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One of the highlight features of watchOS 26 is Sleep Score, which provides a score and classification of your sleep each night on your Apple Watch.
With today’s release of the first beta of watchOS 26.2 and iOS 26.2, Apple has several changes planned for Sleep Score.
As a refresher, you can use the Apple Watch’s Sleep Score feature to “measure how restorative your recent sleep has been for your mind and body.” Scores are divided into three categories for a total of 100 points.
- Period: Maximum 50 points
- Bedtime: up to 30 points
- Interruption: up to 20 points
The scores for each of these categories are combined to give an overall sleep score combined with the classification level.
- Very low: 0 to 29 points
- Low: 30-49 points
- OK: 50-69 points
- High: 70-89 points
- Excellent: 90-100 points
But those scores are about to change…
Changes in watchOS 26.2
With today’s release of the first watchOS 26.2 beta, Apple is making some changes to sleep score classification levels. The name of the highest classification level will also change from “Excellent” to “Very High.”
The new levels of sleep score starting with watchOS 26.2 are:
- Very low: 0-40 points
- Low: 41-60 points
- OK: 61-80 points
- High: 81-95 points
- Very high: 96-100 points
As you can see, Apple has raised the bar for each tier. For example, a sleep score of 70/100 will no longer put you in the “high” category. That threshold has been raised to 81/100.
Apple feels that “very high” is a more objective term than “excellent” and says it should help users avoid confusion if their sleep score doesn’t match their mood on a given day. That’s not the goal of your sleep score. Instead, it’s objective data designed to compare your sleep to the latest guidance from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the National Sleep Foundation, and the World Sleep Association.
Therefore, there is no change how Apple Watch uses that guidance to obtain and determine your sleep score.
This change is also based on data Apple collects through the Apple Heart and Movement Study. Essentially, Apple was able to further refine the Sleep Score feature as it collected more data and feedback.
9to5Mac’s opinion
I’ve seen a number of posts on Reddit and other social media platforms criticizing the Apple Watch’s sleep score feature for being a little too generous in how it assigns each category. These changes in watchOS 26.2 are clearly aimed at addressing these concerns and providing better results for users.
Rebranding the “Excellent” label makes sense to me. Users say the word “amazing” feel That day was great. “Very High” makes more sense and blends better with other classification names. Sleep is one factor that influences how you feel that day, but it’s not the only factor.
Sleep Score is one of my favorite watchOS 26 features, so I’m glad to see Apple listening and acting on the feedback. My next request is for Sleep Score to provide a little more information about why I slept. never My “interruption” score was over 10/20.
Sleep Score functionality is available on all Apple Watch models that support watchOS 26. In fact, you technically don’t need an Apple Watch to get your sleep score. Have you tried that feature yet? If so, what do you think? Let us know in the comments section.
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