Sleep apnea notifications on your Apple Watch

The Sleep Apnea Notifications Feature can look for breathing disturbances while you’re sleeping and notify you if they show consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.

About sleep apnea and breathing disturbances

Sleep apnea is a respiratory condition where you experience repeated disruptions in your breathing while you sleep. These breathing disturbances are fairly common, and people typically experience a few disturbances a night. Your alcohol intake, upper respiratory illnesses, and even some medications can lead to elevated breathing disturbances. When you wear your Apple Watch to bed, it uses the accelerometer to look for breathing disturbances while you sleep. These are categorized as “Elevated” or “Not Elevated." Over a 30-day evaluation period, if you consistently experience “Elevated” breathing disturbances, you receive a notification, letting you know it identified signs of sleep apnea. If you have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you should talk to your doctor.

An iPhone that shows the initial setup screen for Sleep Apnea Notifications, and an Apple Watch that shows a Possible Sleep Apnea notification.

Here's what you need

  • An Apple Watch Series 9 or later or Apple Watch Ultra 2, with the latest version of watchOS.

  • Update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS.

  • Sleep must be set up with Track Sleep with Apple Watch turned on.

  • You must wear your Apple Watch to sleep for a minimum of 10 nights over a 30 day period. Your data will be analyzed every 30 days.

  • Sleep apnea notifications are intended for use by people 18 years or older who have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Turn on sleep apnea notifications

  1. On your iPhone, open the Health app.

  2. Tap Browse, then tap Respiratory.

  3. Under Sleep Apnea Notifications, tap Set Up, then tap Next.

  4. Confirm your Date of Birth and if you've ever been diagnosed with sleep apnea, then tap Continue.

  5. Tap Next, then tap Done.

View your sleep apnea notifications or breathing disturbances

  1. On your iPhone, open the Health app.

  2. Tap Browse, then tap Respiratory.

  3. Tap either Sleep Apnea Notifications or Breathing Disturbances.

    An iPhone that shows a graph of not elevated breathing disturbances for a given month.

You can view your breathing disturbances for the past month, 6 months, or year.

If you receive a notification, you can also share a detailed report with your healthcare provider. To share a PDF, scroll down and tap Export PDF.

Things you should know

  • The Sleep Apnea Notifications Feature is not intended to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of sleep apnea.

  • Not all people with sleep apnea receive a notification.

  • If you believe you have sleep apnea, talk to your doctor.

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