To mark World Sleep Day 2026, a global study of Samsung Health users[2] is shedding new light on the true extent of the condition and the disruptive impact it has on individuals who suffer with sleep apnea. Aligned with this year’s World Sleep Day theme, “Sleep Well, Live Better,” Samsung is helping to turn the invisible signs of sleep apnea into actionable insights through its Galaxy Watch series, helping those affected improve their sleep habits and overall health.

Image: Infographic including all key data on impact of sleep apnea

How Does Sleep Apnea Impact Sleep?

The report found that 23% of study participants are at risk of sleep apnea.

“The microarousals and awakenings that follow breathing pauses fragment your sleep,” explains behavioral sleep scientist Dr. Vanessa Hill. “Those occurrences can prevent the brain from staying in the REM and deep sleep stages necessary for cognitive and physical restoration.”

The report shows these constant disruptions take a direct toll on sleep duration and quality, leading to:

• Reduced REM Sleep: Participants with moderate to severe sleep apnea indicators detected by their Galaxy Watch got around four minutes less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the phase where our brains process emotions, consolidate memories and cement learning. Without enough REM sleep, people can experience mood instability and memory problems, impacting performance at work and overall well-being.
• Less Deep Sleep: Sleep apnea also robs sufferers of deep sleep, approximately eight minutes less per night, on average. This is the body’s critical physical restoration phase, where the growth hormone is released, muscles are repaired, and your immune system is activated. Losing out on deep sleep is why sleep apnea sufferers may feel physically exhausted, have slower recovery times, and get sick more often.
• Frequent Nightly Awakenings: Study participants with signs of sleep apnea also woke up regularly during the night and stayed awake around four minutes longer. These interruptions derail the sleep cycle, locking individuals into lighter, less restorative stages and making next-day exhaustion inevitable, no matter how long the affected individual slept.
• Shorter Sleep Duration: Overall, people with a higher likelihood of sleep apnea averaged around 12 minutes less sleep. While this loss may seem minor, it can have a significant impact on overall sleep quality as your sleep cycle gets fragmented throughout the night.

Why It Matters: “Even a small loss in sleep duration is compounded by a larger loss of sleep quality,” said Dr. Hill. “This can be the difference between simply being ‘in bed’ and getting restorative rest, which could be why people feel so tired the next day.”

Dr. Hill also advocates a multidimensional approach to sleep health. “Sleep apnea affects many dimensions of sleep—duration, quality, sleep efficiency and even daytime fatigue,” she stated. “They together help determine our health and functioning.”

With sleep apnea shown to impact all aspects of sleep and lead to other health complications, detection is an essential first step in the fight against the condition.

How Does the Galaxy Watch Help Detect Sleep Apnea?

Image: UI of Sleep Apnea feature

For years, sleep apnea has been difficult to detect due to the need for inconvenient in-lab sleep studies. However, Samsung is now making at-home detection with a first-of-its-kind Sleep Apnea[3] feature on your Galaxy Watch.

• How It Works: Users simply track their sleep with a compatible Galaxy Watch[4] for more than four hours over two nights within a ten-day period. Available through the Samsung Health Monitor app, the Sleep Apnea feature enables users to proactively spot signs of the condition. Initially launched in Korea, the feature has received a Medical Device License from Health Canada as of September 2024 and is now available in 78 markets[5] worldwide and counting.
• The Technology: ). Leveraging the Galaxy Watch’s BioActive Sensor, the feature tracks blood oxygen levels to determine when the user stops breathing (apnea) or is not breathing at a sufficient level (hypopnea). Based on this data, the feature estimates the user’s Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), which indicates the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• From Awareness to Action: By detecting signs of sleep apnea early, the feature provides the data needed for an informed consultation with a medical professional. In addition to detecting the signs of sleep apnea, your Galaxy Watch can help you build habits for better holistic sleep health. Features include the Sleep Coaching[6] program for detailed analysis and tips on how to improve sleep quality and Bedtime Guidance,[7] which recommends your optimal bedtime to ensure you consistently get enough sleep.

“For years, the inconvenience of an in-lab clinical sleep study has been a barrier to diagnosing sleep apnea,” added Dr. Hill. “Wearable technology such as Galaxy Watch is a breakthrough because it democratizes that first step. It allows people to gather meaningful data from their own beds, providing a starting point for a conversation with a healthcare professional.”

Take Control of Your Night

A good night’s sleep is the first step toward a healthier, more energized life, and Samsung is here to help guide you. Samsung’s ecosystem offers end-to-end care, from detecting signs of sleep apnea on your Galaxy Watch to providing suggestions for building better holistic sleep health.to connecting you with professional advice through our health network.

Looking ahead, Samsung is constantly innovating and improving the Sleep Apnea feature to make it even more powerful with sharper insights. Prioritize your rest today to unlock a healthier tomorrow.

[1]“Obstructive Sleep Apnea National Indicator Report,” American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2023)

[2]Samsung Health users from the U.S., South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Chile, South Africa, and the Philippines participated in the study from January–June 2025.

[3]The Sleep Apnea Feature is an over-the-counter (OTC) software-only, mobile medical application operating on a compatible Samsung Galaxy Watch and Phone. It is intended for on-demand use, to detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in the form of significant breathing disruptions over a two-night monitoring period. Not intended for use by people under 22 years or, or who have previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea, are pregnant, or have any of the following conditions: Parkinson’s, tremor, Periodic Leg Movement During Sleep, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or pulmonary fibrosis. Users should not interpret or take clinical action based on the device output without consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. Not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment, and the data provided by this feature is not intended to assist clinicians in diagnosing sleep disorders. Results displayed are for informational purposes only. Please consult a medical professional for advice. UI may vary depending on the software version, country, or region. For full terms and conditions of use, please refer to the Instructions for Use on your device. Sleep Apnea feature has received a Medical Device License from Health Canada as of September 2024.

[4]Availability may vary by market, carrier, model, or a paired smartphone. Available on Galaxy Watch4 series and later models. The watch requires the Wear OS 5.0 version or later and must be paired with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone with Android 12.0 or later.

[5]Supported markets include Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norfolk Island, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Réunion, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen.

[6]Required Samsung Health application version 6.24 or later. Samsung account login required. Sleep coaching requires sleep data for at least 7 days. Intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or diseases. The measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

[7]Bedtime guidance is available on Android phone (Android 10 or above) and requires Samsung Health app (v6.30 or later). Samsung account login required. Bedtime guidance is based on 3 days of sleep analysis of user’s sleep patterns. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or diseases. The measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

There’s a reason we sleep for approximately a third of our lives – sleep enables our bodies and minds to recover, and a lack of it reduces our ability to perform well and think clearly. Yet for many, achieving good sleep quality is a challenge that has only gotten more difficult over the past few years. That’s why Samsung is bringing sleep to the forefront by recognizing that quality sleep is foundational to our holistic health and drawing attention to the importance of healthy sleeping habits worldwide.

Samsung wants to help people optimize their nights like they do their days through innovative technologies like Galaxy Watch5 series. As sleep monitoring emerges as a wellness trend, already approximately 50% of Galaxy Watch users track their sleep patterns at least once a week, with 40% of them doing so more than three times a week[1]. This helps build good habits, since once you better understand your sleep patterns, it becomes easier to improve and maintain them, leading to a better night’s sleep.

To celebrate World Sleep Day on March 17^th, as well as Sleep Awareness Week® by the National Sleep Foundation, Samsung is sharing useful tips for achieving a good night’s sleep.

Understand Your Sleep Pattern to Build Better Habits

As everyone’s sleep pattern is different, it’s important to learn what’s unique about yours, and Samsung has made tracking and understanding that easy. Take Galaxy Watch’s BioActive Sensor[2]. It monitors your unique sleeping patterns – whether you are awake, when you achieve deep sleep, and your blood oxygen level, for example – and presents the results to you the next morning in the Samsung Health app in a user-friendly, easy-to-understand way.

But tracking isn’t enough by itself – establishing good habits is equally important, and Samsung makes it easy with Sleep Coaching. It uses a personally tailored month-long program that tracks your sleep pattern over seven days, and then assigns one of eight sleep symbol animals to represent it. Sleep Coaching then sets you on a path to establish better habits and routines to help you achieve a good night’s sleep more consistently. It keeps track of your daily activities and then gives tips and guidance to better manage them in a variety of different ways, from exercise and nutrition to mindfulness and wellness monitoring.

Create a Sleep-friendly Environment

Even our sleep environment matters, and seemingly small things like screen lights or room temperature can impact the quality of our sleep. Reduce distractions from your mobile devices by automatically syncing Sleep Mode between your Galaxy smartphone and Galaxy Watch to mute notifications and change the phone background to grayscale. You can also turn off Always On Display and ensure your Galaxy Watch will not activate when you touch the display or move your wrist.

And when it comes to connected home devices, SmartThings lets you control a wide range of compatible smart home products manufactured by Samsung and its partners. Galaxy Watch can also track when you fall asleep each night and automatically close bedroom blinds or turn off lights and the air conditioner.

With a better understanding of your sleep patterns, you can set positive habits to achieve better sleep and make a positive impact on your overall wellness. Samsung is committed to continue enhancing our unique wellness experiences with solutions centered on sleep. Ongoing strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including the National Sleep Foundation, will continue to deliver on Samsung’s holistic sleep vision, offering intuitive and actionable insights to help everyone achieve their wellness goals.

To learn more about the Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro please visit:

Galaxy Watch5: www.samsung.com/galaxy-watch5
Galaxy Watch5 Pro: www.samsung.com/galaxy-watch5-pro

[1] Based on Samsung Health weekly active users with Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch5.

[2] BioActive Sensor is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease. Intended for general wellness purposes only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.