Monitoring Rem Sleep: Iphone Tracking Apps

If you're looking to track your sleep stages on your iPhone, you'll need to use an Apple Watch in conjunction with it. The Sleep app on the Apple Watch can estimate the time spent in each sleep stage: REM, Core and Deep. This data can then be viewed on your iPhone through the Health app. To track your sleep, wear your Apple Watch to bed and ensure Sleep Focus is turned on. You can do this manually or by setting a sleep schedule.

How to set up sleep tracking on an Apple Watch

Sleep tracking is available on watchOS 8 or later. To set up sleep tracking on your Apple Watch, you need to set up a sleep schedule on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

Setting a Sleep Schedule on iPhone:

• Launch Apple's Health app on your iPhone.
• Tap the "Browse" tab in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Scroll down and select "Sleep".
• Tap "Sleep Schedule" under "Your Schedule".
• If Sleep Schedule is off, tap the switch to toggle it on.
• Under "Full Schedule," tap "Set Your First Schedule".
• Tap any of the blue circles under "Days Active" to disable Sleep Schedule on any days of the week.
• Drag the ends of the sleep block to set your sleep goal, bedtime, and wake-up time.
• Scroll down to reveal your Alarm options. Use the switch next to "Wake Up Alarm" to turn the alarm on or off.
• Tap "Add" in the top-right corner when you're done.

Setting a Sleep Schedule on Apple Watch:

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to open the App View.
• Launch the Sleep app.
• Tap the switch next to Sleep Schedule to turn it on.
• Tap "Set Your First Schedule".
• Tap "Every Day" if you want the schedule to apply daily, then uncheck the days to exclude. Otherwise, tap the button below "Wake Up", rotate the Digital Crown to select a wake-up time, then tap "Set".
• Use the switch next to "Alarm" to turn the alarm on or off. If you enable the alarm, you can select the vibration type and sound. Note that if your watch is in silent mode, your alarm will be replaced by a tap on the wrist.

Your suggested bedtime is based on your Sleep Goal, which you can edit by swiping down and tapping "Sleep Goal" to adjust the hours and minutes to suit.

Additional Tips:

• Before you go to bed, ensure your Apple Watch is charged to at least 30%.
• You can create multiple sleep schedules, such as one for weekdays and another for weekends.
• You can also download third-party sleep tracking apps like AutoSleep, Pillow, Sleep++, SleepWatch, Sleep Cycle, HeartWatch, Sleep Pulse 3, and NapBot. These apps offer additional insights and features, such as sleep quality scores, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen levels during sleep.

How to view sleep tracking data on an Apple Watch

To view your sleep tracking data on an Apple Watch, you will need to be running watchOS 9 or later.

Firstly, you will need to set up a sleep schedule. To do this, open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also set up a sleep schedule on your iPhone by opening the Health app, tapping Browse, tapping Sleep, and then tapping Get Started. Here, you can set your sleep goal, decide whether to turn on Sleep Focus, and set your wind-down time.

Once you have set up a sleep schedule, you can view your sleep tracking data in the Sleep app on your Apple Watch. This will show you the amount of sleep you got the night before, the time spent in each sleep stage, and your sleep average over the past 14 days.

You can also view your sleep tracking data in the Health app on your iPhone. Open the app, tap Browse, and then tap Sleep. This will show a bar graph of your start and end times for sleep, which will build up a history over time. Tap the bar for a specific day to see the total amount of time you were asleep. Below the graph, you can see your sleeping heart rate and tap Show More Sleep Data for further details, including your sleep goal, average time in bed, and average time asleep.

Third-party sleep tracking apps for Apple Watch

The Apple Watch has a rich ecosystem of third-party apps that expand its capabilities beyond the standard watchOS experience. While the Apple Watch's built-in sleep-tracking functionality is robust, you may prefer a third-party app with additional functionality or a different interface. Here are some of the best third-party sleep-tracking apps for the Apple Watch:

AutoSleep

AutoSleep is a favourite among third-party Apple Watch sleep apps. Its key feature is that it works automatically—you don't have to press any buttons or even use the Watch app. It also offers accuracy comparable to that of dedicated sleep trackers, and you can tweak the sensitivity for even better results. AutoSleep takes into account your sleep and wake-up times, bedtime consistency, and heart rate to give you a sleep rating and a readiness score. It also tracks your blood oxygen levels and environmental noise measurements. AutoSleep costs $3.99/£2.99.

Pillow

Pillow stands out with its vibrant and engaging design, and it's also a capable sleep tracker. It uses a combination of movement, sounds, and heart rate to follow your sleep patterns, and it presents the data in clear, easy-to-read charts. Pillow offers detailed sleep reports, including sleep stages such as deep, REM, and light sleep, time in bed, and sleep quality score. It also has a premium subscription option that offers access to the Sleep Lab, which provides insights into your sleep profile. Pillow is free to download and use, but the premium features require a subscription of $9.99/month or $39.99/year.

Sleep++

Sleep++ is one of the most popular sleep apps on the App Store, known for its simplicity. It's a free app that offers basic reports and visuals that are easy to understand. It can sync your data to Apple Health and automatically log sleep when activated on the iPhone app. Sleep++ also offers in-app purchases to remove advertising. The ad-free option costs $1.99.

SleepWatch

SleepWatch is another excellent third-party sleep-tracking option that uses artificial intelligence to make recommendations for improving your sleep based on your stats. It automatically syncs to the Apple Health app and provides insights into your sleep time, quality, stages, disruptions, average sleeping heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. It also records any noises you make while asleep, such as talking or snoring. SleepWatch offers a one-week free trial, after which the Premium version starts at $3.99/month or $19.99/year.

HeartWatch

HeartWatch is primarily an app for tracking your heart rate data, but it also maps your heart rate data to your sleep habits, allowing you to compare your sleeping and waking heart rates. It offers solid accuracy in sleep tracking and lets you easily view Heart badges on your Apple Watch. HeartWatch costs $5.99, with no additional in-app purchases or subscriptions required.

How to set up sleep tracking on an iPhone

Sleep tracking on an iPhone is possible through the Health app, which works in conjunction with the Apple Watch. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up sleep tracking on an iPhone:

Step 1: Update Your Devices

Ensure that your Apple Watch and iPhone are running on the latest operating systems. To track your sleep, your Apple Watch must be updated to watchOS 8 or later, while your iPhone should be running on iOS 14 or higher.

Step 2: Access the Sleep App

To set up sleep tracking, you can use either your Apple Watch or your iPhone.

Using the Apple Watch:

• Press the Digital Crown to open the App View.
• Launch the Sleep app.
• Toggle the Sleep Schedule option to the green ON position.
• Tap "Set Your First Schedule."
• If you want to exclude certain days for this schedule, tap "Every Day" and uncheck the days you don't want to include. Otherwise, tap the button below "Wake Up," rotate the Digital Crown to select a wake-up time, and tap "Set."
• Toggle the Alarm option on or off, depending on your preference. If you enable the alarm, you can choose the vibration type and sound through the "Sounds & Haptics" button.

Using the iPhone:

• Launch the Health app.
• Tap the "Browse" tab in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Scroll down and select "Sleep."
• Tap "Sleep Schedule" under "Your Schedule."
• If the Sleep Schedule is off, toggle it on by tapping the switch to turn it green.
• Under "Full Schedule," tap "Set Your First Schedule."
• Tap the blue circles under "Days Active" to disable the Sleep Schedule on specific days of the week.
• Drag the ends of the sleep block to adjust your desired sleep duration, bedtime, and wake-up time.
• Scroll down to the Alarm options and toggle the "Wake Up Alarm" on or off. If enabled, you can customize the alarm by adjusting the volume, selecting a vibration type, and allowing for a snooze.
• Tap "Add" in the top-right corner when you're done.

Step 3: Additional Customizations

You can further customize your sleep schedule by following these steps:

Setting a Different Schedule for Specific Days:

Tap "Add Schedule for Other Days" and customize the options as described in the previous steps.

Setting a Sleep Goal:

• If this is your first time setting up a Sleep Schedule, you will need to set a sleep goal. Open the Health app and navigate to the Sleep section.
• Tap "Get Started" and set your desired sleep goal before adjusting your sleep schedule.

Allowing Notifications:

• Go to "Settings > Focus > Sleep" to set up the Focus mode and wind-down time.
• In the "Allow Notifications" section, tap "People" and select the contacts allowed to reach you or send notifications while you sleep.
• Tap "Apps" to choose which apps can send notifications.

Customizing the Screen:

In the "Customize Screens" section, set the screen appearance to minimize distractions if you wake up and look at your devices during the night.

Step 4: Review and Tweak Your Sleep Schedule

You can review and adjust your sleep schedule through the Health app:

• Open the Health app, tap the "Browse" icon, and select "Sleep."
• In the "Your Schedule" section, tap "Edit" to modify the schedule for tonight, then tap "Done."

Step 5: Set Up Additional Options

For further customization, tap "Full Schedule & Options." From here, you can:

• Set a permanent schedule based on different days of the week.
• Change the wind-down time.
• Indicate your sleep goal in hours.

Step 6: Modify Your Sleep Schedule from Apple Watch

You can also make adjustments directly from your Apple Watch:

• Open the Sleep app (the icon is a bed in a circle) and tap the schedule.
• Change the "Wake Up" time, turn on or off the alarm, and adjust the "Bedtime."
• Tap "Full Schedule" from the main screen to turn off your Sleep Schedule for specific nights or all nights.
• Here, you can also add a new schedule, change your sleep goal, or modify the Wind Down time.

Step 7: Wear Your Apple Watch to Bed

Once you've set up your sleep schedule, simply wear your Apple Watch to bed. You don't need to worry about battery power, as connecting it to the charger for an hour or two before sleep will provide enough power for the entire night.

How to interpret Apple's sleep data

The Apple Watch divides your sleep into three categories: Core, Deep, and REM. Each of these categories represents a different sleep stage, which together form the sleep cycle.

Core Sleep

Core sleep, or light sleep, makes up the first two stages of the sleep cycle. While it constitutes the majority of the time we spend asleep, it is the least restorative stage.

Deep Sleep

Deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, is the third stage of the sleep cycle and is critical to restorative sleep. This is when your body repairs muscles and your immune system.

REM Sleep

REM sleep is typically when you dream and is believed to be important for memory, learning, and creativity. You tend to spend more time in REM sleep later in the night.

Interpreting Sleep Data

The Apple Watch's Sleep app provides a chart that estimates how long you spent in each sleep phase. You can also see trends over the past two weeks. While this data is useful, it is important to remember that these apps are not always 100% accurate.

When interpreting your sleep data, consider the following:

• Total Sleep Time: How many hours of sleep did you get?
• Sleep Stages: How much time did you spend in each sleep stage?
• Sleep Quality: How do you feel when you wake up? Do you feel well-rested and energised, or tired and groggy?
• Sleep Trends: How has your sleep been over the past two weeks? Are there any patterns or trends in your sleep data?
• Breathing Rate: Your Apple Watch can also track your breathing rate during sleep, which can give you greater insight into your overall health.

It is important to remember that everyone's sleep needs are unique, and the amount and quality of sleep that is considered "good" can vary from person to person. However, by tracking and interpreting your sleep data, you can gain valuable insights into your sleep habits and make informed decisions to improve your sleep hygiene and overall well-being.

Frequently asked questions