Apple Watches get Sleep Apnea detection feature in India; Here's how it works

Apple announced sleep apnea detection feature during the launch of the Watch Series 10 in September 2024, and before the new watch made its way to stores, the company received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

However, the Sleep Apnea detection feature was limited to select Western markets. Close to two years after launch, Apple India has finally received the nod from the domestic regulatory agency.

Now, Sleep Apnea has been launched for Apple Watches along with the hearing health tracking feature for AirPods Pro (2 & 3) in India.

For the uninitiated, sleep apnea is a serious health condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. People diagnosed with sleep apnea are vulnerable to coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. And, the older the person, the higher the risk of sudden death.

“At Apple, we believe technology should empower people to take control of their health, and that starts with giving users tools to detect conditions they may not even know they have. From sleep apnea notifications on Apple Watch to a hearing test with AirPods Pro, we’re excited to bring these meaningful capabilities to our users in India,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness.

Here's how the Sleep Apnea detection feature works on Apple Watches

To detect sleep apnea, the Apple Watch uses an accelerometer to monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns. This is tracked by a new Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances.

Apple Watches will look for breathing disturbances for 30 days and let the owner know if he/she has Sleep Apnea or not.

Sleep apnea detection feature is now available on Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, Ultra 2 and Watch SE 3.

Here's how to turn on the Sleep Apnea notification feature

Prerequisit:

Ensure the iPhone and the Watches are running the latest iOS 26.5 and watchOS 26.5

Step 1: On your iPhone, open the Health app.

Step 2: Tap Search (magnifying glass icon), then tap Respiratory.

Step 3: Under Sleep Apnoea Notifications, tap Set Up, then tap Next.

Step 4: Confirm your Date of Birth, and if you’ve ever been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, then tap Continue.

Step 5: Tap Next, then tap Done.

The owner has to wear the Apple Watch to sleep for a minimum of 10 nights over 30 days. The data will be analysed every 30 days and will let the user know whether they have sleep apnea or not.

To view the Sleep Apnea details:

Step 1: On your iPhone, open the Health app.

Step 2: Tap Search (magnifying glass icon), then tap Respiratory.

Step 3: Tap either Sleep Apnoea Notifications or Breathing Disturbances.

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