Wearing your Apple Watch to bed does not record sleep unless tracking is enabled. Once you finish setup and charge the watch, it can record your sleep automatically, even without a recurring schedule. Start with the iPhone setup below, using the iOS 27 and watchOS 27 menus, then check the recording requirements before bed.
Set up sleep tracking on your iPhone
Pair your compatible Apple Watch with your iPhone before starting.
- 1.Open Health on your iPhone and go to Browse > Sleep > Sleep.
- 2.Tap Get Started under Set Up Sleep, then tap Next.
- 3.Complete the prompts for your sleep goal, bedtime, wake time, and Sleep Focus.
- 4.Enable Track Sleep with Apple Watch.
If you prefer to set up directly on the watch
You can complete setup on your Apple Watch instead. This route also lets you proceed without a recurring sleep schedule.
Open Sleep on the watch and tap Continue.
Tap the proposed schedule to configure Active On, Wake Up, Bedtime, Alarm, and Sounds & Haptics.
Use the Digital Crown to adjust the times.
Tap the check button to save.
Choose Delete Schedule if you want to continue without a recurring schedule.
Tap Next.
Choose whether to enable overnight vitals.
Tap Done.
Open Settings > Sleep > Sleep Tracking on the watch and turn tracking on.
Get your watch ready for the night
Charge your Apple Watch to at least 30% before bed. To enable charging prompts, open the iPhone’s Watch app and turn on My Watch > Sleep > Charging Reminders.
Wear the watch comfortably against your skin for at least one hour of sleep. Keep Settings > Passcode > Wrist Detection enabled on the watch. Turning it off makes sleep tracking unavailable.
A recurring schedule is optional. With Sleep Tracking enabled, automatic detection works outside scheduled periods, so there is no recording session to start each night.
The four-hour minimum in older instructions applied to tracking with a schedule or Sleep Focus. Apple’s current minimum for basic sleep recording is one hour. Wrist-temperature tracking has a separate requirement of at least four hours of Sleep Focus nightly.
Check your sleep the next morning
After wearing your watch overnight, check what it recorded.
- 1.Open Sleep on Apple Watch to view recent sleep and your 14-day average.
- 2.For details and recorded sleep stages on iPhone, open Health > Browse > Sleep, then tap Sleep.
- 3.On a compatible watch running watchOS 26 or 27, open Sleep to view your Sleep Score after the overnight recording has been analyzed. Tap the Info button for its breakdown.
When sleep data is missing
Disabled sleep tracking stops the watch from recording sleep.
Open Watch on your iPhone, then go to My Watch > Sleep and enable Track Sleep with Apple Watch, including if you paired the watch after setting up sleep in Health.
Alternatively, enable recording directly on the watch under Settings > Sleep > Sleep Tracking.
Check Settings > Passcode > Wrist Detection on the watch and leave it enabled.
Keep the watch comfortably against your skin while sleeping.
For missing measurements in Health, open the app on iPhone and tap the profile button.
Go to Devices > your Apple Watch > Privacy Settings and turn on Fitness Tracking.
Before your next attempt, charge the watch to at least 30%.
Wear it for at least one hour of sleep. Meeting that minimum does not guarantee full stage details for a short session.
If the watch’s Sleep app is missing, open App Store on the watch.
Search for Sleep.
Choose Apple’s app and tap Redownload. This restores access to the app; recording still requires the tracking settings above.
Adjust your schedule and Sleep Focus separately
For a one-night change, open Health > Browse > Sleep > Sleep and tap Edit under Your Schedule. Adjust tomorrow’s schedule, then tap Done.
For recurring changes, open Full Schedule & Options and edit the relevant schedule. Set Days Active, Bedtime, Wake Up, and Alarm, then tap Done.
To suspend recurring schedules from the watch, open Sleep > Wake Up Alarm button > Full Schedule and turn off Sleep Schedule. This leaves the separate Sleep Tracking control unchanged.
To activate Sleep Focus manually, press the watch’s side button to open Control Center, then tap the Focus control > Sleep and choose how long it should stay active. To turn it off, tap the Focus control again. This controls interruptions and display behavior. It does not act as a start or stop button for sleep recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Apple Watch track naps?
Yes. Automatic detection covers sleep outside your schedule, including naps. Apple documents sleep/wake data for detected sessions lasting one to three hours and full sleep-stage classifications for sessions exceeding three hours. Detection and stage details are not guaranteed for every short nap.
Do I need a paid app or subscription to track sleep?
Apple’s built-in Sleep app is free. Sleep Score on compatible watches requires neither a separate subscription nor a separate score-enabling switch.
Does sleep tracking work with Apple Watch For Your Kids?
No. Apple’s Sleep feature is unavailable on watches configured with Apple Watch For Your Kids. Setup requires a compatible, personally paired watch.
Why do wrist temperature and overnight Vitals need more nights?
They establish baselines separately from basic sleep recording. Overnight Vitals requires sleep tracking and Sleep Focus, plus seven nights of wear to establish typical ranges. Wrist-temperature tracking requires supported hardware, sleep tracking enabled, and at least four hours of Sleep Focus nightly for about five nights.