Editor’s note: The following information is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.
Apple’s WatchOS 11 is far from the most groundbreaking software version, but it adds quality of life features. Besides the new resting features that allow you to pause Activity Ring goals without affecting your streak, WatchOS 11 also finally fixes my biggest problem with the Apple Watch.
The update enables automatic sleep tracking, which lets someone with an inconsistent sleep schedule — whether due to lifestyle or health reasons — have all of their sleep data, as random as it comes, collected by the wearable.
Also: You can download WatchOS 11 public beta right now. Here’s how (and supported models)
Up until now, tracking your sleep on the Apple Watch involved going to the Health app on your iPhone, tapping Set up Sleep, and setting your sleep goals, bedtime, and wake-up time. This isn’t ideal for people experiencing chronic pain or sleep disorders because they don’t have an established sleep routine.
I have a chronic nerve pain condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, where I experience severe pain attacks on my face. These can occur at any time in the day — from before falling asleep to first thing in the morning. That’s why declaring a sleep routine on the Apple Watch never really worked for me. Automatic sleep tracking, however, has been life-changing.
Also: Want to get better sleep? Here’s everything you need
According to a National Institute of Health (NIH) study, more than 72% of people with chronic pain experience sleep disturbance. The number goes up to 95% for chronic nerve pain like fibromyalgia. “People living with chronic pain commonly experience waking several times each night as well as long‐term reduced sleep quality,” the study found.
Beyond workouts and daily activity tracking, it’s become more important for us to track our sleep to better understand our health. That can’t be done efficiently if you have to enter sleep data manually or set up a routine, like on WatchOS 10.
My pain attacks happen at random moments with no underlying trigger, so there’s always some anxiety that prevents me from falling asleep at will. My survival instincts are almost always on. If, however, I see on my wrist or phone that I had a rough night with little deep sleep, it mentally prepares me for what to expect during the day.
“Progress in our understanding of the complex relationship between sleep and pain provides a promising basis for interventions that may improve sleep, help with pain, and augment health‐related quality of life,” according to the NIH.
This understanding has helped me when conversing with my neurologist about my behaviors and medications. Having the Apple Watch track my sleep more accurately has made things even more understandable. I can plan my day better, inform people at work if deadlines will be met, and prepare for delays. Overall, it helps me be more present and less worried.
The best part is that there’s no toggle to enable automatic sleep tracking. If you have already set up Sleep in your Health app, the feature will arrive and be turned on by default with the WatchOS 11 update.
Samsung and Amazfit smartwatches have had automatic sleep tracking for years. In my opinion, however, the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch out there, so it’s nice for it to finally get this feature. I consider it better than the competition because the Apple device has had a track record of saving lives through irregular heartbeats and alerts that matter. It’s not a medical device substitute, but its medical features help improve quality of life.
Also: 6 compelling reasons to buy an Apple Watch, according to a wearables expert
Remember that if you’re wearing your Apple Watch to sleep, it’s going to affect the battery life. I’ve had two instances where I forgot to charge my Watch and it drained overnight. This resulted in no sleep data logged.
I now put it on the charger after I wake up, and wear it when I’m ready for the day. My Apple Watch Series 8 lasts overnight, but if you’re working out regularly, your Watch might struggle. I hope the next Apple Watch is rated to last up to two days, so it can track my sleep without me worrying about the battery.
