For a few years now, Apple has offered Apple Watch users a sleep track record. By setting the Sleep Focus mode on, the wearable will track your sleep data, including the sleep stages, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
However, it doesn’t mean much for most people, as the maximum they will receive is “You achieved your sleep goal,” or maybe they’ll just discover they’re falling behind the minimum amount of sleep they need. With watchOS 11, Apple introduced the Vitals app, a more intuitive way to understand this data, and even combine with Training Loads.
Still, the company has continued to be very conservative with that approach, as it only tells if your metrics are below, above, or in your typical pattern when taking into account the past week. That said, it seems watchOS 26 might change that, as the latest beta revealed Apple is working on a sleep core feature for Apple Watch users.
Apple Watch might add a sleep score feature
According to code found in iOS 26 by MacRumors, the Health app is hiding an Apple Watch with an “84” on it alongside three bars that could represent time awake, REM sleep, and core or deep sleep. While the code also features a few other icons related to the Sleep mode, the publication was also able to find the name of this image: “Watch Focus Score.” At this moment, it’s unclear if Apple is planning to release this functionality with watchOS 26 later this fall or if this could be a new feature coming with watchOS 26.1 or beyond.
Unlike in previous years, Apple has focused on announcing features it’s intending to launch alongside the first official release of its software. With that in mind, we don’t know what the company might be hiding for iOS 26.1 and so on. That said, if you want a good reason to start sleeping with your Apple Watch on, you should try Gentler Streak. One of BGR’s favorite apps, Gentler Streak uses your sleep data to predict your readiness for the day ahead of you and how exercising could impact your body (whether you should aim for a more intense workout or rest instead).
This new Sleep Score feature could also get even better depending on the sensors Apple is planning to improve or implement in the Apple Watch Series 11, even though the long-rumored Apple Ring would be the ultimate Apple sleep tracker. Sadly, there’s no indication that Apple has any plans to release a smart ring in the near future.