Apple Watch sleep tracking: How does it work?

Apple wasn't the first manufacturer to launch a smartwatch, nor is it the first one to introduce sleep tracking. However, unlike other smartwatches and fitness trackers that simply present the data on the basis of the body moment, Apple has been working on sleep tracking feature for years. The tech giant has adopted a holistic approach by looking at the ways to help people not only track their progress towards a healthy amount of sleep but also create the pre-bedtime routine for going to bed on time to achieve health goals.

"Apple has this honor of being present with people throughout the day, so we looked at how we could use these touchpoints to gently change the experience and help people shift their focus toward going to sleep. So we built Wind Down, which helps people in their transition to sleep through a balance of supporting and reminding," says Kevin Lynch, VP of Technology at Apple.

Even in today's age, sleep is not researched fully. Researchers are still looking into what happens during sleep and how it impacts health, including the role of different sleep stages. Identifying sleep as one of the main pillars of everyday health, Apple started innovating around sleep when it first began working on health features.

Apple took time to learn that the science of sleep is still not fully understood and hired several sleep experts. Working for years to better understand the role Apple could play in sleep, the company ran studies with thousands of participants to learn more about the ways it could coach on sleep. This is one of several times when Apple has entered an area in health to find that the science is still evolving.

The findings of the research and studies revealed while a lot is to learn about what happens during sleep, having enough sleep is vital to everyone's health. One of the reasons why getting enough sleep is unexpectedly elusive to many people is because the transition from being awake to going to sleep can be difficult. But Apple found that many people have had success overcoming this issue by holding themselves to a night routine. This can be called a habit or a ritual that puts them in a pre-bedtime mindset and eases them toward sleep.

"Perhaps the most important thing you can control is going to bed. We thought about how we could support people in their transition to sleep - and getting into the right mental state - to enable them to set themselves up to meet their sleep duration goals," adds Lynch.