Sleep tracking on iPhone using Health app

[AppleFan735]

I always put my iPhone in Sleep mode (now under Focus in iOS 15) before sleep every night and turn it off every morning when I wake up but to my surprise when I go to Health app those hours between when I turn the Sleep mode on and off are not being logged under ‘Sleep’ in Health app. Confused if this is something that Apple didn’t think about or am I doing something wrong?

 

[0128672]

There's a setting in Focus > Sleep that it turns on automatically with whatever you've set for Sleep Wind Down in the Health app. "Sleep Focus will automatically turn on at your Scheduled Wind Down."

Check those settings and then let it happen on its own instead of putting it to sleep manually. Maybe that will make a difference.

Track your sleep on Apple Watch and use Sleep on iPhone - Apple Support

Create personalized sleep schedules to help meet your sleep goals and improve your overall health.

support.apple.com

 

[AppleFan735]

There's a setting in Focus > Sleep that it turns on automatically with whatever you've set for Sleep Wind Down in the Health app. "Sleep Focus will automatically turn on at your Scheduled Wind Down."

Check those settings and then let it happen on its own instead of putting it to sleep manually. Maybe that will make a difference.

Track your sleep on Apple Watch and use Sleep on iPhone - Apple Support

Create personalized sleep schedules to help meet your sleep goals and improve your overall health.

support.apple.com

I find Sleep Schedule to be useless. It doesn’t work for me because sometimes I go to sleep at 10:30pm and sometimes at midnight. It really varies from day to day. Regardless if I actually go to bed an hour early or sleep an hour longer it will only log the hours that were pre-set in the Schedule which may or may not reflect your actual time in bed in any given day.

The most precise and reliable way to measure the hours in bed would be to manually toggle the phone in Sleep mode the moment your head hits the pillow and toggling it off when you wake up in the morning.. but to my surprise iPhone doesn’t record that interval in Health app at all. I can set up the Schedule but unless I stick with it like by the minute I will have no idea how long I actually slept.

 

[0128672]

I find Sleep Schedule to be useless. It doesn’t work for me because sometimes I go to sleep at 10:30pm and sometimes at midnight. It really varies from day to day. Regardless if I actually go to bed an hour early or sleep an hour longer it will only log the hours that were pre-set in the Schedule which may or may not reflect your actual time in bed in any given day.

The most precise and reliable way to measure the hours in bed would be to manually toggle the phone in Sleep mode the moment your head hits the pillow and toggling it off when you wake up in the morning.. but to my surprise iPhone doesn’t record that interval in Health app at all. I can set up the Schedule but unless I stick with it like by the minute I will have no idea how long I actually slept.

I wonder if using it with the Watch would work better for you, although that's an expensive solution if you don't already own one.

 

[AppleFan735]

I wonder if using it with the Watch would work better for you, although that's an expensive solution if you don't already own one.

Don’t own an Apple Watch but from reading the link you sent and what it says in the Heath app there are more features available if you pair it a watch (e.g. differentiating the time spent in bed vs time spent actually asleep), but it looks like it’s still predicated on setting up a Schedule to begin with, which in my opinion is just not flexible enough for everyday use for me.

Just surprised that Apple haven’t made it so when you toggle your phone is in Sleep mode it simply adds those hours to Sleep in Health app.. I think I will have to explore some 3rd party apps. A bit disappointing.

 

[0128672]

Don’t own an Apple Watch but from reading the link you sent and what it says in the Heath app there are more features available if you pair it a watch (e.g. differentiating the time spent in bed vs time spent actually asleep), but it looks like it’s still predicated on setting up a Schedule to begin with, which in my opinion is just not flexible enough for everyday use for me.

Just surprised that Apple haven’t made it so when you toggle your phone is in Sleep mode it simply adds those hours to Sleep in Health app.. I think I will have to explore some 3rd party apps. A bit disappointing.

If it really does work that way, I'd agree with you. I don't use it though (and also don't have a Watch). Having tried tracking my sleep in the past, for some reason knowing my sleep is being tracked makes me more anxious about getting a good night's sleep, and thus, slept worse than without tracking.

 

[now i see it]

^^ THAT^^

 

[Skosche3]

Using Apple Watch sleep tracking adds resting events as "In Bed" but doesn't seem to affect "Asleep" metrics. This includes moments while reading, watching tv, or resting calmly. This includes laying in bed before actually trying to go to sleep. This distorts 3rd party app metrics like LifeCycle since it sees all events as "Asleep" and can cause averages to be off by hours. 3rd party SleepCycle app tracks the desired sleep metric and syncs to Apple Health. The downside is it doesn't pick up shorter naps. I was hoping using "Sleep Focus" would add to the sleep metrics to capture an afternoon nap. The focus mode does not affect sleep metrics sadly.