Two devices, one place
Oura vs Apple Watch sleep: why do the scores differ?
Updated · 3 min read
- Steps
- Cardio
- Heart
- Sleep
Short answer
Apple Watch scores duration, bedtime consistency and interruptions; Oura's seven parts add stages, timing and naps. Read a 75 as OK on Apple and Good on Oura.
Apple Watch and Oura each score your sleep from 0 to 100, but they build the score from different parts. Oura counts sleep stages and naps, which Apple's three parts don't name.
What each score counts
| Apple Watch | Oura | |
|---|---|---|
| Parts | 3, worth 50, 30 and 20 points | 7 parts, which Oura calls contributors |
| Sleep stages | Not one of the parts that Apple lists | REM Sleep and Deep Sleep are two of the contributors |
| Naps | Apple says the score is based on your previous night's sleep | Oura takes all your sleep into account, including naps |
The parts of Apple's score
- Sleep duration (50 points)
how long you slept.
- Bedtime consistency (30 points)
when you fell asleep, compared with the last 13 nights.
- Interruptions (20 points)
how often you wake up and how long you stay awake.
Oura's contributors
- Total Sleep
your time in light, REM (rapid eye movement) and deep sleep. Oura says that total sleep time is the most significant contributor to optimal rest and a higher Sleep Score.
- Efficiency
the percentage of your time in bed that you spend asleep.
- Restfulness
your wake-ups, excessive movement and how often you get out of bed.
- REM Sleep and Deep Sleep
your time in each of these two sleep stages.
- Latency
how long it takes you to fall asleep, for your longest sleep period only.
- Timing
the midpoint of your sleep. Oura says that, optimally, it falls between midnight and 3am, though this can vary for a morning or evening type.
What each number means
Each maker puts its own labels on the range from 0 to 100.
| Score | Apple Watch | Oura |
|---|---|---|
| 96 to 100 | Very High | Optimal |
| 85 to 95 | High | Optimal |
| 81 to 84 | High | Good |
| 70 to 80 | OK | Good |
| 61 to 69 | OK | Fair |
| 60 | Low | Fair |
| 41 to 59 | Low | Pay Attention |
| 0 to 40 | Very Low | Pay Attention |
See both scores for the same night
- On your iPhone, open the Health app. Tap Browse then Sleep to see Apple's score.
Step 1
In the Health app
- Browse
- Sleep
- Tap your Sleep Score. Tap the info icon to see how Apple calculated it.
- Open the Oura app. Tap the sleep shortcut at the top of the Today tab, or tap the Vitals tab, to see the detailed view of Oura's score.
You can also see Apple's score in the Sleep app on your Apple Watch. Read each number against its own maker's labels in the table above, not against the other device's number. Oura records one main sleep period of at least three hours between 6 PM and 6 PM the next day, and a sleep period that ends after 6 PM counts toward the next day. Check that both apps show the same night before you compare.
If a score is missing
- Apple Watch shows no score
Turn on Track Sleep with Apple Watch. Wear the watch to sleep for at least 1 hour. Charge it to at least 30% before bed. See Why is my Apple Watch not tracking sleep? for the menu paths.
- Oura shows no score in the morning
Open the Oura app. Oura says that sleep data can sync and calculate without the app open, as long as your ring and phone stay connected and the app keeps running in the background overnight. If you force-quit the app, the calculation happens when you open it again.
Why the two scores differ
Each score starts from that device's own reading of your night. Apple's score rests on the watch's estimates of your sleep. Oura bases its analysis on your resting heart rate, body temperature, movement and time in each sleep stage.
Questions
Does Oura send its sleep score to Apple Health?
Oura's list of the data that it exports to Apple Health names sleep duration, start time, end time and sleep stages. That list doesn't name its Sleep Score. The export needs a Gen3 ring or later with an active membership. To turn it on, tap the menu in the upper-left corner of the Oura app's home screen, tap Settings, then under Data sharing tap Apple Health, then tap Connect to Health.
When does the Apple Watch sleep score show up?
Apple says that your sleep score appears around 15 minutes after you wake up.
Sources
- 1View your sleep score on Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 2Track your sleep on Apple Watch and use Sleep on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 3Intro to Health data on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 4Sleep Score, Oura Helpsupport.ouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 5Sleep Contributors, Oura Helpsupport.ouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 6Apple Health Integration, Oura Helpsupport.ouraring.com (opens in a new tab)