Apple Watch sleep apnea notifications launched two years ago. Since then, the health feature has been quietly working in the background and making a difference for people who may not know they need it.
Apple Watch Ultra flagged a serious health issue for an Air Force veteran
A new story from Military.com highlights one such case involving David Aladejobi, a 38-year-old Air Force veteran whose Apple Watch alerted him to possible sleep apnea.
Aladejobi initially brushed off the possible sleep apnea Apple Watch notification. After thinking about his snoring, however, he contacted his doctor and shared a screenshot of the alert. He had also been experiencing headaches that his doctor suspected could be related to sleep.
“I got the notification saying, you may have sleep apnea through the watch. I didn’t really think much about it. But then, I started thinking about how I was snoring and stuff like that.
So, I contacted my doctor and sent a screenshot of what the watch was saying,” Aladejobi said, in an interview with Military.com. “I was also having headaches and my doctor was saying it might be because of 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.
“Yeah, my doctor said undiagnosed sleep apnea, if not treated, can definitely lead to death or other health problems like high blood pressure,” he said. “So using something as simple as a watch that’s already being worn and already paid for, and then being urged to see a doctor. That was huge. Why not pay attention to something like that?”
How sleep apnea notifications work
Apple Watch uses its accelerometer to identify breathing disturbances during sleep. The feature evaluates those disturbances over a 30-day period and can notify users when the data shows consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.
Apple says users need to enable sleep tracking and wear a compatible Apple Watch to bed for at least 10 nights during that period. Notifications are intended for adults who haven’t already been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
The notification itself isn’t a diagnosis. Like for Aladejobi, it provides a reason to contact a doctor about symptoms and potentially get treatment for an otherwise unknown condition.
Apple Watch possible sleep apnea notifications work with Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later.
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