How to Track Your Sleep Using Apple Watch
The Apple Watch has a built-in sleep tracker, but it’s hard to find. Here’s how to access it, how to set it up so it correctly records how much you sleep, and how to understand the results.
Does my Apple Watch support sleep tracking?
Sleep tracking was introduced inWatchOS version 7 (released in 2020). This version of WatchOS runs on watches Series 3 and later, paired with iPhone 6S or later, and iOS 14 and later.
In other words: the oldest devices that will work are a 2015 phone, a 2017 watch, and a 2020 version of the software that runs it. Unless your Apple Watch is very old, it should support this. Watch me demonstrate on the Series 4 watch…
Where to find the Apple Watch Sleep app
You’ll need to go to four different places to access all of the watch and iPhone’s sleep-related features. (Three of them are talking on the phone.)
On Apple Watch
On your watch, look for a bed icon with a greenish-blue background. By clicking on it, you can check (or adjust) your sleep schedule. Otherwise, don’t worry about this app; you don’t need to open it to use the sleep tracking feature.
In the Health app
On your iPhone, sleep features are part of the Health app. (There’s no dedicated Sleep app.) Open the Health app, tap Overview , then tap Sleep . From here, you can view your recent nights of sleep and set your sleep schedule for the future.
At the bottom of this screen, you can change the next sleep schedule or the full sleep schedule (one that repeats daily and weekly). This will tell your phone when you plan to sleep. Click “Full Schedule and Options” to set this schedule and scroll down to the next step.
In the Clock app
To have your watch track your sleep, you’ll need to set up your watch’s sleep settings in the Watch app. The easiest way to access this is from the Health app (tap Full Schedule & Settings on the Sleep screen), and at the bottom of that screen there’s a link to Manage Sleep in the Apple Watch app. Tap this and you’ll be taken straight to the watch settings.
Turn on Track Sleep with Apple Watch to enable tracking, and turn on Charge Reminders so your watch can notify you to charge it before bed if your battery runs low in the evening.
In the Settings app
Sorry, we’re not finished yet. In the Settings app, you can customize Sleep Focus. This isn’t necessary for tracking, but it gives you access to specialized home screens and notification settings that turn on before you go to bed. From here there is a link to the settings app. (Hey, it might be confusing, but at least you can easily navigate from one app to the others.)
How to Set Up Apple Watch to Record Your Sleep
You can fully explore all the sleep-related features using the apps I mentioned above, but here’s the short version. Follow these steps and your watch will record your sleep tonight:
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Set up your sleep schedule (Health app > Sleep > Complete schedule and settings).
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Tap Manage Sleep with Apple Watch at the bottom of the screen. (This will take you to the Watch app.)
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Turn on Sleep Tracking on Apple Watch.
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Wear your Apple Watch before bed. It needs to be unlocked, and if you have a password, you need to enable wrist detection.
Apple Watch will use your sleep schedule (or sleep focus, which you can turn on manually) to tell you when you ‘re sleeping . During this time, it uses your movements and phone use to determine whether you are asleep and estimate when you are in each stage of sleep.
How to Read Results in the Apple Watch Sleep App
To see how you slept, visit the Sleep section of the Health app on your phone. (If you wake up before sleep ends, you may have to wait until sleep ends before data is available.)
On this screen, you’ll see your sleep stages, represented by deep sleep at the bottom in purple, “core” (i.e. light) sleep in the middle in blue, REM sleep above in light blue, and wakefulness in orange at the end. vertex. (However, no wearable device will be completely accurate when it comes to sleep stages, so don’t read too much into it.)
The app will also show you your nighttime heart rate, sleep dynamics (mine says, “You slept an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes over the last 7 days”), and monthly and yearly metrics showing whether you’re getting more or more. less sleep than before.