Apple’s wearable could soon take a major leap forward in health tracking. A new study led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggests that the Apple Watch might soon deliver sleep assessments that resemble those performed in clinical sleep laboratories. Using advanced algorithms, the team developed an experimental app capable of analyzing heart rate and motion data from the watch to estimate detailed sleep stages — including light, deep, and REM sleep — with accuracy that surpasses most consumer wearables available today.
The research project, known as BIDSleep, achieved an overall accuracy rate of about 71% in correctly identifying sleep stages. While that still falls short of the gold-standard polysomnography used in hospitals, it represents a significant step toward bringing professional-level sleep monitoring to everyday users. The app uses artificial intelligence models trained on large datasets to interpret subtle physiological signals, turning the Apple Watch into a more precise wellness tool.
Experts say this kind of progress could reshape how people track and understand their rest. Poor sleep has been linked to heart disease, anxiety, and cognitive decline, but many individuals never undergo formal sleep evaluations due to cost or inconvenience. A reliable wrist-based option could change that — offering continuous insights over weeks or months, instead of the single-night snapshots produced in clinics.
Despite the promise, researchers emphasize that this technology remains in the experimental phase. Real-world testing on larger and more diverse groups is still needed, especially among people with existing sleep disorders. Apple itself has not yet announced plans to integrate BIDSleep’s methods into watchOS, but the findings align with the company’s growing interest in advanced health tracking, including oxygen monitoring, stress detection, and irregular rhythm alerts.
If eventually adopted, Apple’s wearable could evolve from a simple sleep-duration tracker to a digital sleep technician — helping users and doctors detect early signs of disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea without stepping into a lab.
