FDA Approves Samsung's Sleep Apnea Detection Feature for Galaxy Watch

Guess what? The FDA just gave a big thumbs up to Samsung for a super cool feature on Galaxy Watch devices that can spot sleep apnea, and Samsung's pretty pumped about it. This is a big deal in the US, a first of its kind! South Korea was already on board, but now it's America's turn.

So, here's the scoop: Samsung's gearing up to roll out this sleep apnea tracker on their Galaxy Watch wearables by the third quarter of this year. You'll find it snuggled up in the Samsung Health Monitor app.

If you're over 22 and haven't been told by a doc that you have sleep apnea, this feature's your new bestie. It uses your smartwatch and phone to hunt for signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) across two nights. Just make sure you log more than four hours of Z's twice within ten days to get it working.

Now, OSA isn't just about snoring louder than a freight train; it's serious business. It hits about 25% of men and 10% of women in the US, messing with their breathing during sleep, tanking sleep quality, and even risking heart stuff if it's left hanging. Samsung's pointing out that catching moderate and severe OSA early can nudge folks to get checked out sooner.

And it's not just Samsung jumping on this train. Remember in 2020, Withings introduced a sleep apnea detection feature in their sleep tracking mat? Looks like good sleep is becoming the next big thing in tech health. So, cheers to catching those Z's and keeping an eye on our health with a bit of tech help!