Sleep race

Just as we were putting the final touches on the October issue, Apple announced that its new smartwatch would include a sleep apnea feature. 

We were expecting this. Earlier this year, Samsung Electronics announced that the sleep apnea feature on the Samsung Health Monitor app had received de novo authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and everyone expected that Apple and Google were not far behind. 

Following Samsung’s announcement, a consistent topic of conversation during earnings calls hosted by ResMed has been the expected positive impact of smartwatches on the number of people being diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea. In one of those calls in April, CEO Mick Farrell said smartwatches will be a “higher tidal wave” than the much-talked about GLP-1 drugs. 

The day Apple announced its news, Farrell posted to X: 

Great to see Apple Watch Series 10 with sleep apnea detection capability! Latest epidemiology data show that 1 billion people world-wide suffer from sleep suffocation aka sleep apnea… let’s help them all find a way to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management!  

But the sleep race doesn’t stop there. 

The same week Apple announced its news, we also got word from Withings that its Sleep Rx Mat, which is placed underneath a mattress to provide detailed analysis of sleep, breathing and cardiovascular activity throughout the night, has received clearance from the FDA. 

For the October issue, we also got the word out about ReactDx’s new NiteWatch, a home sleep testing device that has the look, feel and convenience of a wearable but is clinically validated and supported by a roadmap for treatment, says George Koos, vice president of product and strategy. 

When I interviewed Koos, he said: “We’ve found that many providers have customers coming to them and saying I want a sleep test. The industry needs to meet patients where they are.”   

Last time I checked, we all end up in a bed, sleeping, one way or another.