Apple Watch Sleep Tracking: How it actually works // Setup, Tested, Details, Comparisons

[@Dcrainmaker]

Hey folks - thanks for watching! Here's the full post with even more details I couldn't quite fit into the video (plus it has the comparison chart more easily readable): dcra.in/AppleSleep

[@labretbear]

How can I charge my watch for the next day if I'm wearing it🤷🏻

[@zanejordy6889]

instablaster.

[@gigglybeast]

A lot of improvements since this video. It would be good if you did an updated deep dive.

[@MePeterNicholls]

I envy people who can fall asleep in minutes. Takes me hours

[@hm096]

try taking melatonin or Nyquil as a sleep aid

[@asimvirtual28]

Same here. What REALLY helps me is background music/sleep sounds. There are many apps for that. My current favorite is live sleep music 24/7 from Yellow Brick Cinema on KZbin. Give it a shot

[@michaellara5202]

Same here

[@duvonlawrence6105]

Check out your patterns. Exercise more. Eat healthy and try to be in bed by 10pm

[@liekewaalkens786]

Same

[@user117831]

Just track my sleep when I'm asleep.

[@grantlauzon5237]

Fitbit does it better.

[@m9ddie]

bruh fr thats what im sayin

[@angielinton7417]

You said at 1:49 to turn on sleep tracking, but didn’t show how - I did the set up last night but there is no data. What am I missing?

[@joshuadick327]

You fall asleep in 5 MINUTES?! It takes me at least a half hour every night...

[@joeltm8697]

Half an hour? I get into bed by 11 o’clock and can’t fall asleep until 3am.

[@____________364]

Thts fast too :3 it takes me 3-7 hours just to fall asleep

[@judyferguson3185]

Josh D me,too

[@samsaltwell]

I usually fall asleep within about 60 seconds of my head hitting the pillow

[@dmiller9786]

Lower your body temp faster

[@rev31089]

Such a weird set up. I was using Sleep Watch by Bodymatter ever since I got my watch half a year ago and it works great. It sort of calculates when you go to sleep or wake up by checking your activity. And dare I say - it’s actually quite accurate. It also tracks your movement while sleeping, so you can see if your sleep was too “shallow”. You can also manually set it to start tracking your sleep but I believe it’s a paid freature.

[@ichbinnichtich]

For some reason, my apple watch is not recording sleep phases. Any ideas what to do?

[@Megacowmilker353]

Have you got tattoos on your wrist?

[@a8lg6p]

I lied in bed wide awake and feeling miserable until I got up and puked at about 2, finally fell asleep some time after that. Woke up at 6:30…. Says I slept 7.5 hours. I don’t know what it’s measuring, but it seems completely inaccurate if you’re lying in bed but not asleep.

[@WesJH]

Great breakdown! There is a ton more information that will be available, including sleep quality. I've found a few of their patents for sleep that I'm going to breakdown. Looks like the beta is a very simplistic version.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Yup, I bet. Beddit already had Sleep Quality before Apple actually killed it. So I'm sure they retained a pile of IP there. Just remains to be seen how it all shakes out.

[@toadlguy]

@@Dcrainmaker There may be other sensors in Apple Watch 6, that are used to improve sleep tracking. They need a reason for you to buy the new watch!

[@fuuz642]

@@toadlguy nah, I've already have my old active 2 for quality sleep tracking. I didn't buy apple watch for sleep tracking anyway.

[@demerion]

Apple said in an interview that they deliberately put the duration only because that's what most people use. I doubt they'll add more features this year. Maybe next year with watchOS 8? www.cnet.com/health/how-the-apple-watch-tracks-sleep-and-why/

[@WesJH]

@@demerion That makes sense too. They really need a solution to the battery life before they can add functions.

[@hoppy6250]

I’m using this at the moment. I’m a shift worker and really don’t want to use the schedule part. But I can’t get it to work without setting a schedule 🤷‍♂️

[@joe_scotto]

This has been my biggest issue... I want to track my sleep but not have a schedule or alarm but that doesn't seem possible.

[@easonmedia1772]

Interesting. This is a very poor app compared with the Vivoactive 3 I have currently. I'm minded to get an Apple Watch for other reasons but this would be a clear backward step unless they enhance it significantly when the final version is released. In fact I could imagine just swapping back to the Garmin overnight while the Apple is charging. Battery lasts days, too.

[@mickeyslaven]

Same

[@faisalkayaanmeekah]

@@easonmedia1772 100% agree garmins felt like the better tracker. Needed an Apple Watch just to text back on white disappointed in it compared to garmins

[@RobbieWebster]

So is this app out yet? I’m not a guy who follows these things super closely, but I just got an Apple Watch and it doesn’t have the sleep app on it. When I google how to track sleep on Apple Watch, the first result is apples website with the enlightening instructions to: “step 1: turn on sleep app, step 2: follow on screen prompts to track sleep”. This makes it seem like it’s an app that exists, but the instructions are so vague and my watch does not have the sleep app on it and it won’t show up in the App Store.

[@MasterNeoRNCP]

Extremely informative and precise explanation. Really like the way you have presented with out bull craps, straight to the point and done

[@AB_3001]

During wind down, does it mean lights off and go to asleep?

[@TomYaboYoga]

Does this work for people on weird sleep times? Mine is never the same week to week.

[@Wolfie_wolf94]

I work overnights and I can never seem to get mine to track my sleep during the day 🤔

[@henry3484]

Would be nice if it didn't turn on Do Not disturb when its activated. Apple is still behind Fitbit's sleeping technology. Hopefully this gets approved on as time goes by.

[@lyubomirhristov418]

Is it that app shows you if you awake during the night for few minutes

[@aandjeloberisha8422]

What hapens when u fal A sleep 😴 in the day My wach didn’t show me nothing when i sleep in the day ?

[@bigchris119]

What’s about AutoSleep App on the Watch ? It turns out very accurate for me too. (Its already a sleep tracking App for YEARS on the watch)

[@KatelandVu]

Apple first started making their own sleep tracking features in iOS 10. Now it’s better with the Apple Watch this year.

[@majorskies7091]

I'm not going to penalise the sleep tracking for lack of REM, Deep, and Light sleep bars since you really need your brain hooked to a computer to detect that and all the other fitness devices give a very very approx data for that. That being said - it is absolutely still lacklustre to many other sleep recording devices. I'm very happy with how my Active 2 tracks my sleep.

[@entryplugged2068]

It's 2024 and its still very complicated. Settings are spread out through the Watch app, the Settings > Focus screen, and the Health app. It's incredibly unclear what toggling each setting actually does. Thanks for the video though.

[@sovannoreakheng]

can I turn on power saving mode and does it still track everything?

[@kingo717]

So I have my goal for sleeping from 11pm-7am and my apple watch SE always goes to bed time mode while im still awake until 1-2am. How can I make the app know im still awake? It keeps saying im getting 7-8 hours of sleep even in days I sleep 5 hours just because of my goal set up. I thought the watch would detect wether im awake or asleep

[@RyanLennoxBradley]

My galaxy watch active shows me deep, light, rem etc. I want to buy an iPhone and apple watch (various reasons) so I hope they add this, I like it

[@atomicorang]

What good it it if you have to charge it every night?

[@bfurl69]

How does it NOT check O2 while sleeping? Many people have sleep apnea…they have the dots but didn’t connect them. 😩

[@gina44who]

You can do sleep score on your Apple Watch and a halo Fitbit

[@Jon0007723]

"I put my phone down and fell asleep between 4 and 5 minutes later" - are you KIDDING ME?! As someone who regularly takes an hour to fall asleep (and have done all my life, before phones were smart), this is astounding to me.

[@Arnthorg]

it at least gives you the HRV, I'm super annoyed that my 935 doesn't do HRV measurements during the night or doesn't show the data

[@Dcrainmaker]

Yeah, I don't really understand why Garmin doesn't show that anywhere. They capture a million other metrics...what's one more?

[@Swayam.Somani]

Does iWatch records data if someone has night shifts and sleeps during day time??

[@tom22366]

Can someone tell me what this app is good for, Really, I don’t get it. What will this app actually do for me?

[@MrTupeloFlash]

I cannot sleep with a watch on my wrist :(

[@toadlguy]

Ray Maker - Doing the Sleeping so you don't have to! Thank You Ray!

[@markfriendofallcats565]

hi folks, can the new sleep app from apple detect naps? I slept today on daytime a little bit, maybe 30-40min , but nothing was recorded from the watch. Must i activate the sleep mode when i will take a nap and deactivate it when i finish my nap? i dont know...

[@rockreverb]

I got the Apple Watch 6 , and I don’t know why but for about a week they just give me the time in bed and not show me time as sleep ! Someone’s know how to fix it ? Thank you

[@UABFWSS]

Apple really made a simple thing quite complex. Wish you could manually just press a sleep button to track sleep. My sleep schedule changes every 2 days, is split on some days and flip flops on days off,, impossible to “schedule”. The best way i’ve found to essentially trick the complex hoops apple has created, is to “schedule” as much of every day possible as sleep time, then manually turn on the sleep button when I try to snooze. Then there’s the whole deal where it doesn’t track like less than 3 or 4 hours anyhow to. Gotta deal with some automatically generated wake up alarm daily, but its the only way to fib the system. Sleep schedule set for like 11pm to noon. I sleep from 615am til 11am on work days(nights). Then like midnight to 7 on off days. Really Apple, just give a quick manual sleep mode track on/off option with no automation involved.

[@iloveTRUMP]

So fitbit versa actually does this wayyyyy better!!!! I don’t know WHY I got this apple watch...fitbit records when I fall asleep...whether I’m in light sleep. Deep sleep or REM...then as soon as I wake up I can go to the app and refresh it and I have that data...I guess I’ll have to switch watches at night 😏😏

[@GPgman]

What is the app? The one I can find has a moon on it.

[@ChrisTreborn]

Thanks for breaking this down. I’ve been using sleep watch app since I don’t have a new watch, but I’m hoping the next series has real sleep tracking. Then, I’ll upgrade. I love the new features added to the iPhone.

[@Tyler-bx4mt]

Why does my apple watches sleep mode not work properly. Always on display stays on and so does raise to wake when I turn on sleep mode. Please helppppp

[@patsilivas1]

This is to complicated! It should do all this automatically like Auto Sleep does!!

[@perke1cannon]

Exactly! That’s why I love my Fitbit!

[@LUKAS-bb4jc]

Do you have to set a schedule or full schedule to make this work ? Because I just turned on sleep mode via control center and it did not record anything and on my phone it said sleep well this morning.

[@dovante11]

Ever figure this out?

[@MrGoogle87]

But does it notice you are actually sleeping? I’m the kind that doesn’t sleep in 5min, sometimes it takes me an hour to fall asleep.

[@err0rc0de._.]

Yes it does ☺️ I’m an insomniac lol and yeah it tracks when I’m up, down and when I’m actually asleep

[@youloveitcuhhh]

@@err0rc0de._. I wonder, does it detect by motion?

[@err0rc0de._.]

@@youloveitcuhhh it tracks your motion but it tells if you’re asleep by your heart rate

[@vanigalvez465]

So basically I can’t just wear it like I would with a Fitbit ? I actually need to have all these steps? This is so stupid ... I’m upset bcuz I actually got this watch and I’ve been trying to figure out how to enable it .

[@stanleyhoh8163]

Any idea why the sleep results do not reflect? Even though i wear the watch to sleep and have it snug around my wrist. It doesn't appear on the watch/ health app even after I wake up.

[@HaiLsKuNkY]

If you track your sleep when did you charge the phone 🤔

[@shannonjenkins8482]

What is the difference between a Fitbit and an Apple Watch?

[@zemasa]

thanks for the comparison chart

[@adambadrawy4972]

You mention the Whoop band here - are you going to do a review / walk through for this product at all? I’m interested to know how it differs and what it offers in comparison to the Garmin fenix 6

[@Dcrainmaker]

Yup! I’ve published a written review on the site a few weeks back. Just working on video review next!

[@jaredwhite489]

Watching this in bed, at 3 am

[@abhishekajay9729]

I am really disappointed that they don't have sleep stages. Great video, nonetheless!

[@theraven6836]

Abhishek Ajay I use Autosleep. Excellent and very robust.

[@DJEJ03]

Abhishek Ajay maybe in an upgrade but we need to show that we want it

[@matiascarrete8295]

is that the 40 mm or 44mm apple watch?

[@karinulll]

So you need to sleep at a certain time for it to track your sleep? My old Samsung Gear S3 just tracked your sleep whenever your movements and heart rate said you were asleep and it was insanely accurate. Can't my apple watch do this?

[@storytimewithkirk6659]

Wish there was a nap mode or detection on I watch

[@JosephLachh]

Now they have REM and sleep stages, pretty cool how they're advancing.

[@fredyfrancisthekomban]

how to track day time sleeping? watches like fitbit tracks automatically

[@CharlesMiner]

Where is the sleep app? My watch does not have it

[@Dcrainmaker]

You need to have the beta installed.

[@mycarersandme]

Will this feature be available on Apple Watch Series 3? 🤔🤷🏼‍♀️

[@brooks216]

Yes

[@randomtech787]

Yep

[@talal-az]

I cannot see the heart rate during sleep graph. Are there any options to show this?

[@annabeldugarte2423]

How can I change the measurement interval? It's just that I sleep during the day. And it measures me from 6pm to 6pm but I sleep from 1pm to 9pm and it doesn't show me continuations of the same sleep. I mean. It measures me from 1 to 6 and then cuts the graph and what I slept from 6 to 9, which is when I wake up, those 3 hours are sent to the next day's graph. How do I change it to set it from 11am to 11am?

[@baseballtiger8]

I have an Apple Watch 5 but there is no sleeping app on it. How do I install it?

[@prettylittleravenna]

It will come with a Watch OS update in September. This guy is using a beta, which is not really recommended to install on your primary device, because it’s usually buggy

[@vioricajalba1336]

😮The analysis 🧐 😮Thank you 🤗

[@TheBeautifulTempest]

I think I will continue using the Pillow app. I get a tonne of info more than what Apple provide

[@mguirodrigues2735]

Unfortunately I don’t have access to the analysis I don’t really understand why. I would like to be able to see how long I’ve sleep, deep sleep & etc out of my watch but not sure .. I’ve got the série 7, struggling a little. Also, how did you set you heart rate while sleep? I can’t seem to have that either even on the health app Help please

[@lynneoribe1990]

what’s the name of the app please? thank you.

[@jakemixd]

AutoSleep is still the best. You setup the first time then you don’t have to again. It had very detailed information.

[@Raptors0524]

It’s going to be hard to leave AutoSleep for this. AutoSleep is great. All this provides is just how long you sleep. I hope it becomes more detailed in future betas.

[@jakemixd]

Matthew Ammann Yes sir. I observed the two app for a couple of days now but still autosleep is better. What I like about autosleep is you don’t need to set when will you sleep it just to it’s job.

[@Raptors0524]

RigRev Mixd The rich details that the app provides is amazing! Also, it’s great how the set up process is straightforward and you don’t need to do anything else.

[@markbuckley3521]

I am also team Autosleep brilliant app maybe the wind down features will be good but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be an autosleep contender at all

[@Sir_Lionheart]

So am I right in saying that my phone will be locked up for the whole night preventing emergency night calls getting through?

[@Dcrainmaker]

It's just the same Do No Disturb mode in that sense, no difference there.

[@Sir_Lionheart]

@@Dcrainmaker Right, but we have certain numbers that will automatically still get through to us when the Do Not Disturb function is on at night. So, would using the Sleep Mode on the watch prevent any of our emergency contacts calling us in the middle of the night?

[@Dcrainmaker]

@@Sir_Lionheart Correct, if you have exemptions it'll go through like normal.

[@Kizzy_Is_Dizzy]

So I did beta update and this morning my watch woke me up with vibrating which previously my phone just woke me up with the gradual sound alarm, anyone know how to turn the vibration off from the watch as I hate the vibration waking me up suddenly...

[@Karlhung]

So I’ll be sticking to AutoSleep app

[@romainprovost7164]

Free app ?

[@christoph_wattever]

Thanks for KZbin chapters!

[@BLUEX2022]

Didn’t think much off the sleep app not enough data like how well did I sleep? Nothing very disappointed ☹️

[@idonotexist_]

Have you ever used the Autosleep App? Honestly, I was told to download it asap once i got my s5 and it's been amazing. I use both Autosleep as well as the other Apps that come in the Bundle. Autosleep is WAY more advanced than my old Versa or Samsung GWA2 Sleep Tracking. It's WELL worth the money. Does basically everything apple's update does and has been tightening up and getting more accurate over a while.

[@idonotexist_]

Or just the Autosleep App: apps.apple.com/us/app/autosleep-track-sleep-on-watch/id1164801111 There are others (like pillow, it is suggested by many but it's nowhere near Autosleep. The bundle was WELL worth the money. More analysis than I even need but when I'm bored it's insanely interesting to look at!)

[@Jbscddnz]

Apple should combine everything to do with Sleep tracking and Bedtime alarms into an iOS Sleep App.

[@elvingaleano7594]

Fr. All this other crap is annoying. I was thinking bout getting the 7 but I’ll just get a Fitbit or wait a year

[@iNexxFear]

Can you use sleep tracking mode but not have it turn on a do not disturb mode? For those that might need to get calls win-tut repeat retries I'd like to track sleep but not activate that [rocess

[@rayrayrun]

how is this compare to autosleep?

[@LacayoDe]

I also live in the Netherlands and love whistler in Canada

[@cavanbreland2909]

Thoughts on this v. SleepWatch v. Pillow

[@georgesawa3306]

How does the apple watch tell me if I have sleep apnea?

[@ketanmamtora4693]

Thanks for the detailed video. I just got an Apple Watch 6 (after using Fitbit for 4yrs). I am a little puzzled with the sleep app. I would like to be able to get calls at night even when I am asleep. Is there a way to do that and still get sleep data?

[@icyygeminii9091]

I like that you don’t have to do all this extra shinanigans with Fitbit.

[@ketanmamtora4693]

@@icyygeminii9091 returned the Apple Watch long back and very happy with my Garmin now!

[@drpoomanchu]

I’m watching this at 11:15pm during wind down time... how ironic

[@Dcrainmaker]

Winning!

[@thomasferrari6204]

Very informative video. Thank you

[@bazvink]

“Please stop playing with me” That’s what she said!! Wait... 😭

[@evelyntorres6781]

Thank you for helping me set my sleep tracker

[@ackthet]

Biggest problem: if you wear it when you're sleeping when do you charge it?

[@CaliforniaTravelVideos]

Unless you have a really old iWatch, when you wake up and take a shower put our iWatch on the charger for 10-20 minutes and you're good to go for the day (unless you're a really heavy user making phone calls, etc)

[@TheKauaiboyz51]

Apple Watch is such a joke. My garmin fenix 6x only needs to charge once every 10 days. The heart rate is on 24-7 every second of the day vs. the Apple Watch getting your heart rate once every 5 min. Always tracks sleep and always accurate

[@StuntpilootStef]

@@TheKauaiboyz51 That's because the Garmin has a MIP display.

[@iamruss74]

@@TheKauaiboyz51 I have both aw4 and f6x. The fenix 6x is such a joke. My aw4 has touch screen and amazing colors, I can respond to calls and messages. LOL. Don't you understand that these are two different watches solving different problems. And that's why I use both.

[@toadlguy]

@@TheKauaiboyz51 Let's call this the Fan Boy thread 😁

[@MrsCranberry1]

You should try Fitbit’s sleeptracker. It is so much better with a lot of details. I’m glad I chose a fitbit versa 2 instead of an applewatch.

[@huggyuk]

Why the violin? 11:36 🤔

[@despoinacharalampous9212]

My watch tracks my sleep but no data are synced to my phone no idea why!

[@vandall1981]

This morning I woke up two hours after I set my alarm...and it said I woke up at 4am...when I set my alarm. I got two hours more sleep than what was recorded. What do you think is happening?

[@amankhalfay7043]

What if I sleep in the afternoon? Is that tracked too?

[@virtualpilgrim8645]

I just want it to track my sleep any time day or night. I have MS and sleep after eating and odd times during the day and night. Can the Apple Watch figure out when I fell asleep without me telling it I intend to sleep now?

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

Why if you go to bed before the time you scheduled? Does it still track it?

[@micky2649]

Interestingly enough, the way I get my Apple Watch sleep data to show up (I’m on the beta) is by sticking it on it’s charger. It could be like a wake up call for the watch to sync to the phone and start showing data, idk

[@electsaul2655]

Idk I think Fitbit sleep tracking is still better but this is in beta so I can’t judge yet till the full version comes out

[@mitchtheh4x0r]

Yes fit bit and Samsung as well . They’re not perfect but Samsung was automatic. So having to go through this for Apple Watch doesn’t make sense to me .

[@thomasferrari6204]

I download the app AutoSleep+ to get the best sleep tracking on Apple Watch.

[@labretbear]

How can I charge my watch for the next day if I'm wearing it???????🤔🙃🤷🏻

[@bentolufsen2774]

During shower and breakfast in the morning. Just take an hour to charge.

[@dan110024]

I'd like to know how accurate it is at detecting sleep. Not when you've fallen asleep within minutes of lights out, but if you're laying there still but don't fall asleep for an hour. My Garmin is absolutely terrible and thinks I'm sleeping if I'm not moving but trying to sleep.

[@thenerdycanadian7172]

Not sure about the Apple sleep tracking but third party apps for the watch seem to be pretty good at detecting whether you’re still awake or not

[@hommy1614]

Very, very helpful information. Thank you! (Glad you woke up for your sweet baby:)

[@enmanueljimenez8517]

My sleep data is not being synced to the health app, anybody having this issue?

[@ravipriyanka32]

Same here - any luck? I tried waiting an hour as in this video, but nothing...

[@mariahkemp969]

Yah a Fitbit tracks your sleep wayyy better than this. I have an Apple Watch and a Fitbit. I use the Fitbit for sleep tracking only because it tells you during the night when you went into REM sleep or light or awake it’s very cool

[@ickess]

One question and one thought. Can you set it up that do not disturb is on? I have to be able to get calls in the night for emergencies. Kids, home alarm, etc. is it possible the extra time the watch shows you awake is you rolling around and adjusting? You know, the stuff that happens in the night that you don’t remember doing

[@grantlauzon5237]

The menus are overly complex, spread across 3 apps on the iPhone, and are still basic. I still don’t know how to track sleep or get the reading in the thumbnail.

[@jeffparker641]

First Off. Love all of your reviews & have watched more than I care to share! Level with me... I am an average exerciser... Predominately Peloton & Tonal. Do have the occasional outdoor excursion. I do have a lot of apple ecosystem stuff including an Apple Watch 6, but have always had Garmin before this. I actually have a garmin 945 with the new HRM. What do you think is the best way to track your fitness / sleep etc... Garmin or Apple??? No waffling!

[@SashaLokhtin]

Now i feel bad for watching this in bed

[@Dcrainmaker]

Don't worry, I watched KZbin videos in bed last night before falling asleep too!

[@kaleidoscopeon]

I feel bad while waking up and seeing this. LOL.

[@annem1937]

@African Jesus check App Store