Sleep tracking seems like a rather basic feature that we would expect of any wearable, but for some reason, Apple has not baked it into the Apple Watch. We had heard back in 2019 that Apple was planning on introducing the feature to its wearable, but it did not materialize in watchOS 6.
There were rumors that it could debut in watchOS 7, and as it turns out, the rumors were right. During Apple’s WWDC 2020 announcements, the company revealed and confirmed that native sleep tracking would be coming to watchOS 7. For the most part, it will function like any other sleep tracker.
It will rely on the Apple Watch’s built-in sensors like the accelerometer to detect micro-movements in order to track your sleeping patterns. When the user wakes up, they will be able to see a report on their previous night’s sleep, including when they woke up and when they went back to sleep. The app will also be able to display a weekly chart showing the user’s sleep trends.
Apple will also be building in an alarm feature in the sleep app that will either use haptic feedback to wake the user up, or through gentle sounds. There will also be the ability to setup a routine before you go to sleep, which according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, will help better prepare the body to sleep.
This can be done through a “Wind Down” mode that lets users setup a routine like listening to a soothing soundscape, use a meditation app, or setup a scene in the Home app that will better prepare them to go to bed.
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