Tracking Sleep: Iphone's Built-In Sleep Tracker

Sleep tracking is an important feature for many iPhone users, as getting enough sleep is essential for overall health. While some users opt to track their sleep with an Apple Watch, there are other ways to monitor sleep using just an iPhone. The Health app on iPhone can help users set a sleep goal and create a personalized sleep schedule. This app uses the iPhone's built-in motion sensors and accelerometer to analyze movement patterns during sleep. Additionally, there are third-party apps available that can track sleep, such as Sleep Cycle and Life Cycle.

Sleep tracking with Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is a useful device for tracking your sleep. By wearing your Apple Watch to bed, you can track your sleep and view your sleep history through the Health app on your iPhone or iPad. This feature is available during setup if you've paired your Apple Watch with your iPhone beforehand. If you pair your Apple Watch after setup, you can still turn on sleep tracking later.

To receive sleep data, make sure to enable sleep tracking on your Apple Watch and wear it for at least one hour each night. A fully charged Apple Watch with sleep tracking enabled and a charged battery of at least 30% is ideal. If you don't meet the one-hour minimum, your graph might not show any data.

Through the Health app, you can access sleep data such as the time and percentage you spent awake or in REM, Core, or Deep sleep. You can also set up sleep goals and create a personalized sleep schedule to help improve your overall health. The app allows you to adjust your wind-down and sleep goal as needed.

Additionally, you can use third-party apps like Sleep Cycle and Life Cycle for basic sleep tracking. These apps can tell you when you went to sleep and woke up, but they may require a subscription.

Sleep tracking with iPhone Health app

Sleep tracking is an important feature for many people, and Apple has made this possible through its Health app on the iPhone. The Health app can help you set a sleep goal and create a customised sleep schedule. It is represented by a white icon with a red heart.

To set up sleep tracking, open the Health app and tap 'Browse' at the bottom of the screen. Then, scroll down and select 'Sleep' under the 'Browse All' section. Tap 'Get Started' and set your sleep schedule by adjusting your bedtime and wake-up time according to your routine, then tap 'Next'. You can also set a 'Wind Down' period before your scheduled bedtime to help you relax and reduce screen time.

The Health app uses your iPhone's built-in motion sensors and accelerometer to analyse your movement patterns during sleep. It can detect when you fall asleep, wake up, and transition between sleep stages. It considers contextual cues such as your bedtime routine and device usage patterns, like when you've dimmed the screen or enabled 'Do Not Disturb' mode, to understand your sleep habits better.

To view your sleep history, open the Health app and tap 'Browse' at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap 'Sleep'. You can view your sleep data by week or month by tapping the corresponding tab at the top of the screen. You can also change the time span displayed in the graph by swiping the graph left or right. Tap 'Show More Sleep Data' to get cumulative sleep data and select a category to review additional details like the time and percentage spent awake or in REM, Core, or Deep sleep.

While the Health app provides a built-in solution for sleep tracking, there are also third-party apps available, such as Sleep Cycle and Life Cycle, which offer basic sleep tracking features. However, some users have reported inconsistencies with the iPhone's sleep tracking without the use of an Apple Watch.

Sleep tracking with third-party apps

While the iPhone Health app can help you set sleep goals and create a customised sleep schedule, third-party apps can provide more detailed sleep tracking and analysis.

Sleep Cycle

Sleep Cycle is a popular sleep tracking app that works with both iPhones and Android phones. The app gives you a sleep score each morning based on your sleep quality, helping you understand how well you've rested. It also provides detailed sleep statistics and daily sleep graphs, and it's fully integrated with Apple Health. Sleep Cycle also has a smart alarm clock that wakes you up gently during your lightest sleep phase, helping you feel more energised. The app also features a variety of relaxing music, sleep stories, and meditations, as well as gentle wake-up tones. However, Sleep Cycle falls short in terms of transparency about its research and doesn't provide much detailed sleep-stage data compared to other apps. There is also a subscription fee for accessing some of the app's features.

SleepScore

SleepScore is another highly recommended sleep tracking app that works better with iPhones than with Android phones. It allows you to set sleep goals and provides actionable advice for reaching them. It also offers more detailed sleep-stage data than most other apps, and its smart alarm slowly wakes you up, so you feel less groggy. SleepScore's free version provides general sleep advice and a record of your sleep for up to seven days. The paid version, at $50 a year or $6 per month, offers long-term sleep tracking and helps create a path toward improving your sleep. However, SleepScore only works with iPhone 6 and higher and a limited number of Android phones.

Pillow

Pillow is a smart sleep tracker that can analyse your sleep cycles automatically using your iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad. It acts as a smart alarm clock, waking you up at the lightest sleep stage, so you start your day feeling refreshed. Pillow can record important audio events such as snoring, sleep apnea, and sleep talking. It also allows you to explore trends about your sleep and compare your sleep quality with various Apple Health metrics. The app provides detailed information on your sleep behaviour, which can be especially useful for individuals with rate or thuthm problems.

Manually inputting sleep data

To manually input sleep data on your iPhone, you will need to use the Health app. Open the app and tap Browse at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap Sleep. If you have Sleep saved as a favourite, you can access it from the Summary page in the Health app.

From here, you can view your sleep data by week or month by tapping a tab at the top of the screen. To change the time span displayed in the graph, swipe the graph left or right. To view the details for a day, tap the column for that day.

To manually add sleep data, tap Add Data in the top-right corner of the screen. To get cumulative sleep data, tap Show More Sleep Data.

You can also use Siri on supported models. Simply say something like, "How much did I sleep last night?"

Using Siri to track sleep

Siri can be used to track your sleep on your iPhone. To do this, you will need to have an Apple Watch with the latest version of watchOS, and your iPhone should have the latest version of iOS.

Firstly, make sure your Apple Watch is charged to at least 30% before you go to bed, and ensure Sleep Tracking is enabled. You will need to wear your watch to bed, and it is recommended that you wear it for at least one hour each night.

Once you have your sleep data, you can ask Siri "How much did I sleep last night?" on supported models. You can also open the Health app on your iPhone to view your sleep history. Tap 'Browse' at the bottom of the screen, then tap 'Sleep'. You can view your sleep data by week or month by tapping the tabs at the top of the screen. To change the time span displayed in the graph, swipe the graph left or right. To view the details for a day, tap the column for that day.

You can also manually add sleep data by tapping 'Add Data' in the top-right corner of the screen. To get cumulative sleep data, tap 'Show More Sleep Data'.

Frequently asked questions