How to Track Sleep With Apple Watch
The Apple Watch has a built-in sleep tracker, but finding it can be tricky. Here’s how to access it, set it up to accurately record your sleep, and interpret the results.
Does my Apple Watch support sleep tracking?
Sleep tracking was added in WatchOS version 7 (released in 2020). This version of WatchOS works on Series 3 and later watches, paired with an iPhone 6S or later, and running iOS 14 or later.
In other words, the oldest devices that will work are phones from 2015, watches from 2017, and software versions from 2020. Unless your Apple Watch is incredibly old, it should support this feature. (However, if you’re looking to buy a new Apple Watch, the Series 11 is the newest model .)
Where to find the Sleep app on Apple Watch
To access all the sleep-related features on your watch and iPhone, you’ll need to navigate to four different locations. (Three of them are on your phone.)
On Apple Watch
On your watch, look for the bed icon on a greenish-blue background. (Tip: You can change this screen to display app names in alphabetical order , rather than playing hide-and-seek with tiny icons.) Once you open the Sleep app, scroll down to check (or set) your sleep schedule. That’s all you need to do to set up this app; your Apple Watch will automatically track your sleep, even if you never open it again.
In the Health app
On your iPhone, sleep tracking features are part of the Health app. (There is no separate Sleep app.) Open the Health app, tap View , then tap Sleep . Here, you can review your sleep data for the past nights and set your sleep schedule for the future.
At the bottom of this screen, you can edit your next sleep schedule or your full sleep schedule (the one that repeats daily and weekly). This will tell your phone when you plan to sleep. Tap “Full Schedule & Options” to set this schedule, and scroll down to the next step.
In the Watch app
For your watch to track your sleep, you need to adjust your sleep settings in the Watch app. The easiest way to do this is through the Health app (tap “Full Schedule & Settings” on the Sleep screen). At the bottom of this screen, there’s a link called “Manage Sleep in the Apple Watch app.” Tap it, and you’ll be taken directly to your watch settings.
Turn on Sleep Tracking with Apple Watch to activate the tracking feature, and turn on Charge Reminders so your watch can notify you to charge before bed if the battery is low in the evening.
In the Settings app
We’re not quite done yet. In the Settings app, you can customize the Focus on Sleep feature. To access it, go to the Health app, then Sleep, and then Full Schedule & Settings , as described above. You can also access it from the Focus modes in the Settings app. Focus on Sleep is optional for tracking, but it does provide access to specialized home screens and notification settings that will turn on before bed.
How to set up Apple Watch to record sleep
You can fully explore all the sleep-related features using the apps mentioned above, but here’s the short version. Follow these steps, and your watch will start recording your sleep tonight:
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Set up a sleep schedule (Health app > Sleep > Full schedule and settings ).
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At the bottom of the screen, tap Manage Sleep with Apple Watch . (This will take you to the Watch app.)
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Turn on sleep tracking with your Apple Watch .
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Put your Apple Watch on before bed. Make sure it’s unlocked, and if you have a passcode, enable wrist location.
Apple Watch will use your sleep schedule (or the Sleep Focus feature, which can be enabled manually) to determine when you might be sleeping. During this time, the device tracks your movements and phone usage to determine whether you’re sleeping and assess your sleep stage.
How to interpret sleep analysis results in the Apple Watch app
To view your sleep data on your watch, scroll down from the main watch face (using the digital crown or swiping up) and you’ll see a card in the Smart Stack displaying your sleep data from the previous night. Tap it to open the Sleep app, which will show you your sleep stages, sleep time, sleep data for the past 14 days, and sleep schedule settings.
You can also view this information anytime by accessing the Sleep app on your watch or the Sleep section of the Health app on your phone. (If you wake up before your scheduled bedtime ends, you may need to wait until after your scheduled bedtime ends before the data becomes available.)
Your watch or phone will display your sleep stages: deep sleep at the bottom (purple), “main” (light) sleep in the middle (blue), REM sleep above (light blue), and wakefulness at the top (orange). (It’s worth noting, however, that no wearable device will be completely accurate in reporting sleep stages, so don’t put too much stock in this data.)
The app will also show you your heart rate throughout the night, your sleep dynamics (mine shows “On average, you slept 7 hours 22 minutes over the last 7 days”), and monthly and yearly metrics that show whether you’re sleeping more or less than before.