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 your sleep. Aligned with this year’s World Sleep Day theme, “Sleep Well, Live Better,” Samsung is turning the invisible signs of sleep apnoea into actionable insights through its Galaxy Watch series, helping those affected improve their sleep habits and overall health.

Infographic including all key data on impact of sleep apnoea

How Does Sleep Apnoea Impact Your Sleep?

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

“The microarousals and awakenings that follow breathing pauses fragment your sleep,” explains behavioural 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 apnoea 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 of it, people can experience mood instability and memory problems, impacting performance at work and overall well-being.
• Less Deep Sleep: Sleep apnoea also robs sufferers of deep sleep, approximately eight minutes less per night, on average. This is the body’s critical physical restoration phase, where growth hormone is released, muscles are repaired, and your immune system is activated. Losing out on deep sleep is why you may feel physically exhausted, have slower recovery times, and get sick more often.
• Frequent Nightly Awakenings: Study participants with signs of sleep apnoea also woke up regularly during the night and stayed awake around four minutes longer. These interruptions derail the sleep cycle, locking you into lighter, less restorative stages and making next-day exhaustion inevitable, no matter how long you slept.
• Shorter Sleep Duration: Overall, people with a higher likelihood of sleep apnoea 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 apnoea 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 apnoea 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 Galaxy Watch Help Detect Signs of Moderate to Severe Sleep Apnoea?

For years, sleep apnoea has been difficult to detect due to the need for inconvenient hospital tests. However, Samsung offers at-home detection with a first-of-its-kind^[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^[5], the Sleep Apnoea feature enables users to proactively spot signs of the condition. Initially launched in Korea, the feature has since received De Novo authorisation from the U.S. FDA and is now available in 78 markets worldwide, including the UK, and counting.
• The Technology: Leveraging the Galaxy Watch’s BioActive Sensor, the feature tracks blood oxygen levels to determine when the user stops breathing (apnoea) or is not breathing enough (hypopnea). Based on this data, the feature estimates the user’s Apnoea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), which indicates the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
• From Awareness to Action: By detecting signs of sleep apnoea early, the feature provides the data needed for an informed consultation with a medical professional. In addition to tackling sleep apnoea, your Galaxy Watch can help you build habits for better holistic sleep health. Features include the Sleep Coaching program for detailed analysis and tips on how to improve sleep quality and Bedtime Guidance,^[6] 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 apnoea,” added Dr. Hill. “Wearable technology such as Galaxy Watch is a breakthrough because it democratises 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 energised life, and Samsung is here to guide you. Samsung’s ecosystem offers end-to-end care, from detecting signs of sleep apnoea on your Galaxy Watch to providing suggestions to receive professional adviceto connecting you with professional advice through our health network.

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

[1] Obstructive Sleep Apnoea 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] Requires a Galaxy smartphone running Android 12 or above. Do not use feature if you are pregnant or have previously been diagnosed with sleep apnoea. 22 years+ only. Intended to detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea over a two-night period. Feature will not detect central sleep apnoea. Does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

[4] 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] Samsung Health features are intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or sleep disorder. The measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice. Samsung account login required. Vascular Load, Running Coach and Antioxidant Index are available on Android phones (Android 10 or above) and requires the Samsung Health app (v6.30.2 or later). Vascular Load and Antioxidant index are Labs features that you can preview before its official launch. If you don’t want to use these experimental features, you can turn them off in Samsung Health settings.

[6] Bedtime guidance is available on Android phone (Android 11 and above) requires Samsung Health app (v6.30.2 or later). It is based on 3 days of sleep analysis of user’s circadian rhythm and sleep pressure.

London, UK – 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 is a challenge that has only got worse over the past few years. That’s why Samsung is bringing sleep to the forefront by recognising 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 optimise their nights like they do their days through innovative technologies like Galaxy Watch5 series. As sleep monitoring emerges as a health 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 healthier night’s sleep.

To celebrate World Sleep Day on March 17, as well as Sleep Awareness Week® by the National Sleep Foundation, Samsung is sharing useful tips for achieving a good night’s sleep^[2].

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. 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 set healthy 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, from exercise and nutrition to mindfulness and health monitoring.

Create a Sleep-friendly Environment

Even our sleep environment matters, and seemingly small things like screen light or room temperature can impact our sleep. Reduce distractions from your mobile devices by automatically syncing Sleep Mode between your Galaxy smartphone and Watch to mute notifications and change the phone background to grayscale. It also turns off Always On Display and ensures 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 smart home products manufactured by both Samsung and 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 health experiences with solutions centred in sleep. Ongoing strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including the National Sleep Foundation, will continue to deliver on Samsung’s holistic sleep vision, offering even more 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] Availability may vary depending on model and the paired smartphone.