Sleep apnea feature is coming to Apple Watch – here’s how it works

Alongside the announcement of its new Apple Watch 10, Apple announced a range of new features for its best smartwatch, including a sleep apnea feature. The new Breathing Disturbances metric could improve the Apple Watch’s sleep tracking, making it a more well-rounded smartwatch that can beat its other competitors.

During the ‘It’s Glowtime’ Special Event, Apple announced many new products, including the new iPhone 16 line-up, tons of new AirPods features and Apple Intelligence. Amongst the new announcements was the Apple Watch 10, which is the most feature-packed model yet, including a brighter, thinner and bigger display.

The new Apple Watch 10 is packed with a host of health, fitness and wellness features. Among the new features is a depth and temperature sensor for water activities, like swimming and diving, and more customisable activity rings, but my favourite new feature is specifically designed for sleep apnea.

While the Apple Watch is easily one of the best smartwatches and fitness trackers you can buy, some users have found that it falls short with its sleep tracking capabilities. Unlike the best sleep trackers, some Apple Watch wearers have found it to not be as reliable when it comes to monitoring and recording sleep, but this new feature could be lifesaving for sleep apnea sufferers.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to stop or become shallow during sleep. This prevents the body from getting enough oxygen, which can lead to disrupted sleep and if left untreated, can cause other health problems like cardiac issues, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

The new Apple Watch metric, Breathing Disturbances uses the watch’s accelerometer while you sleep to detect small wrist movements that are associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns. Every month, the Apple Watch will analyse its sleep and breathing disturbance data, and if it notices consistent signs of sleep apnea, it’ll notify you so you can look to get diagnosed and treated for it.

The new Breathing Disturbances metric can also assess and track sleep to help users meet their sleep goals, which can be viewed in the Health app. With a focus on helping improve your overall sleep quality, this new feature is a big step in improving the Apple Watch’s sleep tracking.

The new Apple Watch 10 is expected to launch on 20th September, with prices starting at £400 / $400.