Herbie Murray
AutoSleep is an application for iOS devices that tracks sleep patterns. The app can identify when you go to sleep, when you wake up, the restfulness and quality of your sleep, and the duration of deep sleep. AutoSleep works with or without an Apple Watch, though wearing the watch will produce the best results. The app uses the watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor to identify sleep, classifying it into phases including awake, light, still, and deep sleep. This data can be shared with a sleep doctor to help improve your overall sleep health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Operates automatically in the background | No buttons to press |
| Tracks sleep quality | Time spent in deep sleep, restlessness, heart rate progression, etc. |
| Tracks sleep duration | Total sleep duration and sleep bank balance |
| Tracks sleep efficiency | Ratio of time asleep vs time spent in bed |
| Tracks heart rate | Sleep heart rate average and non-sleeping heart rate average |
| Tracks respiration rate | Average breaths per minute (BrPM) |
| Tracks blood oxygen level | Percentage of haemoglobin carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body |
| Tracks sleep stages | Awake, REM, Light, and Deep sleep |
| Tracks sleep patterns | Identifies sleep patterns over time |
| Tracks sleep apnea | Identifies sleep apnea |
| Tracks sleep rating | Consolidated rating score of sleep |
| Tracks sleep rings | Filling sleep rings with quality sleep, including heart rate, deep sleep, and REM |
| Tracks sleep analysis | Sleep Analysis mode uses the watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor to identify sleep |
| Tracks sleep data | Allows manual override of data to fine-tune tracking features |
What You'll Learn
Heart rate
The AutoSleep app tracks sleep using the Apple Watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor. It uses standardised rules to classify sleep into phases, including Awake, Light, Still, and Deep sleep. The app also provides a Sleep Stages mode, which uses machine learning to estimate sleep stages based on typical sleep patterns. This mode is only supported on the Apple Watch Series 4 or later with WatchOS 9 or above.
The app provides a simple setup wizard and the option to tweak settings for restless sleepers. It also integrates with other health apps, such as HeartWatch, and can track metrics such as resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and waking heart rate.
The Heart Report in AutoSleep shows the user's heart rate dip % by comparing their sleeping heart rate average to their non-active, non-sleeping heart rate average over the previous 24 hours. A dip of 10% or higher is considered an important part of sleep health, although some people may not experience any dip at all. Users with extremely high dips, of 20% or more every day, can change their goal to "Athlete" in the app's settings.
The Sleep Session page in the app shows the user's primary sleep, although it may also display multiple sleeps if the user had additional sleep sessions or naps during the day. The Quality tab in the app provides detailed data on minute-to-minute movements, deep sleep phases, low heart rate spells, and more. The app also offers weekly and monthly comparisons, allowing users to view timelines of various data points, including sleep quality, sleep time, bedtime, deep sleep, and heart rate comparisons.
AutoSleep's Sleep Stages mode provides an adjust option to manually override data or fine-tune the tracking features. The Sleep Session graph displays the user's sleep cycles, with the red line indicating their average sleeping heart rate. Users can also view checkboxes below the graph to turn on or off data metrics such as heart rate (bpm), noise (dB), respiration rate (BrPM), and blood oxygen (SpO2). Tapping on any part of the graph brings up a micro pop-up graph, showing a 15-minute segment with recorded movement or activity.
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Sleep stages
Sleep is complex and multifaceted, and AutoSleep provides a detailed analysis of sleep stages to help you understand your sleep patterns.
The app offers two modes for tracking sleep stages: Sleep Analysis and Sleep Stages. Sleep Analysis is the default mode and uses your Apple Watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor to identify sleep. It classifies sleep into four phases: Awake, Light, Still, and Deep sleep. This mode is supported across all series of Apple Watches.
On the other hand, Sleep Stages mode uses machine learning to estimate sleep stages based on typical sleep patterns. It classifies sleep into Awake, REM, Light, and Deep sleep. However, this mode is only supported on Apple Watch Series 4 or higher with WatchOS 9 or above. The Sleep Stages mode provides a more detailed analysis of your sleep architecture, including the all-important REM stage, which is associated with memory consolidation and cognitive function.
You can switch between these modes in the AutoSleep Settings. Additionally, AutoSleep allows you to fine-tune the tracking features and manually adjust the data if needed. The app also integrates with other health apps, such as the Apple Health app, to provide a comprehensive view of your sleep health.
The data provided by AutoSleep is valuable for several reasons. Firstly, it helps you understand your sleep patterns and identify areas for improvement. Secondly, it enables you to share detailed information with your sleep doctor, facilitating more informed discussions about your sleep health. Finally, the app's analytics and graphs give you a quantitative way to assess your sleep quality, helping you make data-driven decisions to enhance your sleep habits and overall well-being.
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Sleep quality
AutoSleep's sleep tracking data is processed through its Sleep Analysis mode, which uses your Apple Watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor to identify sleep. It then classifies sleep into distinct phases: Awake, Light, Still, and Deep sleep. The app indicates your sleep quality through rings, similar to Apple's fitness tracking metrics, with the goal of 'closing your rings' each day. These rings represent time asleep, deep sleep, quality, and heart rate.
The app also provides a Sleep Rating, a consolidated rating score of your sleep, and Sleep Rings, which fill up with quality sleep, including heart rate, deep sleep, and REM. You can further personalise your tracking experience by turning sleep stages on or off, allowing you to view your sleep cycle and when you were awake or in deep sleep.
AutoSleep's strength lies in its ability to provide detailed analytics and visualisations. The Day view, for example, offers incredibly detailed data on minute-to-minute movements, deep sleep phases, and low heart rate spells. Additionally, the app integrates with other health apps, such as the Apple Sleep app and HeartWatch, allowing you to compare and cross-reference data.
The wealth of data provided by AutoSleep can be shared with your sleep doctor, aiding in the identification of any underlying sleep issues and helping you make informed decisions to improve your overall sleep health.
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Sleep efficiency
The AutoSleep app provides a star rating from 1 to 5 stars for your sleep efficiency, giving you an easily digestible summary of your sleep efficiency. To enhance the accuracy of your sleep efficiency rating, it is recommended that you use the Lights Off feature to track the time it takes you to fall asleep. This feature prevents the app from mistaking your pre-sleep habits, such as reading in bed, for sleep.
AutoSleep also offers the Heart Report, which shows your heart rate dip % by comparing your sleeping heart rate average to your non-active, non-sleeping heart rate average over the previous 24 hours. Studies have shown that a dip of 10% or higher is beneficial for sleep health, although some people do not experience any dip at all. The app also allows you to view your sleep data in weekly or monthly comparisons, helping you to identify patterns and trends over time.
The app provides detailed analytics on your sleep, including deep sleep phases, restlessness, heart rate progression, and minute-to-minute movements. It also offers the Sleep Stages feature, which uses machine learning to estimate sleep stages based on typical sleep patterns. This feature provides a more detailed breakdown of your sleep stages, including Awake, REM, Light, and Deep sleep.
The data provided by AutoSleep can be incredibly valuable, as it allows you to identify areas for improvement and make changes to enhance your overall sleep health. The app empowers you to take control of your sleep habits and make informed decisions to optimise your sleep quality.
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Sleep analysis
The Sleep Analysis mode in AutoSleep uses the watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor to identify sleep. It then uses standardised rules to classify sleep into different phases. This mode is supported across all series of Apple Watches. On the other hand, Sleep Stages mode uses machine learning to estimate sleep stages based on typical sleep patterns and is only supported on Apple Watch Series 4 or higher with WatchOS 9 or above.
AutoSleep provides detailed data on sleep quality, including deep sleep phases, low heart rate spells, and minute-to-minute movements. It also offers weekly and monthly comparisons, allowing users to track their sleep patterns over time. The app integrates with other health apps such as the Apple Health app, Eclipse Yourself, and HeartWatch, providing a comprehensive view of health and activity data.
It's important to note that AutoSleep does not track REM sleep, as it requires an EEG device with wires on the head during sleep. However, users can choose to use AutoSleep with data from the Apple Sleep app, which does include REM sleep tracking. The value of AutoSleep lies in tracking trends and changes in sleep patterns over time, providing insights into rest patterns and sleep productivity.
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Frequently asked questions
AutoSleep uses the Watch's accelerometer and heart rate sensor to identify sleep. It then uses standardised rules to classify sleep into phases, including Awake, Light, Still, and Deep sleep.
It is not necessary to wear your Apple Watch to bed to track your sleep. However, wearing your watch to bed will produce the best results. AutoSleep can also track your time in bed if you don't wear your watch to bed.
AutoSleep works independently of the Apple Sleep app, so you can use both simultaneously. AutoSleep also offers full integration with Sleep Stages from the Apple Sleep app, so you can view all the information in AutoSleep.
The accuracy of AutoSleep's deep sleep tracking has been contested by some users. Some have found that the Apple Sleep app registers far less deep sleep than AutoSleep. However, others have found that AutoSleep's deep sleep tracking is more accurate than Apple's.
AutoSleep can track many other metrics, including sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep efficiency, restlessness, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiration rate.
