Sleep apnea causes breathing pauses that can last ten seconds and recur dozens of times each hour, leaving sufferers exhausted and disturbing partners. While a formal diagnosis still requires a sleep‑lab study, a handful of smartwatches now flag possible episodes. Only Apple and Samsung have secured FDA clearance for such screening features, giving consumers a first‑line alert.

Apple’s sleep‑apnea notification runs on Series 9, Ultra 2 and SE 3 models and relies on the accelerometer to detect breathing disruptions consistent with moderate‑to‑severe apnea. Users must enable sleep tracking, log at least ten nights of data within a 30‑day window, and run watchOS 10 with iOS 17 or later. After the algorithm classifies disturbances as “Elevated,” a Health‑app alert prompts a doctor’s visit.

Samsung’s version runs on Galaxy Watch 4 and newer. Two nights of tracking within ten days and at least four hours of sleep generate a result, then the feature disables itself. Withings cleared its Scan Watch in 2021 to monitor breathing disturbances, though not marketed as an apnea alert. Garmin and Oura log respiration but lack FDA clearance, so users must still see a doctor.