How Apple Watch Sleep Apnea Detection Works

How Apple Watch Sleep Apnea Detection Works

Apple has a new way of identifying signs of sleep apnea using the accelerometer on the Apple Watch. Apple’s Deidre Caldbeck and Dr. Matt Bianchi explain how this feature works, how it was tested and the validation process needed to bring it to the watch. Sleep apnea notifications are available on the Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Read more on CNET.com
Inside the Apple Watch Series 10’s New Sleep Apnea Detection Feature https://cnet.us/gg1

Apple Watch Series 10: https://cnet.us/yxo
Apple Watch Ultra 2: https://cnet.us/f4p
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0:00 Sleep Apnea Notifications Come to Apple Watch
0:38 How Your Apple Watch Detects Breathing Disruptions
1:04 Accelerometers Track Breathing Interruptions
1:51 What Does The Apple Watch Actually Track?
2:34 How Accurate is the Apple Watch?
3:57 Availability of Apple Watch Notifications
4:47 Setting Up Sleep Apnea Notifications

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#applewatch #sleepapnea #watchos11 #applewatchseries10

46 Comments

  1. @joncruz on August 2, 2025 at 8:21 pm

    Why limit this tool to Apple Watch 10? sometimes apple acts in ridiculous ways.

  2. @DavePianist on August 2, 2025 at 8:22 pm

    I don’t understand the purpose of this function. All it does is telling you that you have sleep apnea. It’s not like it can help you reduce the obstructive breathing moments. In the end I still need to rely on the CPAP or other tools to help reduce the symptoms. I don’t need to spend a couple hundred dollars to tell myself that I have sleep apnea….

  3. @askay747 on August 2, 2025 at 8:22 pm

    What a poor piece of tech.

  4. @firstlast-pt5pp on August 2, 2025 at 8:23 pm

    I think blood oxygene used as a detection for apnea from a watch is patented – that’s why apple is not using it – a $20 watch with blood oxygene monitor is just as good on that part 😊

  5. @jamesyeechunfung1432 on August 2, 2025 at 8:24 pm

    Thanks

  6. @Red_Twizzler on August 2, 2025 at 8:24 pm

    “Groundtruth”?! You have got to be kidding me. This is why no one trusts you fools

  7. @Tensyyys on August 2, 2025 at 8:27 pm

    How he have HERMES face on ultra???

  8. @justin1871 on August 2, 2025 at 8:27 pm

    They should partner with the VA.

    Veterans get sent An Apple Watch or get a Veteran Discount.

  9. @WhittyPics on August 2, 2025 at 8:28 pm

    Blood 02 is the reason I bought the series 6. That is the metric that doctors follow

  10. @ChrisBa303 on August 2, 2025 at 8:32 pm

    I wonder how good this will work if the apple watch cant even detect that i went to sleep again after beeing awake for 10 min

  11. @Jayden-lr2mm on August 2, 2025 at 8:33 pm

    Very useful feature for those that suffer from sleep apnea

  12. @CNET on August 2, 2025 at 8:35 pm

    Read more on CNET.com: Inside the Apple Watch Series 10’s New Sleep Apnea Detection Feature https://cnet.us/gg1

  13. @myfakeguuglaccount on August 2, 2025 at 8:38 pm

    Samsung’s is even better. Still, they bring AWARENESS to a potential issue, but do nothing for it. One of the easiest home remedies is a mandibular jaw device you can buy just about anywhere. Keeps your airway open, cuts down on snoring, and prevents tooth grinding, all in one. Only for obstructive apnea though; if you have central apnea, you’re probably going to need a CPAP.

  14. @SaimYilmaz on August 2, 2025 at 8:41 pm

    Why isn’t it available in Turkey?

  15. @Slush23 on August 2, 2025 at 8:41 pm

    It’s puzzling that the new Apple Watch doesn’t measure blood oxygen levels, yet it can track sleep apnea. Conversely, the Apple Watch Ultra S1 has an oxygen sensor but can’t track sleep apnea. This seems like a deliberate strategy by Apple to compel users to upgrade. By restricting a feature that necessitates blood oxygen for an accurate reading, they’ve eliminated the need for an oxygen sensor in the new watches, while the Ultra S1 has one but can’t perform sleep apnea tracking.

  16. @ilovegodverymuch8791 on August 2, 2025 at 8:41 pm

    I am a candidate. I have sleep apnea and I have a machine. Let’s see how I do with the Apple Watch on with it.

  17. @GrazianoAltieri on August 2, 2025 at 8:41 pm

    I really hope they would have worked on a better automatic sleep tracking like Fitbit does instead of adding features that no-one cares.

  18. @CynicAtheist on August 2, 2025 at 8:42 pm

    Why doesnt anyone mention snoring

  19. @CodingMonkeyChan on August 2, 2025 at 8:44 pm

    It sounds like a gimmick than a feature.

  20. @pinoyteam6417 on August 2, 2025 at 8:44 pm

    In 2015, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. My initial sleep study said i stopped breathing 77X per hour. That’s a minimum of 10 seconds per stop. 30+ stops per hour is considered severe. I’ve been using a cpap machine every night now since. In 9 yrs, I’ve exceeded 1.0 stops per hour less than 10x. I own the Apple watch Ultra 2. I’m glad this is avail for Samsung and now Apple. I can honestly say the cpap machine has greatly increased my quality of life.

  21. @stevedavid512 on August 2, 2025 at 8:45 pm

    Is it for series 7 as well??

  22. @Samsung1982-w7x on August 2, 2025 at 8:49 pm

    The hospital tested me twice and found that I had 16 breathing pauses in 2018 and 19 breathing pauses in 2025. The Apple Watch Ultra NEVER detected sleep apnea in me.

    I now sleep with the Ringconn Gen 2 ring, and it’s 90.7% accurate at measuring sleep apnea and other sleep data. It also displays the hospital measurements.

    Conclusion: the Apple Watch can’t measure this correctly.

  23. @pj9902 on August 2, 2025 at 8:50 pm

    OK but why is this guy whispering. It’s pissing me off lol

  24. @ES-rp6dx on August 2, 2025 at 8:51 pm

    I hope it works better than other features on Apple Watch. I’m standing at my desk for 8h a day and watch prompts me multiple times to stand up 🤦🏻 I guess if you know how to sell, it people will buy it

  25. @Cats1100 on August 2, 2025 at 8:52 pm

    Why the age specifically range to 69? Hmm 🤔

  26. @GG-gk7jn on August 2, 2025 at 8:57 pm

    11,000 nights tbh is a small figures to study so called a medical device….. basically 30 patients over 1 year

  27. @NannemSriHarshaSharma on August 2, 2025 at 9:01 pm

    Not available in india 😢

  28. @emka9537 on August 2, 2025 at 9:02 pm

    How useless. What’s the point if you charge it at night

  29. @Benvenjtos on August 2, 2025 at 9:02 pm

    No Apple for oxygen

  30. @nelsonmei9527 on August 2, 2025 at 9:03 pm

    I think older Apple Watches also have enough processing power to do this.

  31. @StevieCooper on August 2, 2025 at 9:04 pm

    I love CNET, since dial up days, and I love Lexi (also aussie)
    but this just felt like a promo and I’m disappointed x

  32. @gambitgambino1560 on August 2, 2025 at 9:04 pm

    It can’t detect because the battery is dead by the time you fall asleep

  33. @narayantm5230 on August 2, 2025 at 9:04 pm

    The facade of meeting “performance objectives” is a standard ploy that apple uses to introduce new features only to newer devices forcing people to upgrade to get the feature. They should be more transparent about what those objectives are, and really should be focused on bringing more features to existing product base as well – given how widely their products are used. Just do not tolerate this artificial ‘software wall’ they have created.. and how they tout the same.

  34. @Mandlamguni on August 2, 2025 at 9:05 pm

    Kidumu chama cha mapinduzi

  35. @davidturner4914 on August 2, 2025 at 9:05 pm

    I have a Samsung Ultra and an Apple Ultra 2 and the information from Samsung far exceeds Apples. Without the blood Oxygen sensor you get no tracking of oxygen saturation during sleep. My Samsung monitors my temperature during sleep along with all the other things that Apple monitors. Apples refusal to correct the issue with the Blood Oxygen sensor is taking away from the information that is provided to you about your sleep. I can not understand why Apple has no BO app of their own when Samsung can provide this feature. I like my Apple Ultra 2 but I wish Apple would become a company with integrity and fix this issue.

  36. @frieden-s7s on August 2, 2025 at 9:06 pm

    When do we charge the watch?

  37. @Bafelina on August 2, 2025 at 9:07 pm

    Available in Norway?

  38. @306vel on August 2, 2025 at 9:08 pm

    Like if I should quit rapping 😭

  39. @HokgiartoSaliem on August 2, 2025 at 9:09 pm

    If you want cheap device, you can use Huawei Band 9, latest one. Less than $50.

  40. @rickyc6463 on August 2, 2025 at 9:13 pm

    Go Vegan and sleep apnea is cured no kidding….inflammation in your respiratory is caused by animal products.

  41. @prajwalyadav7752 on August 2, 2025 at 9:13 pm

    11k data points doesn’t look enough data for such a critical use case

  42. @jonpritchard5936 on August 2, 2025 at 9:14 pm

    According to my phone, the Sleep Apnea feature is no longer available in my region (Canada). Is this correct?

  43. @John_Warden on August 2, 2025 at 9:15 pm

    Ultra 1?

  44. @umangpatel1665 on August 2, 2025 at 9:16 pm

    Apple Watch cellular from USA
    Will it work in india ??

  45. @jonathangoldsmith7832 on August 2, 2025 at 9:18 pm

    What if my watch hand is usually tucked under my pillow at night?

  46. @taybetatik on August 2, 2025 at 9:19 pm

    Which strap the most comfortable for sleep?

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