Apple Watch sleep apnea notifications have been quietly working in the background for two years, and a new Military.com story highlights how one feature helped a veteran catch a serious condition he did not know he had.
David Aladejobi, a 38-year-old Air Force veteran, received an alert from his Apple Watch suggesting he might have sleep apnea. He initially brushed it off. After thinking about his snoring, however, he contacted his doctor and shared a screenshot of the notification. He had also been experiencing headaches that his doctor suspected could be related to sleep.
A sleep apnea diagnosis followed, along with a referral to a sleep lab and a prescription for a CPAP machine to help regulate his breathing overnight. His doctor warned that undiagnosed sleep apnea, if left untreated, can lead to death or other health problems such as high blood pressure. Aladejobi said the watch he already wore and had already paid for prompted him to see a doctor, which he called huge.
The feature uses the accelerometer to identify breathing disturbances during sleep and evaluates them over a 30-day period. Users must enable sleep tracking and wear a compatible Apple Watch to bed for at least 10 nights. Notifications are intended for adults not previously diagnosed with sleep apnea and are not a diagnosis, but a reason to consult a doctor. Compatible models include Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing