The Apple Watch is a popular choice for many reasons, thanks to its amazing features and excellent reputation for quality. Still, one of the most interesting features that this smartwatch can offer is its ability to track your sleep patterns, so what are the best Apple Watch sleep tracking apps?
Sleep tracking offers fascinating insights into sleeping trends and habits over time. This function has proved so popular that the most recent operating system (watchOS 7) came with native, officially added sleep tracking support for the very first time. Sleep tracking has now improved and evolved even more in WatchOS 8.
However, there are many other sleep tracking options available for download from the Apple Store today that can help you gain even more insight into your nighttime activities, so which are the best? Here we take a closer look at which ones are worth the time and effort to download them, but first, we glance at the native tracking function that Apple has now supplied with their latest operating system.
Apple’s Native Tracking
For those who would rather not bother downloading a separate sleep tracking app, Apple’s own native sleep tracking function allows you to monitor your sleep with no need for a 3rd party application.
In order to view the data about your sleep that the smartwatch has tracked, you need to view either the Health app on your iPhone or your Apple Watch’s Sleep app. You’ll find the data quite limited, though. All you’ll see is how long you spent sleeping and your heart rate range – nothing especially impressive.
With such limited functionality, you’ll therefore require a third-party app download if you want to see more data. So, let’s examine which ones you should be considering.
Sleep++
If you’re looking for more information about your bedtime habits, the Sleep++ app is a great choice. Offering a host of features, including bedtime reminders, auto sleep detection, and sleep goals, along with other functions, this app has a main interface that supplies an in-depth look at the wearer’s sleeping habits over several days.
This app will give you a host of information about sleep cycles, trends, and phases, as well as a detailed sleep timeline, including periods of restfulness, restlessness, and wakefulness. You’ll also be able to see when you enjoyed your “best sleep” of the night.
Even better, the Sleep++ app is entirely free, although you can choose the in-app purchase option of removing the slightly irritating adverts. Essentially, if you want an automatic sleep tracker for your Apple watch that is rich in data, this could be the choice for you.
Pillow
This app has been around for a while, and although it has only recently become known as a good choice for those who want to gain greater insight into their sleeping patterns.
Pillow offers all of the usual features you’d expect from this type of app, including heart rate analysis and auto sleep detection. Still, it also offers a key feature that sets it apart from the crowd – it can record interesting audio events during the night. That means this sleep app can track data like sleep talking, sleep apnoea, and snoring, although the noise detection function will only work when in manual mode.
Again, like Sleep++, Pillow is available for free download from the Apple App Store, so it’s definitely worth a look.
NapBot
This recently released addition to the Apple Store is a powerful and insightful sleep tracking app. Utilizing the power of machine learning, this app performs auto sleep tracking, showing you information about trends, sleep phases, and much more.
NapBot can offer a huge amount of data in an interface that is surprisingly simple to navigate. You can look at the Calendar tab to obtain a detailed overview of each night’s sleep patterns and choose any specific day to view data about phases and heart rate.
Interestingly, NapBot has also launched an app for Apple Watch, which requires no iPhone to view its data. At present, you can only view the sleep from the previous night, but with any luck over time, more historical data and capabilities will be added.
Apple Watch Sleep Tracking Apps – The Best Of The Rest
There are a couple of other sleep tracker apps that you might want to consider from the Apple App Store, but most can’t match up to the options outlined above. Sleep Watch is probably the best of the rest – Beddit was acquired by Apple a few years ago, but it’s really a hardware tracker to put beneath your bed sheets. Sleep Cycle was another option for Apple Watch owners, but since support for this app was dropped recently, it might be best to look for a more up-to-date option.
Which Apple Watch Sleep Tracking App Should I Use?
There are so many different Apple Watch sleep tracking apps out there nowadays that you might be wondering which one to pick. Essentially, the choice is very much up to you and your preferences. There are a few things to bear in mind, though.
Whichever Apple Watch sleep tracking app you decide to opt for, ensure that you’ve chosen one that has an incorporated auto sleep detection function. This will reduce friction and prevent you from having to manually start your nightly sleep tracking session before heading to bed. You can then drop off to sleep knowing your watch is tracking your sleep with no interaction required from you.
You should also look for an app that can integrate with Apple’s own Health app. This will allow you to see your sleep data overview alongside the other features of the Health app. This will enable you to see long-term averages and trends, giving you a clearer picture of your overall well-being.
Whichever App you use, remember it’s important to maintain the right sleep hygiene and mental health that supports a powerful sleep. The App is good for tracking but the purpose is to improve your sleep so you must take all those external and internal factors into consideration. The combination of tracking data and awareness can lead to positive results for you.
Since the Apple first-party sleep tracker for the Apple Watch was officially released, it has led to even more widespread interest in using sleep tracker applications. Opting for a third-party app is usually the best course of action, though, since it will give you the rich and powerful sleep data you seek along with integration with the Apple Health app for a more comprehensive overview.
If you want to work on your diet as well as your sleep, take a look at these great watches that will improve your nutrition.
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Last Updated on February 3, 2022
Emma brings over a decade of freelance copy and content writing experience and is our Editor, Social Media Manager, and regular contributor. Specializing in long-form content such as blogs, articles, lead magnets, and white papers, Emma also provides businesses with email marketing, website copy, and landing pages.