The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, has given approval for the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and the Watch Ultra 2 to detect sleep apnea. This means the watch may notify users when it thinks that person is struggling with this condition.
According to conservative estimates, 1 in 100 people suffer from sleep apnea. 80% of them are unaware of it. In sleep apnea, sometimes called OSAS, breathing falters or stops for at least ten counts during sleep. From 5 breaths per hour (AHI), sleep apnea is present; above 30, sleep apnea is severe.
People with sleep apnea suffer from daytime fatigue, headaches and difficulty concentrating. From these symptoms, it is not possible to tell immediately whether a person is suffering from sleep apnea. This can only be determined after a sleep study, whether at home via polysomnography or at a sleep center.
watchOS 11
Apple is making it easier to recognize sleep apnea with the new release of watchOS 11. Users of a new Apple Watch Series 10 or the already available Series 9 or Ultra 2 can now detect sleep apnea with their watch. Sleep apnea recognition has been officially approved by the U.S. FDA.
Apple reports that the feature is intended to recognize signs of mild and severe sleep apnea in people over the age of 18. They are then advised to contact a doctor to seek appropriate treatment.
Export as PDF
The Apple Watch tracks for abnormalities in breathing during sleep over several days and notifies you about them on the watch and in your iPhone. It is possible to export this data after which a treating physician can review it.
By the way, Apple is not the first smart watch manufacturers to come up with sleep apnea recognition. Samsung also previously brought this feature to select Galaxy Watch watches
