Apple Watch sleep apnea alert led veteran to diagnosis, Military.com reports

Aladejobi initially brushed off the notification, according to the report. After thinking about his snoring, he contacted his doctor and sent 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 told 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, Military.com reported. Aladejobi said his doctor told him that undiagnosed sleep apnea, if not treated, can lead to death or other health problems such as high blood pressure. “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?” he said.

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, according to Apple. 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 have not already been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Apple says the notification is not a diagnosis. In Aladejobi’s case, it provided a reason to contact a doctor about symptoms and potentially get treatment for an otherwise unknown condition. The possible sleep apnea notifications work with Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later.