Apple's sleep apnea notifications and hearing test features are now available in India

Sleep apnea notifications and hearing test features are expanding to India. Sleep apnea involves breathing interruptions during sleep that reduce oxygen intake and can increase risks such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiac issues. Apple Watch detects signs of sleep apnea using Breathing Disturbances, which analyzes wrist movement patterns from the accelerometer. Data is reviewed every 30 days, and notifications are sent when consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea are detected, prompting users to consult a doctor. Breathing Disturbances can also reflect sleep restfulness and may be affected by alcohol, medications, and sleep position. Hearing tests require AirPods Pro 2 or Pro 3 with updated firmware and an iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later. The test uses pure-tone audiometry, takes about five minutes, and provides an audiogram, hearing loss numbers, classification, and recommendations stored securely in the Health app.

"Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person's breathing momentarily stops during sleep, preventing the body from getting enough oxygen. If left untreated, it can lead to health consequences over time, including increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiac issues."

"Apple Watch helps its users detect signs of sleep apnea. It's done with the help of an Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances, which uses the smartwatch's accelerometer to detect small movements at the wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep."

"Apple Watch analyzes breathing disturbance data every 30 days and notifies users if it detects consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, so they can consult their doctor about next steps and treatment. Apple says Breathing Disturbances can also be used to assess restfulness of sleep, and notes that the metric can be influenced by alcohol, medications, sleep position, and more."

"Apple's hearing test feature requires AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3, updated to the latest firmware, and paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later. Apple claims its hearing test is clinical-grade and based on the standard clinical approach, pure-tone audiometry, which users can take with their AirPods Pro at home."

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