Samsung has revealed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a sleep apnoea detection feature on Galaxy Watch devices in the US. This marks the first approval of its kind in the US, with South Korean officials previously approving the feature for use in their country.
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The sleep apnoea monitoring tool is set to be added to compatible Galaxy Watch wearables in the third quarter of this year via the Samsung Health Monitor app. It targets individuals aged 22 and older who have not been diagnosed with the condition, allowing them to check for signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using their smartwatch and phone. The feature monitors sleep patterns over a two-night period, requiring users to track their sleep for more than four hours twice over a ten-day period.
OSA affects approximately 25 percent of men and a tenth of women in the US, according to the National Sleep Foundation. It involves interruptions in breathing during sleep, which can negatively impact sleep quality, oxygen supply, and daytime alertness. Samsung emphasizes that untreated sleep apnoea can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, and stroke. The company believes that this feature will enable more individuals to detect moderate and severe forms of the condition, prompting them to seek medical advice.
Similar features have been integrated into other devices as part of Samsung’s broader efforts to promote better sleep quality. For instance, in 2020, Withings introduced a sleep apnoea detection feature in its sleep tracking mat.
