Sleep apnea is a condition that affects millions, but getting a diagnosis seems like another story. Imagine spending the entire night in a sleep lab, connected to a bunch of wires, at the same time trying to sleep in an unfamiliar bed sounds like a nightmare itself. This might also be reasons  people being reluctant to get tested.

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     Interestingly, what if your smartwatch could do the hard work for you? Researchers found that some wearable devices, something that people consider essential in their daily lives, can actually measure blood oxygen levels (SpO2) during sleep—with pretty accurately data. In fact, some wearable devices can detect hypoxic events during sleep with up to 86% accuracy, also screen for moderate-to-severe sleep apnea conditions. This means a simple wrist gadget could potentially replace inconvenient and expensive sleep test, helping you on the screen of sleep apnea. (Note: Medical Scenarios of Wearable Technology for Sleep Disorders . Task Force of  ISSTA Global Policy and Regulation Committee: https://www.isstasleep.org/about-1-1)

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     Data shows that about 21% of Americans wear smartwatches. Now, imagine if we could leverage these familiar devices that are already part of our daily lives to conduct preliminary screenings for sleep apnea. Although some data from the watch wasn’t that perfect (it was reliable only about 47.7% of the time), it’s still a significant step forward in wearable technology.

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     With the advancement of technology, sleep disorders diagnostics is gradually further from the need to spend a night in a sleep center. Instead, multi-night monitoring in one's own familiar bed comfortably may become the new norm. As these wearable devices get smarter, they could become important tools for the early detection of sleep disorders, helping people improve their quality of life and become healthier.