Apple to Add Sleep-Tracking Features to Apple Watch by 2020

[hsotnicam8002]

Apple is said to be testing a sleep tracking app for a future Apple Watch, according to a new report today filed by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Rival smartwatches from the likes of Fitbit have long touted sleep-tracking capabilities, but Apple's watchOS has never offered a native sleep tracking feature. Initially, this was for good reason: battery life on the first Apple Watch rarely lasted beyond the advertised 18 hours, meaning the device had to be perched on a charging dock as you slept.

However, since the release of the Series 3 and 4 models, many owners find their smartwatches can last two full days or more on a single charge, which has led third-party developers to step in with sleep-tracking apps.

Future Apple Watch models could well have improved battery life, enabling users to wear them for longer and track time in bed. Alternatively, Gurman speculates that overnight sleep-tracking could even feature as part of a special new low-power mode.

Apple's iOS Health app already includes a tab for sleep analysis data, which is pulled from either the alarm clock function in the iPhone's Clock app or a third-party sleep-tracking app.

Apple has dipped its toes in sleep-tracking before. The company acquired Finnish startup Beddit, which makes a sleep-tracking sensor strip. Apple sells the product on its website under the Beddit brand and recently launched an updated version.

Article Link: Apple to Add Sleep-Tracking Features to Apple Watch by 2020

[doublepost=1551189789][/doublepost]USA only, until governments in other countries approve sleeping? Which first, ECG or sleeping?

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Yeah there's a plethora of sleeping apps already available on the App Store.

But what are you going to do with that information? Surely you'd have noticed you're waking up and feeling like crap instead of needing your watch to monitor how many times you turned over during your sleep?

Jesus.

 

[GaryMumford]

Wearing a watch while sleeping?

Yeah, no. Maybe if I was drunk.

I wear my series 4 all the time. I take it off and charge it most days for about 15 minutes or so when I shower which fully charges it. I don't even notice it when in bed. There are no noticeable 'beams of light' when moving as some people assume there will be. it's not uncomfortable in any way, so I can't think of a good enough reason not to wear it when sleeping.

 

[Rogifan]

Is this as innovative as say, foldable phones in 2019?

Let’s see....first it was VR, then AR, then chat bots, then smart speakers, now foldable phones. I wonder what next years hot thing that Apple isn’t doing (and therefore is doomed) will be. The tech world has the attention span of a small child so foldable phones will become boring before anyone actually owns one.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Really what is the point?
I really would not want to wear my watch while I slept any way.
And unless they are planning on either improving the battery life or shortening the charge time considerably.
The watch would be dead by mid morning.

-AE

I use sleep tracking every night with my Apple Watch; I turn on theater mode and do not disturb. It's great and I have no battery life issues even with about 30 minutes of exercise per day. I charge my watch in the 1-1.5 hours before I go to sleep. If needed, I do a 10-20 minute charge in the morning while I get ready for the day (although this is rare for me to need to do).

What's the point of sleep tracking? https://news.berkeley.edu/2017/10/17/whywesleep/

 

[TTTedP]

The pessimist in me can't help but think these 'incremental' feature releases spread out over multiple years is a way for Apple to ensure future sales. Several competitor watches and 3rd party apps offer sleep tracking. It didn't take them 4 years to implement.

 

[Rogifan]

How is it charged while you sleep? Charge it before bed, then wake up early to charge prior to work? Needs far more battery life for this type of function. Good idea, poor battery life for implementation.

I wear mine for sleep tracking every night no issues. I charge it before I go to bed and charge it again while I’m in the shower in the morning. It doesn’t use up much battery life while sleeping and doesn’t take long to charge.

 

[GaryMumford]

Yeah there's a plethora of sleeping apps already available on the App Store.

But what are you going to do with that information? Surely you'd have noticed you're waking up and feeling like crap instead of needing your watch to monitor how many times you turned over during your sleep?

Jesus.

For those who have sleep issues, monitoring sleep patterns is really useful and can help make a significant improvement to their wellbeing.

Jesus, Some people can be really narrow minded.

 

[latts]

The main issue with this would be how or when do you actually charge your watch?

With a phone you can have it charging wirelessly or plugged in while you're using it but you can't with the watch. So wearing it while sleeping brings up the issue of when you charge it.

Unless we finally get a new version of wireless charging where you don't have to have it attached to a charging mat.

Watt up was the one I saw a few years back and Apple was looking into with some patents
https://energous.com

 

[jezbd1997]

I’ve got a Series 4 and it only needs charging every 2 days. However if I sleep with it on (maybe only once a fortnight) the battery drains about half considering you’re not even accessing it during the night. + with theatre mode on.
I’m not interested in the sleep tracking as it’s annoying to sleep with a watch. But I know some people are, so like someone else mentioned they would have to improve the battery or cut charge times down.

 

[GaryMumford]

The main issue with this would be how or when do you actually charge your watch?

With a phone you can have it charging wirelessly or plugged in while you're using it but you can't with the watch. So wearing it while sleeping brings up the issue of when you charge it.

Unless we finally get a new version of wireless charging where you don't have to have it attached to a charging mat.

Watt up was the one I saw a few years back and Apple was looking into with some patents
https://energous.com

It's not an issue. it can fully charge in about 15 mins if charged once a day. I charge mine while in the shower, job done!

 

[jezbd1997]

If the Series 5 battery can last 2 full days then sleep tracking can be useful, but if it don't then just forget about it...

My S4 lasts 2 full days, but sleep tracking would take a toll on it. Maybe they could add a special mode for sleep to turn off unnecessary tasks running on the watch.

 

[FreshBoy]

It’s a feature that I don’t miss because I’ve never had it but that could change when it’s released.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Sleep tracking has been a game changer for me. Some of us have sleep disorders that wearables help us sort out.

Really? I would think it makes it worse as now you have something to obsess over when it draws further attention to your sleep issues.

 

[RodThePlod]

I wear my series 4 all the time. I take it off and charge it most days for about 15 minutes or so when I shower which fully charges it. I don't even notice it when in bed. There are no noticeable 'beams of light' when moving as some people assume there will be. it's not uncomfortable in any way, so I can't think of a good enough reason not to wear it when sleeping.

I agree with the charging. I normally charge my watch every night, but on the occasions I've fallen asleep with it on, all it takes is a quick 30 min charge in the morning while I'm showering/getting ready for work and it's back up to 100%. So in theory this could work for me.

No way I'd fork out for a new Watch just for this feature, though. I'm still waiting to hear about ECG support for my Series 4 here in the UK.

 

[now i see it]

ummmmm then when are you going to recharge the watch?

ummmmm can't imagine sleeping with that giant thing on my wrist

ummmm hope it's not going to require active Bluetooth pairing to the iPhone during use

 

[Complex757]

Sleep tracking is fine on a Fitbit that lasts 5 days between charges but how would that work on an Apple Watch that barely lasts 1.5 days? If I wore it to sleep I’d have to charge it the next day and leave it at home? Or maybe it’s a way to get folks to buy more watch chargers for your car and office?

I get my standing activity for the hour and then I charge it for the next hour or so at work or home.

I'll also charge it while watching TV or taking a shower. It's relatively easy.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Just 4 years behind the competition.

Why doesn't Apple just buy a company that has already figured this technology out if is going to take this long to do it in house?

 

[smirking]

Really? I would think it makes it worse as now you have something to obsess over when it draws further attention to your sleep issues.

I'm guessing that you're assuming that I have anxiety and insominia. That's not the case. There are a lot of sleep disorders.

 

[Stewie]

Oh and before sleep tracking you didn’t know you felt better if you went to bed earlier

You do know that your sleep cycle varies for lots of reasons, including getting older don't you? (guess not) If you have sleep issues it is helpful to have to data to help you sleep better. It must be great to not have sleep issues, but as someone that does the more data I have to help me get a decent nights sleep at least one or two nights a week is helpful

 

[smirking]

Just 4 years behind the competition.

Why doesn't Apple just buy a company that has already figured this technology out if is going to take this long to do it in house?

I think the battery life thing was what was holding them back so it doesn't make sense to sink developer time and resources into something that wasn't a good use of your product. Besides that buying another company's work doesn't always pan out. It's not like by buying a sleep tracking company, that company's apps automatically fold right into your codebase and works with everything it needs to work. It might end up taking longer to integrate a third party software piece than it does to write your own.

I think people have the assumption that Apple has an unlimited supply of engineering talent and can work on everything at the same time. I'd guess they had priorities and sleep tracking wasn't one of them until more recently.

 

[JRobinsonJr]

Sleep tracking has been a game changer for me. Some of us have sleep disorders that wearables help us sort out.

I've tried it and found that the current Watch is reasonably accurate at recording my sleep (e.g. how I feel versus the recorded metrics). However, like many others commenters I really don't like wearing a watch to sleep.

How does the quality of the watch metrics compare with the Beddit Sleep Monitor... or something similar. I would expect that a band lying under me would potentially be a more effective monitor, but would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[smirking]

Sleep tracking is fine on a Fitbit that lasts 5 days between charges but how would that work on an Apple Watch that barely lasts 1.5 days? If I wore it to sleep I’d have to charge it the next day and leave it at home? Or maybe it’s a way to get folks to buy more watch chargers for your car and office?

I'm pretty sure that they didn't kneecap their own product's battery life so they could sell a few extra chargers.

When the Apple Watch can hit about 2.5 to 3 days per charge is when I think it'll be a definitely buy for me. I have a Fitbit Blaze that's supposed to go about 5 days. It sometimes goes only for 3. I can live with that. A solid 2 to 3 per charge gives me enough wiggle room that I can conveniently charge it whenever I want.

 

[JRobinsonJr]

I think people have the assumption that Apple has an unlimited supply of engineering talent and can work on everything at the same time. I'd guess they had priorities and sleep tracking wasn't one of them until more recently.

Given the billions in available capital resources that is exactly what many of us think. Of course, reality is far more complex and I do understand that companies have to set priorities, but surely Apple doesn't pause innovative work in one area while they try to figure out a core issue like battery life.

 

[Heineken]

I've worn watches to bed pretty much my whole life. Many people do. What's the issue? It's not like it gets in the way or anything.



It doesn't sound like you're familiar with REM/Light/Deep sleep. Just because you wake up and feel okay doesn't mean you had a balanced sleep cycle that night. All it means is you woke up at the end of a sleep cycle, not mid-cycle.

The sleep function on my Fit Bit Charge 3 is really awesome. It has provided a lot of information about my sleep patterns that I had no idea about before. Especially interesting is how much awake time you actually have during the night. It's based on heart rate, and above a certain rate your body is considered awake (as in, not in REM, Light, or Deep sleep) even though you are not cognitively aware that you are.

Or I didn’t wake up at all? Can’t tell without a watch.