watchOS 26: Here’s how to enable your Apple Watch’s sleep score all the way back to Apple Watch 6

Close-up of the Apple Watch Series 11 showing a user's sleep score
(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

Apple just rolled out a helpful new health metric for Apple Watch users. Your daily sleep score, on a scale from one to 100, is based on factors like bedtime consistency, time spent in various sleep cycles, and the number of sleep disturbances you encounter.

Best of all, Apple's new sleep score metric isn't just for the latest models, like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 — aka, the best Apple Watches in 2025 — but models going as far back as the Apple Watch Series 6. Ready to see your Apple Watch sleep score? Follow these steps to enable the feature and to gain a better understanding of your nightly sleep quality.

Which Apple Watch models get Sleep Scores?

Which Apple Watch models support Apple's new sleep score metric? All the ones that are compatible with the latest watchOS 26 software release. The list includes:

  • Apple Watch Series 6
  • Apple Watch Series 7
  • Apple Watch Series 8
  • Apple Watch Series 9
  • Apple Watch Series 10
  • Apple Watch Series 11
  • Apple Watch SE (2022)
  • Apple Watch SE 3
  • Apple Watch Ultra
  • Apple Watch Ultra 2
  • Apple Watch Ultra 3

How to unlock your Apple Watch’s sleep score

  1. Install iOS 26 on your iPhone and watchOS 26 on your Apple Watch.
  2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and select your Apple Watch model.
  3. Scroll down and tap on 'Sleep.'
  4. Turn on 'Track Sleep with Apple Watch.' The toggle should be green.
  5. Exit your iPhone's Watch app and open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch.
  6. Set your nightly sleep goals and sleep window.
  7. Wear your watch to bed, but ensure it has at least 30% battery.
  8. Check your sleep score in the morning by heading to the Sleep app on your Apple Watch.

Read on to see full illustrated instructions for each step.


1. Install iOS 26 and watchOS 26

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

To enable Apple's new sleep score metric, you'll first need to update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest software versions. Here's how to install iOS 26 on your iPhone. Once you've completed that, follow these steps to install watchOS 26 on your Apple Watch.

2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

With the latest software installed on both devices, head to your iPhone and open the Watch app (hint: it looks like a watch on a black background). If you own multiple models, go ahead and select your current Apple Watch from the list if prompted.

3. Scroll down and tap 'Sleep'

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

Once in the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll down until you see 'Sleep.' Go ahead and tap the icon to change your sleep tracking settings.

4. Turn on 'Track Sleep with Apple Watch'

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

Within the sleep menu, ensure that the toggle for 'Track Sleep with Apple Watch' is turned on (green showing). With that, go ahead and close the Watch app on your iPhone and grab your Apple Watch.

5. Open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

Open the Sleep app on your Apple Watch (it looks like a bed). To enable your daily sleep score, Apple first needs to know about your sleep habits, including your usual bedtime and wake-up time.

6. Set your nightly sleep goals and sleep window

(Image: © Future)

From within the Apple Watch Sleep app, enter your ideal bedtime and nightly sleep goals. For example, I have my 'Sleep Window' set from 12 am to 8 am with a goal of eight hours every night, even when I stray from that window.

Need more help setting your sleep goals and window? Here's my step-by-step guide to sleep tracking on your Apple Watch, including details on the setup process.

7. Wear your watch to bed with at least 30% charge

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

With your ideal sleep window locked in, you can go ahead and exit the Sleep app on your Apple Watch and carry on with your day. To receive a sleep score in the morning, simply wear your Apple Watch to bed with at least 30% battery.

8. Open the Sleep app in the morning to see you score

(Image: © Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

In the morning, head back to the Sleep app and scroll down to see your sleep score. This metric can be found in the Apple Watch Sleep app and your iPhone's Health app under 'Sleep.'


Close-up of the Apple Watch Series 11 showing a user's sleep score

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

If you've been using Apple's sleep tracking on Apple Watch for a while now, one cool thing about the new sleep score metric is that Apple has retroactively calculated it for every night you've tracked in the past.

Oddly, as of writing, there's no way to make your sleep score automatically appear on the watch face. Even if you select a watch face with lots of data fields, it doesn't appear that you can yet select 'sleep score' as an option.

In addition to Apple's new sleep score metric for Apple Watch, the latest watchOS 26 release brings about all sorts of other new, useful features and apps, including an on-wrist Notes app (finally), a new Wrist Flick gesture, an AI-powered personalized fitness coach called Workout Buddy, smarter and less jarring automatic volume adjustments, and cool new watch faces.

More from Tom's Guide

Dan Bracaglia
Senior Writer, Fitness & Wearables

Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others. 

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.