Modern iOS versions have many health-related features that help you improve your well-being, track vital stats, and have fun digitalizing your health. Good sleep is key to your well-being and strong health. You can track sleep with your iPhone and use that data to discover and improve your sleep habits. And what is good about tracking sleep with iPhone is that it does not require additional hardware, and you do not even need an Apple Watch for sleep tracking.
Tracking Sleep with iPhone
To track sleep with your iPhone, update it to the most recent iOS version. That will depend on how old your iPhone is. For example, iOS 15 works on the iPhone 6S and up to the iPhone 13. After installing the latest updates, do the following to track sleep with iPhone:
- Open the Clock app and switch to the Alarm tab.
- Find the Sleep | Wake Up section and tap Change.
- Your iPhone will prompt you to enable sleep tracking. Tap Turn On.
- Tap Change again and set your bedtime and wake-up time. Many claim you should aim for 8 hours of sleep each night, but the optimal value depends on your specific needs and capabilities. We recommend talking to your doctor to find the optimal sleep goal.
- Tap Done.
- Now tap Change next to your newly created alarm, then tap “Edit Sleep Schedule in Health.” Your iPhone will switch to the Health app.
- Tap Options in the Health app.
- Turn on the Track Time in Bed with iPhone. Now your iPhone is ready to track your sleep without additional accessories or apps.
It is important to note that your iPhone alone can track time in bed, not sleep zones, the time it takes to fall asleep, etc. You need to download third-party apps to do that with just an iPhone.
You can get more sleep-related features and improve iPhone sleep tracking if you have a modern Apple Watch. Here is how to do that.
Apple Watch Sleep Tracking
To track sleep using your Apple Watch without additional sleep monitoring software, you need an Apple Watch Series 3 or newer with watchOS 7 or newer.
- Launch the Watch app on your iPhone and go to the Sleep section. That is the Apple Watch Sleep Tracking app.
- Tap “Use this Watch for Sleep” to get started.
- Ensure the “Track Sleep with Apple Watch” option is enabled.
Now your Apple Watch is ready to track your sleep. Note that the Apple Watch sleep tracking app will consume more battery, so you may need to charge your Watch more frequently.
We recommend going to bed with at least 30% of the battery to ensure your Apple Watch can last the entire night and provide all the necessary data. Enable the Charging Reminders option, so you will not forget to charge before the bed.
Also, turn on the Sleep Screen option to prevent your Apple Watch from blinding you with bright watch faces during the night. You can also use the Shortcuts app to automatically switch to darker watch faces after sunset.
Now you are all set to track sleep with your iPhone and use your Apple Watch sleep tracking app. After using the feature for a few nights, you might want to download third-party apps that provide more insights and data about your sleep. For others, basic sleep tracking will suffice. Also, Apple promises significant sleep tracking improvements in watchOS 9 this fall (on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer).
