Air Force veteran David Aladejobi did not think much of the notification when his Apple Watch buzzed with a health warning. The 38-year-old was used to checking the time or paying for groceries with the device. But this small alert eventually led him to a doctor, where he discovered a serious, undiagnosed health condition hiding in his sleep.
The watch detects breathing problems while you sleep
Aladejobi received an alert suggesting he might have sleep apnea. At first, he brushed it off. However, after remembering his recent snoring and dealing with unexplained headaches, he decided to reach out to his doctor. He sent a screenshot of the alert from his Apple Watch Ultra, which prompted his medical provider to send him to a sleep lab for formal testing.
The tests confirmed he had sleep apnea, a condition where a person stops breathing repeatedly through the night. Left untreated, his doctor warned that the condition could lead to high blood pressure or even death. Aladejobi now uses a CPAP machine to help regulate his breathing overnight. He credits the simple device already on his wrist for pushing him to get the help he needed.
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How the sleep tracking feature identifies warning signs
Apple uses the built-in accelerometer on compatible watches to look for breathing disturbances. If a person wears the watch to bed for at least 10 nights within a 30-day period, it evaluates the data. When it spots consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, it sends a notification urging the user to speak with a healthcare provider.
The feature is currently supported on the Apple Watch Series 9 or newer, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer, and the Apple Watch SE 3. While the watch itself cannot officially diagnose a medical condition, its ability to flag potential problems is proving vital. For veterans like Aladejobi, whose sleep schedule was disrupted by years of military training, this small piece of technology turned out to be a life-saving tool.
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