Sync fix
Why is my Apple Watch not tracking sleep?
Updated · 4 min read
- Steps
- Cardio
- Heart
- Sleep
Short answer
Apple Watch needs Sleep Tracking on Watch app then My Watch then Sleep, at least 30% charge at bedtime, and to be worn to sleep for 1 hour or more.
Apple Watch adds sleep to Apple Health only when Sleep Tracking is on, the watch has charge through the night, and you wear it to sleep for at least 1 hour. If all three are set and nights still go missing, check that your sleep schedule covers the hours that you sleep: members report that sleep after the alarm is sometimes not recorded.
Steps
- Update your iPhone to the latest iOS. Update your Apple Watch to the latest watchOS.
- If you have not set up Sleep, open the Health app. Tap Browse then Sleep then Sleep. Tap Get Started under Set Up Sleep. Follow the prompts to set your Bedtime and Wake Up times and to turn on Track Sleep with Apple Watch.
Step 2
In the Health app
- Browse
- Sleep
- Sleep
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap My Watch then Sleep. Turn on Sleep Tracking. Step 2 turns on Track Sleep with Apple Watch in the Health app, and this step checks Sleep Tracking in the Watch app.
Step 3
Where to tap
- My Watch
- Sleep
- On the same screen, turn on Charging Reminders. Your watch then reminds you to charge it before your Wind Down time. By default, that is when Sleep Focus starts: the mode that limits distractions before you go to bed.
- Charge the watch to at least 30% before bed. Below 30%, Apple Watch prompts you to charge it.
- Wear the watch to bed at a comfortable fit, and keep it on for at least 1 hour of sleep.
- The next morning, open the Health app. Tap Browse then Sleep. To see your sleep stages, tap Show More Sleep Data, then tap Stages.
Step 7
In the Health app
- Browse
- Sleep
Sleep before bedtime or after your alarm
One member on r/AppleWatch went back to sleep for an hour after the sleep schedule's alarm. The schedule still showed a wake time at the alarm, and turning Sleep Focus back on did not add the hour. Another member reported that a third-party sleep app caused the same problem, and that the watch recorded sleep after the alarm once that app was removed, as long as the member did not open the Sleep or Health app. A University of Michigan research page reports that sleep outside the sleep window was not recorded, and suggests setting the next sleep schedule to match your sleep times.
To make the next night's schedule cover the hours that you sleep, edit it before you go to bed. These are Apple's steps for Next Wake Up Only:
- In the Health app, tap Browse then Sleep then Sleep.
Step 1
In the Health app
- Browse
- Sleep
- Sleep
- Tap Edit under Your Schedule.
- Drag the curved slider to set your Bedtime and Wake Up times.
- Tap Done.
Apple says that a change to Next Wake Up Only applies only to the following day. To change every night instead, tap a schedule in Full Schedule & Options, then tap Edit: Apple says that a change to your full schedule applies to all future days.
If it still doesn't work
- No sleep is recorded on any night
Check that Sleep Tracking is still on, as in step 3. You can also check it on the watch, in Settings then Sleep.
- The watch ran out of charge overnight
Apple says that if the battery dies, the watch does not track your sleep. Turn on Charging Reminders, as in step 4.
- Health gets no data from the watch at all
In the Health app, tap the Profile button. Tap Devices then your Apple Watch then Privacy Settings. Turn on Fitness Tracking.
- Your watch was set up with Apple Watch For Your Kids
Apple says that Sleep is not available on these watches. Apple Watch For Your Kids was called Family Setup before.
- The night looks restless or broken
Apple says that a loose watch can make the accelerometer, the motion sensor, register too much movement during sleep. Wear the watch as in step 6.
- Health shows another app's sleep first
In the Health app, tap Browse then Sleep then Sleep. Scroll down and tap Data Sources & Access: the list of apps and devices that write this data type, in order of priority. Tap Edit. Touch and hold the Change Order button next to your Apple Watch, and drag it to the top. Tap Done.
Why this happens
Apple says that sleep tracking works from your motion while you wear Apple Watch to bed. Apple Watch estimates the time that you spend in each sleep stage: REM, Core and Deep. An older Apple wording tied sleep tracking to Sleep Focus, which starts with your schedule, so some sleep outside your schedule may not be recorded.
Questions
Do I need Sleep Focus on for Apple Watch to track sleep?
Apple's current pages do not say so. Apple's watchOS 27 guide says that when Sleep Tracking is on, your Apple Watch tracks your sleep and adds sleep data to the Health app. An earlier Apple Support wording, which a University of Michigan research page quotes, said that sleep tracking works when you wear Apple Watch to bed "and the Sleep Focus is active". Apple's watchOS 26 page no longer has those words.
Does Apple Watch track naps?
Apple's pages checked for this guide do not say. Members on r/AppleWatch disagree. One member reported that a new Apple Watch Series 12 recorded a nap outside the bedtime schedule, and another member's 2-hour afternoon nap was not recorded. One member wrote that a nap must last at least 1 hour to be recorded, and another wrote that some naps under an hour might not be recorded. One member wrote that naps show in the Health app under that day's sleep chart, sometimes under the next day.
Can I add a night that Apple Watch missed?
Yes, by hand. In the Health app, tap Browse > Sleep > Sleep, then tap Add Data in the upper corner. Enter the date and times, then tap Done. By default, Health puts data that you enter by hand above data from your Apple Watch.
Sources
- 1Track your sleep on Apple Watch and use Sleep on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 2Track your sleep on Apple Watch, Apple Watch User Guide, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 3Set up sleep schedules on Apple Watch, Apple Watch User Guide, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 4Track your sleep with Apple Watch (watchOS 26), Apple Watch User Guide, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 5Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 6Apple Watch is only recording sleep within a set sleep schedule, University of Michiganteamdynamix.umich.edu (opens in a new tab)
- 7Does your Apple Watch record sleep if you decide to sleep past your sleep schedule alarm?, Reddit r/AppleWatchreddit.com (opens in a new tab)
- 8Does Apple Watch not track day naps?, Reddit r/AppleWatchreddit.com (opens in a new tab)
- 9Where and how does the Apple Watch record naps?, Reddit r/AppleWatchreddit.com (opens in a new tab)
- 10Auto detected my nap, Reddit r/AppleWatchreddit.com (opens in a new tab)