Apple Watch 5 could finally see sleep tracking come to Apple's smartwatches

It looks like the Apple Watch 5, the upcoming smartwatch from Apple that we're expecting to see launch on September 10, could be the first Apple Watch to have a feature that's arguably vital in a wearable – sleep tracking.

That's according to 9to5Mac, which heard from its sources all about 'Time in Bed Tracking' (TiBT), which is apparently Apple's name for a sleep tracking app that could come in the Apple Watch 5. It's worth pointing out that 9to5Mac's sources are generally trustworthy, which lends credence to this leak.

According to the sources, TiBT uses sensors to monitor quality of sleep, including heart rate, motion and noises made during the night. The app can tell if you get up before your alarm, and so will deactivate the ringer, and you can also set an alarm to go off only on the Apple Watch 5 if you don't want to wake up anyone else.

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These are all useful features of a wearable that's got health in mind, because quality of sleep has a knock-on effect with general physical and mental health.

If these new features don't sound exactly groundbreaking, it's because most other wearables already have sleep tracking to some degree, from the affordable Xiaomi Mi Band 4 to the Apple Watch's closest competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Previously, you could download Apple Watch sleep tracking apps, but it wasn't a function built into the wearables, which looks set to change now.

If sleep tracking is a built-in function of the Apple Watch 5, and works directly with the Health app, it will likely be a more streamlined and reliable way of counting sheep than using a third-party app.

We'll have to wait until the Apple Watch 5 launches to find out for sure if sleep tracking is a new feature, but that likely won't be long – we're expecting to see it alongside the iPhone 11, which is being launched on September 10.

Stay tuned to TechRadar then as we examine all the announcements, helping you understand Apple's new roster of phones as well as other products like the Apple Watch 5 and iOS 13.