Gina Johnson
The Apple Watch is a powerful sleep-tracking device with an interface that is easy to set up and use. The Sleep app on the Apple Watch allows users to create sleep schedules to help them meet their sleep goals. The watch uses motion to detect sleep when worn to bed. It can estimate the time spent in each sleep stage, including REM, Core, and Deep sleep, as well as the time of waking up. The Sleep app also provides sleep trends over the past 14 days. To receive sleep data, users must enable sleep tracking and wear the watch for at least one hour each night. The Health app on the iPhone can be used to set up and review sleep schedules and goals, and to view detailed sleep history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Software | watchOS 7 or later |
| Hardware | Apple Watch Series 3 or newer, SE, or Ultra |
| iPhone OS | iOS 14 or higher |
| Battery | At least 30% before bed |
| Wear Time | At least 1 hour each night |
| Features | Sleep schedules, sleep goals, sleep trends, sleep stages, sleep data, sleep history, sleep focus, charging reminders, notifications, alarms, wind-down time, bedtime, wake-up time |
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What You'll Learn
Setting up sleep tracking
Next, open the Watch app on your phone and go to My Watch. Select Sleep and toggle on the option to Use this Watch for Sleep. Make sure the switches next to Track Sleep with Apple Watch and Charging Reminders are enabled. You can also turn on Charging Reminders to receive notifications when your watch needs charging before bedtime and when it is fully charged.
Now, you can set up your sleep schedule. Go to Settings > Focus > Sleep to set up the Focus mode and wind-down time. In the Allow Notifications section, select People and choose the contacts allowed to reach you or send notifications while you sleep. Tap Apps to decide which apps can send notifications. You can also set up a customised Do Not Disturb function for your watch and iPhone by opening Settings on your iPhone, tapping Focus, and then Sleep.
Finally, wear your Apple Watch to bed to start tracking your sleep. Make sure your watch is charged to at least 30% before bedtime, and wear it for at least one hour each night to receive sleep data.
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Creating sleep schedules
The Apple Watch allows you to create multiple sleep schedules to help you meet your sleep goals. For example, you can set a different sleep schedule for weekdays and weekends. To create a sleep schedule, open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also open the Health app on your iPhone, tap "Browse", tap "Sleep", and then tap "Get Started" under "Set Up Sleep".
When creating a sleep schedule, you can set a sleep goal (the number of hours you want to sleep), a bedtime, and a wake-up time. You can also set alarms to wake you up in the morning, with options to customise the sound and haptics. If you want to adjust your sleep schedule, you can make changes to your full schedule or for the "Next Wake Up Only". Changes made to your full schedule will apply to all future days, while changes made for the "Next Wake Up Only" will only apply to the following day.
Additionally, you can enable Sleep Focus to reduce distractions before bedtime and during sleep. This feature simplifies your Lock Screen and turns off your Apple Watch display. You can also use Wind Down to help you relax before bedtime and limit distractions.
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Reviewing sleep data
To review your sleep data, open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad. If you're using an iPhone, tap Browse at the bottom of the screen. If you're on an iPad, tap the sidebar to open it. Tap Sleep. If you've saved Sleep as a favourite, you can access it from the Summary page in the Health app.
The bar graph is set to D for daily by default. Tap W at the top of the chart to view your sleep history for the past week, M for the past month, or 6M for the past 6 months. Tap Show More Sleep Data and select a category to review additional sleep details. You can view the time and percentage you spent awake or in REM, Core, or Deep sleep.
You can also use Siri on supported models. Say something like, "How much did I sleep last night?" (Note that this feature is not available in all languages or regions.)
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Using third-party apps
Third-party apps are a great way to expand the capabilities of your Apple Watch beyond the standard watchOS experience. There are many third-party apps available for the Apple Watch that can track your sleep and provide richer, more insightful stats.
AutoSleep is a popular third-party sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch. It automatically tracks your sleep, with no buttons to press, and even the Watch app is optional. It has no user analytics tracking, advertising plugins, 3rd party code, or data upload. It also has full integration with Sleep Stages from the Apple Sleep app, so you can view all the information in AutoSleep. AutoSleep takes the thinking out of the process, but it’s also good when it comes to accuracy. It produced close results when compared to a dedicated sleep tracker, but you can tweak the sensitivity for better accuracy. It also allows you to easily discount a night from the results to stop it from affecting your averages.
Sleep Cycle is another third-party sleep tracking app that is compatible with the Apple Watch. It has a smart alarm clock that gently wakes you up when you're in a light sleep phase. It detects things like snoring, sleep talking, coughing, and other things that can decrease your quality of sleep. Premium features include relaxing sleep sounds and a story library. Since Sleep Cycle uses sound analysis, you don't even need to wear your Apple Watch to bed.
HeartWatch is another neat app that digs into your heart rate data and provides alerts if it notices any unusual, potentially concerning activity. It also works nicely in combination with AutoSleep. It tracks your sleep, overlaying the HR data on top, so you can see your waking and sleeping heartbeat, and how they compare to your regular beats.
Sleep Pulse 3 is a fully-featured standalone sleep app for your Apple Watch that does most of the work itself. It’ll track your heart rate and motion, and there’s a sleep view you can take a look at when you randomly wake up in the middle of the night. This will show you your resting heart rate, as well as how long you’ve been sleeping.
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Customising notifications
The Apple Watch's Sleep app allows you to customise notifications to suit your sleep schedule and goals. To do this, you must first enable Sleep Tracking on your Apple Watch. You can then adjust your sleep schedule and notifications via the Health app on your iPhone or the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
To enable Sleep Tracking, open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to the "My Watch" tab, and select "Sleep". Toggle on the "Track Sleep with Apple Watch" option. Make sure your Apple Watch is charged to at least 30% before you go to bed.
Once Sleep Tracking is enabled, you can customise your sleep schedule and notifications. On your iPhone, open the Health app and tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen. Tap "Sleep", then "Full Schedule & Options". Here, you can adjust your sleep schedule, including your bedtime, wake-up time, and wind-down time. You can also set a sleep goal, indicating the number of hours you want to sleep.
To customise notifications during sleep, go to "Settings" > "Focus" > "Sleep" on your iPhone. In the Allow Notifications section, you can select specific contacts whose calls or texts will be allowed or silenced while you sleep. You can also choose which apps are allowed to send notifications.
You can also customise your sleep schedule and notifications directly on your Apple Watch. Open the Settings app and tap "Sleep". Here, you can adjust your sleep schedule, including your bedtime, wake-up time, and wind-down time. You can also turn Sleep Focus on or off, which reduces distractions by simplifying your watch display and iPhone Lock Screen.
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Frequently asked questions
To set up the Sleep app, you must first download a sleep tracking app, such as SleepWatch, Sleep Cycle, or AutoSleep, from the App Store. Then, open the app and follow the onscreen instructions. You can also open the Health app on your iPhone, tap Browse, tap Sleep, then tap Get Started (below Set Up Sleep).
The Sleep app on Apple Watch uses data from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor to determine what stage of sleep you are in. It can estimate the time spent in each sleep stage—REM, Core, and Deep—as well as when you might have woken up.
To view your sleep data, open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap Browse at the bottom of the screen, then tap Sleep. You can also view your sleep history for the past week, month, or six months by tapping W, M, or 6M at the top of the chart.
