Last week, during the “It’s Glowtime” event, Apple announced that sleep apnea tracking would arrive on the Apple Watch as soon as it received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. That approval has now arrived, and as such, the sleep apnea feature is rolling out to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 today as part of the watchOS 11 update. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 10 will have the feature when it launches this Friday.
Apple’s sleep apnea feature works by using the new Breathing Disturbances metric. It takes advantage of the accelerometer in your Apple Watch to track how often you’re moving around during the night. These movements can indicate an interruption in sleep, and the count is analyzed every 30 days. The Watch will notify users if consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea are shown.
Keep in mind that this is not a diagnostic tool, and your doctor will likely ask to conduct a sleep test for a proper diagnosis. However, if you don’t know that you have sleep apnea, this feature can help you determine when to see a doctor.
Sleep apnea is a common condition that affects an estimated 39 million adults in the U.S. alone (including this author) and more than 1 billion people worldwide. In short, the muscles in your airways relax at night and can make it difficult to breathe or lead you to stop breathing altogether for a few seconds at a time. A good night’s sleep it does not make.
Untreated sleep apnea is linked to a number of dangerous health conditions including cardiovascular struggles, high blood pressure, mental health disorders, and even immune system deficiencies. If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, go see your doctor. It’s a simple test, and treating your sleep apnea will make a night and day difference in how you feel.
Other signs to look out for include loud, gasping snoring, morning headaches, dry mouth, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
