5 Tips For Tracking Your Sleep with Apple Watch

My Monthly Avg Total Sleep Time (hrs) — May 2018 thru Aug 2020 (via SleepWatch by Bodymatter)

Apple’s Sleep App may be “all-new” in the recently released watchOS 7, but sleep tracking on the Apple Watch is anything but new. There are dozens of free and premium third-party sleep tracking Watch apps. I, for one, have been monitoring my sleep with SleepWatch by Bodymatter (free to download) ever since I bought my Apple Watch Series 3 over Memorial Day Weekend in 2018–855 nights ago.

Source: Apple (2020)

As someone who has worn an Apple Watch to bed for over two years, I did want to share a few tips for anyone new to smartphone- and smartwatch-based sleep tracking.

(1) Schedule it so it happens.

I have time blocks on my calendar for just about everything — including ‘Sleep’. Doing so helps me maintain a more regular sleep rhythm, which studies show positively impacts mood and function when awake. If you don’t want to fuss with time blocking, Apple Watch makes scheduling your sleep a breeze — just turn on ‘Sleep Schedule’ and set your target weekday and weeknight bedtime.

‘Sleep’ is a recurring event on my calendar.

(2) Track items that may have impacted your sleep.

Like in other parts of your life, it’s helpful to reflect on what’s working and what’s not working when it comes to your sleep. That’s why I like keeping a journal of my sleep — made easier by SleepWatch’s sleep anomaly detection feature that lists 60 items that may cause higher or lower quality sleep. Ask yourself questions like: Did you exercise close to bedtime? Were you disrupting by your pet in the middle of the night? Are you sleeping in a new bed? Did you eat a late meal?

SleepWatch prompts you to reflect on your sleep quality in the companion iOS app.

Keeping track of what environmental items are impacting your sleep isn’t part of the Apple-issued Sleep app. Instead, Apple provides ‘Sleep Highlights’ that tell you how consistent your sleeping has been over time. You can get these insights from the Health App using third-party apps too — just activate your app as a data source to allow it to update your sleep data.

See how consistently you’ve been sleeping over time with Sleep Highlights in the Apple Health App.

(3) Charge your smart device before bed.

Your sleep won’t be tracked if your watch runs out of juice in the middle of the night. If you want to track your sleep with your Apple Watch, for example, you’ll need to get in the habit of charging it throughout the day or at least for a short time before bed. This should be made easier thanks to watchOS 7’s automatic reminder to charge if your battery is below 30% near your target bedtime.

Pictured: UGREEN Apple Watch Dock

(4) Test out advanced settings and options, if available.

Third-party sleep tracking apps, like SleepWatch, offer the user a lot of data about their sleep and how it compares to other users from around the world. I find all of the metrics fun and, at times, insightful even. Over the past month, for example, according to my ‘Sleep Report Card’ (a premium SleepWatch feature), I got more sleep than 75% of all SleepWatch users. Looking at the breakdown of my sleep quality and reading the reports gets me more invested in my sleep health.

A detailed look at my sleep with SleepWatch.

Other advanced features like a manual ‘Start sleeping’ button I’ve found helpful for those days when I am traveling between time zones or otherwise off my regular sleep schedule. If you’re going to use Apple’s Sleep app, know that you are presented with just a few key metrics — Time in Bed, Time Asleep, and your Heart Rate — and no manual sleep button. To be sure, that’s all you need, but if you do have advanced metrics or features available, give them a look.

(5) Remember that you can’t ‘make up’ for lost sleep.

In a 2017 episode of NPR’s Fresh Air, Sleep scientist Matthew Walker put it simply: “The brain has no capacity to get back lost sleep…” It may be tempting to try to sleep extra long after a late night out, but sleep experts all agree there is no way to compensate for lost sleep.

My advice is to try to be as disciplined with your sleep schedule as you can be. Of course, it isn’t always possible to adhere to your sleep time goal or bedtime every night. During stressful or tough times, try focusing on improving your sleep quality versus making up for lost quantity.

My travel schedule in March 2019 made sticking to a full 8-hour of sleep each night unrealistic for me.

Thanks for reading my tips for better sleep with an Apple Watch!

Here’s to a better night’s rest 💤