It’s not a stretch to say that the Apple Watch Series 10 has been life-changing for me. No, this isn’t a sponsored post, and no, I’m not being hyperbolic. That’s because the smartwatch helped diagnose me with obstructive sleep apnea — a respiratory condition in which you have repeated breathing disturbances during sleep — earlier this year.
Originally, I just wanted a new Apple Watch because I had cracked my old SE at the gym, and thankfully, my colleague, Brad Bennett, had just finished reviewing the Series 10 and was able to give me that unit. I’ve been an iPhone user ever since I had to retire my BlackBerry Curve (RIP, sweet prince), so I knew I wanted another Apple Watch, but I would have been happy with any model, really. But as it would happen, any Apple Watch Series 9 and up supports the unique sleep apnea notifications feature, which ended up being a big deal for me. Since this was already there among the Apple Watch’s other health features, I figured I’d give it a shot, and boy, I’m glad I did.
The Apple Watch feature works by tracking your breathing as you sleep for signs of sleep apnea. To do this, the watch uses its accelerometer to detect small movements that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns. Since it’s common to have the occasional sleep disturbance, the Apple Watch will study your behaviour every night for recurring disturbances. All the while, this will be saved in the corresponding Health app on your iPhone.
After 30 days, it will analyze the collected data and notify you via the Health app if there are consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. Of course, Apple notes that the watch isn’t meant to be a replacement for actual medical treatment, and so you’ll next be advised to check with your doctor. To help with that, the app even gives you the handy option to export a chart of your breathing disturbances to show a medical professional.
This sort of feature is especially important because, as Apple notes, 80 per cent of people with sleep apnea are undiagnosed. If untreated, the disorder can result in the likes of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and cardiac issues. It was pretty eye-opening even for someone like me who was aware of sleep apnea due to my grandfather having it. I think because of that, I rather naively assumed this was only an issue for seniors — or, at least, people older than me. (For context, I was just shy of 30 when I started using the watch late last year.) In other words, it was great to have this Health Canada-backed feature giving me a heads-up.
And so, I made an appointment with my doctor and, after a sleep test in Toronto, I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. This means that I need to use a BIPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which is more intensive than the CPAP system you’ve probably heard of, since it uses different pressure levels for inhalation and exhalation.
Admittedly, it’s been a tricky adjustment period. As someone who’s always slept on his stomach, having to suddenly go on my back and wear a nasal mask that blows varying levels of air pressure into my nose is jarring, to say the least. There are several instances where I just didn’t want to use it or, in a sleepy comatose state, have unknowingly ripped off the mask in the middle of the night. I’m also aware that I’m pretty overweight, and shedding some pounds will also help with the sleep apnea. (It should be noted, though, that thin people can also have sleep apnea.) But ultimately, that’s all to be expected and unrelated to the Apple Watch itself.
The important thing, ultimately, is that the smartwatch got me on the path to getting healthier in the first place. I had originally just intended it to help hold me more accountable for exercise, as the gamification of “closing your rings” certainly helps, even if it’s just encouraging me to walk more. But the watch also helping identify sleep apnea is even more important, as I could very well have gone undiagnosed for a while longer. Seeing how it’s given my grandfather heart problems, which were no doubt compounded by years of not being diagnosed, it’s reassuring to know that I’m already taking preemptive steps decades earlier.
And best of all, I’ve already seen some benefits. Outside of the longer-lasting effects of sleep apnea, one of the more immediate symptoms is fatigue. Over the past year, I’d started to realize that I would often get sleepy and almost nod off during the day. This was especially noticeable during one of my favourite hobbies, going to the movie theatre, which I generally do at least a few times a week. Within the cool, dark and quiet interiors, I would sometimes struggle to stay awake when I’d otherwise have been locked in. Obviously, that’s not ideal. But after using the BIPAP machine, I don’t have that fatigue, which is wonderful.
Again, this is only the beginning. I have to continue to be consistent with using the BIPAP machine and, more importantly, be better with my exercise and eating. But I’m really happy that I’ve made these first steps already, and I have to credit the Apple Watch for getting me started. Now, if you need me, I’ll be off closing some rings.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.