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the native sleep function was starting and ending automatically, but it's possible that it was being triggered by AutoSleep.
Until I set the sleep schedule no sleep tracking occurred, either on my previous series 5 or my new Ultra. And I forgot to initially turn on sleep tracking in the watch app so all that was shown was time in bed. Finally I got my act together, sleep tracking enabled with a sleep schedule set, then everything worked properly. 3rd party apps probably handle this automatically on their own.
 
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AutoSleep definitely (as the name suggests) automatically detects sleep and seems to do so pretty well, based on years of experience. Other third party apps probably do the same.

I don't know whether the native sleep function, which tested really well in terms of accuracy, detects sleep automatically. I do know that I wasn't running either a sleep schedule or a sleep Focus setting and the native sleep function was starting and ending automatically, but it's possible that it was being triggered by AutoSleep.
In the iPhone Health app, go into Sleep, scroll all the way down, and tap "Show All Data." That should tell you if the sleep data is coming from AutoSleep or from the native sleep function.
 
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Autosleep is the best option in my opinion to track naps and erratic sleep schedule. It is very accurate at start and end times in my experience. Scientific studies however show it isn't as nearly as accurate as the built in Apple sleep tracking in WatchOS 9 at determining TYPE of sleep, REM vs. deep vs. light etc.

You CAN setup Autosleep as your sleep tracker AND set a sleep period in the native app (and turn off the native TRACKING.) this gives you tracking of sleep from Autosleep and still turns off the screen and puts you in Sleep Focus during the "common" hours you sleep. For example I have erratic sleep and often nap due to short duration of sleep at night. I still set my sleep window where sleep focus turns on from 12-6 am but turn OFF sleep tracking. then I use auto sleep as my sleep tracker which is how my sleep, WHENEVER it happens gets tracked. I wish I could use the native sleep tracking since it is more accurate, but the way apple insists the sleep occurs in preset windows isn't compatible with how I live my life.
 
No, just slept with it tonight not knowing I have no sleep schedule for friday to saturday, no data at all so you definitely need a schedule for it to track sleep.
This is wrong. Schedule does NOT need to be on to track sleep, using just the watch data. Here are three screenshots from my phone, confirming no schedule, and showing sleep tracking using data all from the watch, no third party Apps. I just set Sleep Focus from the Control Centre on my watch last thing at night, and off again when I wake up.

Screenshot 2022-10-14 at 21.50.27.png
 
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This is wrong. Schedule does NOT need to be on to track sleep, using just the watch data. Here are three screenshots from my phone, confirming no schedule, and showing sleep tracking using data all from the watch, no third party Apps. I just set Sleep Focus from the Control Centre on my watch last thing at night, and off again when I wake up.

View attachment 2094994
Sorry, what I meant was you need to enable sleep mode either by schedule or manually. Easiest is to have a schedule even if you dont obey it, just make sure it is set generously around where you sleep. If you have it set to end at 6AM an you sleep until 7AM you wont get any sleep data for that hour. I find this really stupid, it should know when you are sleeping by itself.
 
Fair enough. My bed time is too irregular for a schedule and setting a wide margin doesn't work because I dont want watch going into sleep mode before going to bed.

It is very easy to set Sleep from the Watch Control Centre on the watch last thing before lights out. I have customised my watch Control Centre so that Sleep and Theatre are the top two items. I use Theatre mode rather than Screen Sleep because in Theatre mode I can simply tap the watch face when I get up in the night and have enough light from the normal clock face to stagger along to the bathroom. With Screen Sleep on there is no light unless you also have "Show Time" but it is much dimmer and goes out as soon as I move my wrist. Tapping the screen in Theatre mode gives 75 seconds and does not cancel Theatre mode.
 
The watch has to be in sleep focus before it will record your sleep. That is one of the differences between the stock app and AutoSleep.
This is not correct. I do not have Focus on and have been tracking my sleep since the Ultra launched (I do not use third-party apps). Focus is optional. The ONLY requirement is to set ANY sleep schedule. Mine is set 11pm to 8am. Therefore, the Watch starts tracking at these times. I normally sleep around 11:30pm to 7am, but the Watch doesn't care. I can see the timeline overnight which is all that matters. Been doing this since day one of Ultra launch.

But, Focus is not required for sleep tracking.
 
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But, Focus is not required for sleep tracking.
But Sleep Focus is turned on when you set a schedule. I’ve been communicating with someone who doesn’t use a schedule but manually turns on sleep focus from control center on the watch and he gets tracking to occur. I had been under the impression that a set schedule had to be established for tracking to occur but apparently not. I was testing a few settings last night because my watch was not turning the screen off when my scheduled sleep time kicked in. The sleep focus icon appeared at the appropriate time but the screen remained lit up. Toggling the sleep screen setting on the watch settings under sleep fixed this. The setting had been enabled but the screen wasn’t going off. Toggling it off and then on again seems to have resolved the issue. But the sleep focus icon does appear with a schedule or you can just enable it manually without a schedule. Either way tracking will occur.
 
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This is not correct. I do not have Focus on and have been tracking my sleep since the Ultra launched (I do not use third-party apps). Focus is optional. The ONLY requirement is to set ANY sleep schedule. Mine is set 11pm to 8am. Therefore, the Watch starts tracking at these times. I normally sleep around 11:30pm to 7am, but the Watch doesn't care. I can see the timeline overnight which is all that matters. Been doing this since day one of Ultra launch.

But, Focus is not required for sleep tracking.
What Papbot says in post#60 is correct. I am the person he is communicating with on this and I also posted #54 above clearly showing my sleep being tracked by Apple Sleep with no schedule. I turn on Sleep Focus manually every night before lights out.
 
I can’t get sleep tracking to work when it comes to sleeping at non-traditional times. Today, for example, I go to sleep at 8am and try to sleep until 4pm. The schedule selector wheel can’t seem to understand those times. And turning on my sleep focus did nothing to track the sleep.
 
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