If you have a newer model of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, did you know you can use the Samsung Health app as a tool to monitor your sleep apnea? Though this tool is not meant for treatment, the Samsung sleep apnea detection feature can help identify early signs of moderate to obstructive sleep apnea.
There are distinct sleep monitor differences between the Fitbit and the Oura Ring, but to fully understand how they compare to the Samsung Health app, you need to understand how each of them works.
How Samsung Health Works
If you find yourself waking up, gasping for air, or choking on your own breath while you sleep, it may be worth using the Samsung Health app to see if you may have any symptoms that point to sleep apnea. Your doctor will know how to monitor sleep apnea best, but if you want to try and collect trends and data yourself, this can be a good option to provide additional data on top of the testing that your doctor does that you can share with them.
Here’s how the sleep apnea detection feature works:
- The first step is a no-brainer–make sure you have the Samsung Health app installed on your watch and your smart phone.
- Enable the sleep apnea feature.
- For best results, make sure your watch fits snuggly on your wrist. You’ll need to wear it for two nights to collect enough data.
- No booze before you snooze! Drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking sleep medication can mess with the accuracy of your results.
- The sleep apnea feature turns off on its own after two nights. Then, your results are ready to go, and you can view them on your phone.
Benefits of Wearable Tech
Wearable tech, like Samsung’s sleep apnea monitor, can make keeping tabs on your sleep health much easier than sleeping in a sleep lab every night for the rest of your life. Always schedule an appointment with your doctor and until you’re able to get in to see them, you can start using these gadgets to gather more information to share with them.
These devices can also give you real-time information on things like your sleep patterns, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels, which is great information to trend with time, especially if they say you aren’t ready for a full sleep study. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking this information can provide you with a full diagnosis because only a medical provider and appropriate testing can do so.
After all, these machines are just pieces of technology, not medical professionals. If your results skew towards sleep apnea trends, make an appointment to chat with your doctor and schedule that sleep study so you can find out what recommended treatment plans they have for you.
Sleep Apnea Post-Diagnosis
After you’ve been formally diagnosed, treatment plans can vary from person to person, so find out from your medical provider what they recommend. You might be prescribed a CPAP machine. Some people find CPAPs tolerable and even life changing. Other people don’t tolerate it due to difficulty sleeping with a bulky machine strapped to the face, other sleep apnea machine side effects can include dryness in the nose and throat, skin irritation from the mask, or some discomfort from the added pressure. So overall results can vary.
At Optimal Circadian Health, we believe it’s important no matter what treatment route you choose, to learn how to support better breathing patterns and sleep. This can include introducing new breathing exercises into your daily routine, supporting the body with nutritious foods, cleaning up your environment, or resetting your nervous system. Our book, Sleep Apnea Solution, has resources for all of these things and more. Give it a read if you’re looking to learn how to support breathing naturally!
