The Apple Watch has a built-in sleep tracker and provides the data in its Health app. So you might be wondering why I tested out different sleep monitoring apps for the Apple Watch?
This is where my beef starts, and the reason why I tested out the internet’s claimed five best sleep tracking apps for the Apple Watch. Read on to find which one you should be sleeping with!
1. Apple’s Sleep App
While I have no beef with the data provided by the Apple Watch, the watch needs to be put into Sleep Focus for it to record sleep. Without Sleep Focus, the Apple Watch does not record sleep or naps.
The data is seamlessly integrated with Apple’s Health app on the iPhone. It offers basic sleep insights that cut through the noise of data overload. The Health app on the iPhone and the Sleep app on the Apple Watch provide-
- time asleep,
- time in bed,
- bedtime and wake time,
- sleep stages- deep, core, REM, awake, and their duration,
- heart rate,
- respiratory rate, and
- wrist temperature.
While this data is enough for me, it may be a little lack lusture for data junkies who need a more in-depth analysis of their sleep.
The only thing I would add to this data would be a sleep score, like how the Oura or Ultrahuman rings provide. Why? Because instead of looking at the data in depth every morning, a sleep score would give me an idea of how my sleep was in terms of time and quality, that too, at a quick glance. Also, it doesn’t show the time in bed after the iOS 18 update, which is a bummer.
Price: Free
Pros: No subscription required, easy-to-comprehend data.
Cons: The watch needs to be put in Sleep Focus to record sleep, but there is no sleep score.
Verdict: Best for people who want basic insights into their sleeping patterns without recurring fees. And for people who want to build consistency with their bedtime.
2. AutoSleep
AutoSleep is one of the top-rated apps for sleep monitoring on the App Store. This app has a one-time payment to download and use, and shows the data in a ring format, just like the Apple Watch does for activity. The rings show different data on the basis of the mode you have selected-
- Sleep Analysis Mode – the default mode in the app will show rings for Sleep Duration, Quality, Deep, and Heart bpm.
- Sleep Stages Mode – this mode, when enabled, will show rings for Sleep Duration, REM, Deep Stage, and Heart bpm.
The data is pretty neatly displayed in the app, better than the Health app. The sleep and wake-up time was impressively accurate and even provides a readiness score. However, AutoSleep is a little too generous with deep sleep, an observation that The Quantified Scientist also had in his comparison of the app with a scientific EEG device.
Another feature of the AutoSleep app I really liked is the Sleep Bank. This keeps track of my sleep and tells me if I should be getting more or less sleep based on my accumulated sleep debt.
Price: $8.99
Pros: Tracks sleep automatically without Sleep Focus, and data is very easy to interpret in the app.
Cons: Requires a one-time subscription fee to access the data, a little too generous with the readiness score, and deep sleep.
Verdict: Best for people who want detailed sleep analysis without a recurring fee.
3. Sleep Cycle
Sleep Cycle is a sleep tracking app that takes a different approach than regular sleep tracking apps. It pulls focus on waking up rather than sleep and its metrics. I am not a morning person, and Sleep Cycle wakes me up with its smart alarm at the lightest point in my sleep. Needless to say, my mornings have been less groggy than before.
Sleep Cycle lets me set an alarm range, and within that range, it buzzes gently at the lightest point of my sleep. If not, it buzzes at the end of the range either way. Now it is not just a smart alarm app, it also tracks sleep stages and quality, and its premium feature has additional features such as sleep sound, snore detection, trends, and notes that help me note which activity led to a different sleep behaviour.
Price: Free, with in-app purchases.
Pros: Smart alarm range focuses on waking you up at the most optimal time.
Cons: Key functionality behind a paywall.
Verdict: Best for people who have difficulty waking up rather than falling asleep.
4. Pillow
Image Courtesy: Reddit
If you haven’t been living under a rock, you would’ve heard of Pillow. This sleep monitoring app uses a combination of movement, sound, and heart rate to record different sleep stages- deep, light, and REM.
A standout feature of the Pillow app is that it records important audio events using the Apple Watch’s microphone. This can be especially useful for people who snore or talk in their sleep.
Its automatic sleep tracking, sleep quality score, smart alarm, and app interface make this app user-friendly. One huge drawback of the Pillow app is that although it is free to download and they had a few free features available earlier, it doesn’t let me get past the payment pop-up screen to access any free data now. So, no, the Pillow app is no longer free to use.
Price: Free to download, needs a premium to access the data.
Pros: Great for tracking sleeping disorders such as sleep talking and snoring.
Cons: No free features in the app.
Verdict: Best for audio insights and tracking sleep disorders.
5. SleepWatch
SleepWatch is another sleep tracking app with glorious reviews. It provides a wealth of sleep data such as heart rate dip, sleeping HRV, sleep rhythm, total sleep time, restful sleep, 3-day sleep target, sleep disruption, and blood oxygen during sleep (Apple Watch Series 6 and later).
SleepWatch categorizes sleep into disrupted, light, or restful stages and delivers daily summaries and trends over time. It is a decent sleep tracker with its free version, but a lot of its features, such as sleeping HRV, sleep dip analysis, and comparison of data with other SleepWatch users, are hidden behind a paywall.
The data can sometimes feel overwhelming as it is not very easy to read in the app interface. Along with that, Sleep Watch shows me a more generous sleep quality score, even when I know I haven’t had the best sleep.
Price: Free, with a subscription to access some features.
Pros: Detects sleep with an HR dip, which is a better indicator of restful sleep.
Cons: Many useful features are hidden behind a paywall.
Verdict: Best for people who want an in-depth analysis of their sleep data.
How to Choose the Best Sleep Tracking App:
- The first thing to see while choosing a sleep tracking app is to check which sleep metrics the app tracks and which ones you require to evaluate your sleep. Essentially, to cut through the data overload and only focus on metrics you would actually benefit from.
- Secondly, how the data is displayed is a big factor in choosing a sleep tracking app. The user interface should be easy to understand, and data should be displayed in a way that is clearly interpreted.
- Review which features are available in the free version of the app and which ones require a paid subscription.
Wrap Up
I’ve tested out many sleep tracking apps and devices, and these are the five that shine through. Sleep++ is another notable app, but I found its data to be very complicated and difficult to interpret.
Personally, I love the AutoSleep because I don’t have to worry about my sleep schedule or starting the Sleep mode manually on my watch. I also like the sleep score feature and the fact that it is a one-time payment.
