This silent sleep condition was hard to detect—until the Apple Watch stepped in
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Your watch might be keeping a secret about your health.
A new feature could detect a silent condition affecting millions—and you might not even know you have it.
Apple just gave Aussies another reason to wear their smartwatches to bed.
With the latest update, Apple Watch users in Australia gained access to a game-changing health tool: sleep apnea detection.
For the first time, a smartwatch available in Australia could monitor breathing interruptions during the night and alert users to signs of sleep apnea—a condition that often goes undiagnosed and can lead to serious long-term health issues.
The feature was approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and formed part of the Sleep Tracking functionality on compatible Apple Watches.
Dr Matt Bianchi, a research scientist at Apple, explained the motivation behind the upgrade.
‘We’re talking about a billion people worldwide with this condition, but 80 per cent of those individuals don’t have a diagnosis currently, they are not aware they have it,’ he shared.
Bianchi stressed the importance of early detection, especially since the disorder could be treated once identified.
‘This is a treatable disorder, so the chance for us at that scale worldwide to chip away at that 80 per cent undiagnosed problem is the motivating factor for us.’
Sleep apnea has been linked to fatigue, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, and even a shortened lifespan.
While other products like the Withings Sleep Analyser and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 also promised sleep apnea detection, Apple became the first to launch this functionality locally through a smartwatch.
The technology worked by detecting minute breathing-related movements using the accelerometer in the watch.
‘The accelerometer sensor on the Apple Watch is a motion detector, but is very, very sensitive, even those small motions of breathing that you make while you sleep can be seen at the wrist by the accelerometer and that’s how we detect interruptions in breathing at the watch,’ Bianchi said.
The update rolled out to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models, and was available to Australian users immediately.
If you're surprised by what your smartwatch can reveal about your health, you're not alone.
Sleep apnoea often goes undiagnosed for years—but now, technology isn't the only thing making early detection easier.
A newly approved medication could offer another lifeline for those living with this silent condition.
Read more: Struggle with sleep apnoea? Discover first‑ever medicine just approved in Australia
Could your watch be the first to tell you something your doctor hasn’t?
A new feature could detect a silent condition affecting millions—and you might not even know you have it.
Apple just gave Aussies another reason to wear their smartwatches to bed.
With the latest update, Apple Watch users in Australia gained access to a game-changing health tool: sleep apnea detection.
For the first time, a smartwatch available in Australia could monitor breathing interruptions during the night and alert users to signs of sleep apnea—a condition that often goes undiagnosed and can lead to serious long-term health issues.
The feature was approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and formed part of the Sleep Tracking functionality on compatible Apple Watches.
Apple Watch update flags signs of sleep apnoea. Image source: Pexels/SHVETS production
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Dr Matt Bianchi, a research scientist at Apple, explained the motivation behind the upgrade.
‘We’re talking about a billion people worldwide with this condition, but 80 per cent of those individuals don’t have a diagnosis currently, they are not aware they have it,’ he shared.
Bianchi stressed the importance of early detection, especially since the disorder could be treated once identified.
‘This is a treatable disorder, so the chance for us at that scale worldwide to chip away at that 80 per cent undiagnosed problem is the motivating factor for us.’
Sleep apnea has been linked to fatigue, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, and even a shortened lifespan.
While other products like the Withings Sleep Analyser and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 also promised sleep apnea detection, Apple became the first to launch this functionality locally through a smartwatch.
The technology worked by detecting minute breathing-related movements using the accelerometer in the watch.
‘The accelerometer sensor on the Apple Watch is a motion detector, but is very, very sensitive, even those small motions of breathing that you make while you sleep can be seen at the wrist by the accelerometer and that’s how we detect interruptions in breathing at the watch,’ Bianchi said.
The update rolled out to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models, and was available to Australian users immediately.
If you're surprised by what your smartwatch can reveal about your health, you're not alone.
Sleep apnoea often goes undiagnosed for years—but now, technology isn't the only thing making early detection easier.
A newly approved medication could offer another lifeline for those living with this silent condition.
Read more: Struggle with sleep apnoea? Discover first‑ever medicine just approved in Australia
Could your watch be the first to tell you something your doctor hasn’t?
