still provide some basic insights into sleep patterns and help users develop healthier sleep habits. However, for more comprehensive and accurate sleep tracking, users may need to consider dedicated sleep tracking devices or third-party apps that offer more advanced features and insights.

Frequently asked questions