

Apple could finally bring sleep tracking to the fifth-generation of its Apple Watch smartwatch. Although a number of third-party apps already exist that bring the feature to the best-selling wearable, Apple does not offer sleep tracking itself.
- Apple Watch Series 5 leaks and rumours: release date, price and specs
- Apple Watch Series 4 review
- Google Pixel Watch leaks and rumours: release date, price and specs
According to sources speaking to 9ToMac, the ability to track sleep quality, number of disturbances during the night, and more, will be announced at the forthcoming special event on Tuesday September 10, 2019 where the Cupertino-based company is already tipped to unveil three new iPhone models, waterproof AirPods 3, and a smaller HomePod smart speaker.
Branded "Time In Bed Tracking", technology blog 9ToMac claims the system is codenamed Burrito inside the US company. Apple aims to track quality of sleep, movements throughout the night, heart rate, and noise. Like existing Apple Watch health data, sleep tracking will be found inside the Health app on iOS. It will not appear in the Activity app like workouts.
There will be a dedicated Sleep app in watchOS to kickstart the ability to track a good nights rest, sources claim. This means triggering the sleep tracking functionality will be different from some rivals, like Fitbit, which automatically detect the moment the wearer has fallen asleep and then starts the tracking feature.
Since wearing the Apple Watch all day to track steps and activity and all-night to track sleep will require a hefty battery life increase, Apple Watch Series 5 is expected to ship with a much more efficient system-on-a-chip as well as a bigger battery cell.
9To5Mac also reports that Apple Watch will send a notification to owners to charge their smartwatch for a little while before their scheduled bedtime, so that it doesn't konk-out halfway through the night.
Apple is also believed to tweaking how alarms work with the Apple Watch, so that your regular daily alarm clock on your iOS device will be silenced if you wake-up earlier than the alarm and start interacting with your Apple Watch.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
It's unclear whether Apple will be able to bring some version of its sleep tracking to older Watch hardware, or whether battery limitations will mean the functionality is exclusive to the latest smartwatch.
As well as sleep tracking, the new Watch Series 5 is tipped to ship in two new finishes.
As a former Staff Writer for T3, Aaron writes about almost anything shiny and techie. When he’s not barking orders at Alexa-powered microwaves or gawping at 5G speed tests, Aaron covers everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops, to speakers, TVs and smart home gadgets. Prior to joining T3, Aaron worked at the Daily Express and and MailOnline.
-
Apple TV gets a free update that makes it more simple to use
Apple has released tvOS 18.4 with a few design tweaks for its TV boxes
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Your iPhone gets some new tricks - here’s what it can do now
The new emojis and priority notifications are probably our favourite
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Older iPhones at risk of being left behind when iOS 19 arrives – is your device one of them?
Apple will reportedly drop three iPhone models when it comes to the iOS 19 update
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Your next MacBook Pro could be a game-changer for three good reasons
Apple will reportedly upgrade next year's MacBook Pro in three major ways
By Rik Henderson Published
-
M5 iPad Pro on schedule for release this year, claims expert
Apple's best tablet is reportedly getting even more power in late 2025
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
New evidence suggests Apple's taking its foldable iPhone seriously
And it might bring something different to the party too
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely
Clarification enables Apple, Samsung and others to switch to wireless charging only
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Apple's first foldable could come with an unexpected feature, claims expert
If it ends up being true, we'd be absolutely fine with it.
By Britta O'Boyle Published