How the Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection works › Macerkopf

Apple will soon introduce a new sleep apnea detection feature on Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Series 9 to address a widespread health problem that affects over 1 billion people worldwide. The new feature uses the Apple Watch’s accelerometer to detect potential signs of sleep apnea and provide users with valuable insights into their health.

Sleep apnea detection with Apple Watch

The sleep apnea detection feature uses the Apple Watch accelerometer to monitor subtle wrist movements associated with irregular breathing patterns during sleep. Over a 30-day period, Apple Watch data was collected and analyzed to identify consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. Users can view their results in the Health app.

Apple developed the feature using advanced machine learning methods and a comprehensive dataset of clinical sleep apnea tests. To validate the algorithm, the company conducted a clinical study that showed that the feature was able to detect all participants who actually suffer from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing stops briefly during sleep, causing the body to be deprived of oxygen and the sufferer to wake up frequently. It can also be difficult to diagnose because it occurs during sleep. Apple expects sleep apnea detection to be approved by the FDA and other global health authorities in the near future and will be available in more than 150 countries later this month.

(via MacRumors)