Apple Watch can now detect sleep apnea, a chronic illness that impedes breathing during sleep. Sufferers often have trouble breathing, and it may even stop for a time. Without proper airflow, individuals may feel tired throughout the day, and it can lead to serious side effects such as increased risk of heart disease.
Traditionally, people have to do a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea. These are usually done in a lab, and although there are some at-home tests, the process can be expensive for many, leaving a significant number of people undiagnosed. Starting with watchOS 11, newer Apple Watch models make sleep apnea detection more accessible.
At-home or in-office sleep studies monitor breathing rate, heart rate, blood oxygen, and breathing effort. Apple Watch already tracks much of this with its sensors, building on its sleep tracking abilities. The feature supports Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2.
However, the original Ultra cannot support this due to hardware limits. To use it, ensure your Apple Watch and iPhone are updated. To set it up:
1.
Apple Watch enhances sleep apnea detection
Open the Health app and search for “breathing disturbances.”
2. Tap “set up” and answer some questions.
3. Make sure your watch is charged before bed. Results will show in the Health app after the first night.
If there are high breathing disturbances, the app will send an alert. Detailed data is under “breathing disturbances” in the app. Results are shown on a graph for each night from not elevated to elevated.
A positive detection does not diagnose sleep apnea. The data can be shared with your doctor for a professional diagnosis. High levels may prompt your doctor to recommend a sleep study or discuss treatment.
Sleep apnea detection is available in the US but will roll out to over 150 countries. Apple’s health monitoring tools in Apple Watch continue to evolve, offering convenient ways to manage health.
Rashan is a seasoned technology journalist and visionary leader serving as the Editor-in-Chief of DevX.com, a leading online publication focused on software development, programming languages, and emerging technologies. With his deep expertise in the tech industry and her passion for empowering developers, Rashan has transformed DevX.com into a vibrant hub of knowledge and innovation. Reach out to Rashan at [email protected]
