Sleep Tracking

Although sleep tracking hardware and apps are nothing new, many users are reluctant to add yet another piece of technology to their world, and Apple naturally wants the Apple Watch to be the only health and fitness device that most people ever need.

Back in iOS 10 Apple added very basic “bedtime” tracking to its Clock app, but after it acquired sleep tracking company Beddit a few months later, it was clear that this was just the tip of the iceberg, and now with watchOS 7 and iOS 14, Apple’s plans are coming to fruition with a “holistic” approach to sleep that will not just track how much sleep you’re getting, but also encourage you to wind down properly at the end of each day and then gently easy into your morning routine when you wake up.

This will include things like playing music or ambient sounds during your “wind-down” time, as well as offering to turn off lights and other home devices. The only catch is that you’ll need to wear your watch to bed each night to take advantage of the sleep tracking features, but watchOS 7 will keep the screen off to save power, and we’re hoping that the Apple Watch Series 6 will offer some battery improvements to go along with this.