Even though my Apple Watch reports I get around 90 minutes of deep sleep each night, two sleep doctors had unexpectedly reassuring insights about whether that’s enough. In the end, they stress focusing on a specific measurement that might matter more than we realize.
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According to my Apple Watch sleep score I’m only getting around 90 minutes of deep sleep a night — I asked two doctors if this is enough and their answers surprised me
Photo by Tom's Guide
Key Takeaways:
- The featured individual’s Apple Watch shows about 90 minutes of deep sleep per night.
- Two sleep doctors provided professional perspectives on whether this is sufficient.
- Deep sleep plays a critical role in physical and mental recovery.
- A specific Apple Watch metric—described as the “real number”—may be the most important.
- Experts’ answers ended up surprising the individual, challenging common assumptions.
A Look at One Person’s Deep Sleep
Many of us check our smartwatches every morning to see how well we’ve slept. For someone tracking sleep with an Apple Watch, the device’s data showed only around 90 minutes of deep sleep each night—a number that might raise concerns.
Why Deep Sleep Matters
Sleep researchers and medical professionals often single out deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, as vital for the restoration of both body and mind. This stage of sleep helps bolster immune function, consolidate memory, and regulate metabolism.
Doctors Weigh In
After noticing that only 90 minutes of deep sleep were recorded, the person consulted two sleep doctors to discover whether this was normal—or worrisome. Their guidance was surprising. While the exact details of their findings are not fully disclosed, the doctors emphasized the importance of viewing deep sleep in context and cautioned against jumping to conclusions based on one number alone.
What to Watch on Your Apple Watch
Alongside the deep sleep measurement, the doctors highlighted a “real number” on the Apple Watch that might be just as significant, if not more so, than the total minutes of deep sleep reported. Though the specifics remain undisclosed in the snippet, this advice underscores the value of examining multiple factors—like total hours of rest or sleep cycle patterns—when assessing sleep quality.
The Surprising Part
Ultimately, the doctors encouraged taking smartwatch data as one piece of a broader picture. Their answers upended the assumption that 90 minutes was definitively insufficient. They underscored the fact that everyone’s body can differ—and that the Apple Watch’s data might best serve as a guide to consider in tandem with professional advice rather than a sole determinant of sleep health.
By incorporating expert insights and looking at the most pertinent metrics, the individual’s nightly sleep assessment might shift from anxiety over a single figure to a more balanced view of overall rest.
