watchOS 11 Supports Automatic Nap Detection

watchOS 11 appears to include a new feature that allows an Apple Watch to automatically detect and record when you're taking a nap. As shared on Reddit, an Apple Watch owner took a nap and was able to see the sleep data recorded in the Health app, despite not putting the device in Sleep Mode.

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Right now, the Apple Watch only tracks and records sleep when it is in Sleep Mode, and there is no support for tracking naps.

The change should allow an Apple Watch running ‌watchOS 11‌ to record and include a nap in the Sleep section of the Health app, and it may also support automatic sleep tracking even when Sleep Mode isn't activated. Nap tracking has long felt like a missing feature from the Apple Watch, and this will be a welcome feature for those who supplement sleep with naps.

apple watch nap tracking watchos 11

Image via Reddit

Apple did not mention a change to the Sleep app in its preview information for ‌watchOS 11‌, and the only mention of sleep is related to the new Vitals app, which collects data for your health metrics during sleep in order to populate a typical range feature.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

boss.king Avatar
9 months ago
Great that it's finally here. Not great that it took almost a decade to arrive.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
breenmask Avatar
9 months ago
greatly needed whenever an apple exec says "let me show you a demo"
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tolkientosh Avatar
9 months ago
Between this and being able to pause your rings it looks like Apple is finally (?) acknowledging that rest is good for you.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boss.king Avatar
9 months ago

So if you use the watch for sleep tracking, nap tracking, workout tracking, alarms, timers, fall detection, and whatnot else, when do you charge it?
When you're showering, when you're at your desk, when you're watching TV, when you get into bed, etc. There are plenty of opportunities to charge it throughout the day, and it doesn't take very long.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
9 months ago
Now all I need is a nap ring that I can work on completing each day.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dzankizakon Avatar
9 months ago
My Apple Watch 8 only counts sleep times once a day.. I sometimes take my kid to school and go back to bed and sleep for another 2 hours (and put the phone in Sleep mode), but those aren't shown in the Health app. I'd love if they fixed that first.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)