Apple is tweaking its sleep tracking algorithm in the upcoming watchOS 26.2 beta, making it harder to achieve a perfect sleep score and aiming for more realistic results. Currently, the Apple Watch calculates your sleep score using three factors: duration (worth half the total), bedtime regularity (30 points), and interruptions (20 points). Scores range from “very low” (0-29) to “excellent” (90-100).
This system is changing. The top tier, previously called “excellent,” will be renamed “very high.” More importantly, the scoring brackets are being adjusted.
Here’s the new breakdown:
- Very Low: 0-40 points
- Low: 41-60 points
- OK: 61-80 points
- High: 81-95 points
- Very High: 96-100 points
These changes mean it will be easier to fall into the “very low” range and significantly harder to reach the new “very high” score. Apple hasn’t explicitly stated why these adjustments are being made, but the shift likely reflects a desire for greater accuracy in sleep tracking.
Many users report that their Apple Watch tends to overestimate sleep quality compared to other sleep trackers. This recalibration might bring the Apple Watch closer to aligning with more comprehensive metrics used by devices like WHOOP, which factors in aspects like sleep duration relative to individual needs, consistency, efficiency, and stress levels when calculating a sleep score.
