Best Smartwatches for Sleep Apnea: Which One Helps You Breathe Easier at Night?

The Apple Watch Series Ultra 2 is a beast. A rugged, high-end smartwatch that’s packed with sensors. For sleep, it tracks standard metrics (time asleep, sleep stages, etc.), and since 2024 it can even screen for sleep apnea. Moreover, Apple’s Health app monitors your blood-oxygen and motion while you sleep and uses the accelerometer to detect breathing interruptions. If enough of these “breathing disturbance” events stack up, the watch will notify you of possible sleep apnea. (Note: this isn’t an official diagnosis, and you can't diagnose sleep apnea with 100% accuracy. It is just a prompt to schedule a sleep test with your doctor.)

• Terrific performance and build quality.
• Integrates seamlessly with Apple Health like other Apple watch models.
• Long battery (up to ~36 hours or 2–3 days on a charge).
• High accuracy in tracking health metrics.

• Very expensive (~$800+).
• Bulky for regular use.
• Works only with iPhone, which is expected for an exclusive brand like Apple.
• Sleep Apnea alerts are not FDA‑approved medical sleep apnea diagnoses.

A (top‑tier hardware and features, but pricey and iOS‑only)

The Withings ScanWatch 2 is a hybrid analog smartwatch. It looks like a classy traditional watch but has a tiny OLED display and serious health tech inside. Battery life is phenomenal (about 30 days between charges). It continuously measures heart rate, ECG, and blood oxygen. For sleep, it tracks light/deep sleep and interruptions, and even offers a special Respiratory Scan mode. In practice, ScanWatch 2 will analyze your overnight blood-oxygen levels and movement to point out potential apnea episodes.

• Elegant look (fits in at a business meeting),
• Very long battery (around a month),
• Comfortable and lightweight.
• 24/7 health tracking (ECG and SpO₂).
• High-quality build.

• Quite expensive (~$370).
• Tiny OLED screen and limited smart features (no built-in GPS).
• Requires Withings Health Mate app, which pairs with Withings Sleep devices.
• Breathing-disturbance alerts are informative but not a replacement for at home sleep test or lab-based sleep study.

Garmin’s Venu 3 is a fitness-forward AMOLED touchscreen watch with surprisingly powerful sleep health analytics. Like most Garmins, it’s athletic-looking but also quite sleek. New for Venu 3 is a Sleep Coach feature and nap detection. The watch automatically detects naps and includes them in your hours of sleep totals, making it a standout sleep tracker on this list. It also tracks heart rate variability (HRV) at night for a “Body Battery” score. Importantly for apnea tracking, the Venu 3’s multisensor array measures SpO₂ and even breathing rate (derived from the optical heart-rate sensor) all night. You can view nightly SpO₂ and breathing trends in Garmin Connect. Battery life is also stellar with up to 14 days of normal use. Garmin’s best sleep tracker reliably logs when you fall asleep and wake up, making it a deal for those who want to track their sleep precisely. It also estimates how long you spent in different types of sleep like REM, deep, and light stages. It is helpfull if you're spending less time in deep sleep than recommended. 

The Fitbit Sense 2 is a health-focused smartwatch, perfect if you want a sleep tracker that’s as much about wellness as it is about numbers. It records your sleep stages and gives a Sleep Score each morning that blends total sleep time with time in deep/REM and a “restoration” (HRV-based) metric. It also introduced a very useful “Sleep Profile”. Sense 2 has an SpO₂ sensor and will log overnight blood-oxygen trends. The built-in microphone and Fitbit app can optionally record snoring sounds while you sleep. The watch also shows ECG, stress (EDA scan), and skin temperature. Battery life is strong (up to 5–6 days between charges).

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 are polished smartwatches with new sleep apnea feature enhancements. They now track your overnight skin temperature, sleep consistency, and even detect snoring via the watch’s microphone and Samsung Health app. The sleep summary is very visual, including a cute “sleep animal” icon (yes, a unicorn or penguin might represent your sleep type). It also shows sleep score, total sleep, stages, O₂ levels, temperature, and consistency each day. Best of all, Samsung was the first to receive FDA clearance for Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRN) feature, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra offering these features in an even more, premium package. The Watch 6 (using the Samsung Health Monitor app on a paired phone) measures blood oxygen via its BioActive Sensor and spots breathing interruptions overnight. If it finds many apnea-like events, possible symptoms of sleep apnea, it flags an alert telling you to get tested.

So far we’ve looked at smartwatches that monitor sleep and track patterns, which can be useful if you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea. But what if you want something that actively reduces snoring? Enter VitalSleep, a popular anti-snoring mouthpiece you can wear at night. Unlike sleep monitoring devices such as a smartwatch, VitalSleep doesn’t collect data—it takes action.

VitalSleep is a FDA-cleared mandibular advancement device designed to treat snoring at its source. Instead of monitoring snore stats, it mechanically improves airflow while you sleep.

Here’s what makes it a strong contender:

• Custom fit: It uses a boil-and-bite process to mold perfectly to your teeth.
• Adjustable design: The patented Accu-Adjust™ system allows you to move your jaw forward in 1 mm increments, up to 8 mm.
• No batteries, no apps: Completely non-electric, it works silently — and won’t die on a red-eye flight.
• Made in the USA: BPA-free, latex-free, and built with medical-grade materials.
• Budget-friendly: Priced around $70–$129, it’s often less than one-third the cost of a smartwatch.

If your smartwatch has been hinting at sleep disturbances, VitalSleep can help tackle the issue head-on. By gently shifting the lower jaw forward, VitalSleep keeps your airway open, helping you get through a full night of sleep with fewer interruptions. This significantly reduces snoring and manages mild sleep disorder. This approach can be especially helpful for people with mild obstructive sleep apnea, though it’s not intended for moderate to severe sleep apnea.

User report include:

• Fewer nighttime awakenings
• Less snoring within days of use
• Better quality of sleep (for them and their bed partners)
• A quieter sleep experience, that can greatly reduce poor sleep quality.

Since there’s no need to charge or sync it, VitalSleep also shines as a travel solution. It fits in your carry-on, requires zero setup, and is always ready for action even in a tent, hotel, or snore-prone Airbnb.

With so many options, picking the right device for sleep apnea screening comes down to your priorities:

The importance of sleep is clear; sleep apnea doesn’t have to leave you exhausted and frustrated. With tools like the Best Smartwatches for Sleep Apnea to clever gadgets like VitalSleep, you can shine a light on your nights and even quiet those snores. Smartwatches monitor your SpO₂, heart rate, and breathing trends as users track their sleep. While VitalSleep and similar mouthpieces give you action. By using the right combination, you’ll wake up understanding your sleep better and feeling more rested. We wish you great, snoreless sleep each night. Happy dreaming!