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Sleep tracking and sleep schedule issue

Hi everyone,


Is it necessary to have a set sleep schedule for an apple watch 6 to track your sleep?


My bedtime varies so I'm concerned that the watch will either start tracking before I'm in bed or after it should start tracking.


I had not set a bedtime to avoid that confusion. Previously I had been using Fitbit and it tracked automatically, so the transition is rather confusing.


Thank you in advance for any help!

Posted on Dec 2, 2020 7:28 AM

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3 replies

Dec 29, 2020 10:35 AM in response to ma_ky

I’ve read people modifying the sleep schedule to a larger window to accommodate varying bed times; I don’t believe tracking starts until the iPhone and Watch are “still” or not being used for a certain amount of time within the Sleep schedule. Just turn off the bedtime reminder.


Regarding the recognition of the end of a sleep cycle, in my tests in trying to get the app to recognize my Watch for data, I do know that when I was fiddling with the Watch and iPhone in the wee hours one or both asked me if I was ready to get up (it would shut off the alarm). So in a sense, the sleep cycle ends if you answer yes and/or are active enough beyond a bathroom break.


Dec 2, 2020 7:42 AM in response to Community User

Thank you for the link @fieryjack!


So, as I understand it, sleep tracking is not automatic- you need a sleep schedule, which you then adjust as needed so that the correct time frame is tracked?


I understand that- to some extent- for the bedtime, but what if you wake earlier than expected? Does the watch recognize that your sleep-cycle has ended or do you need to manually end tracking?

Sleep tracking and sleep schedule issue

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