Apple Watch May Soon Give You a New Reason to Sleep With It On

Apple appears to be working on a new feature for the Apple Watch that could help you better understand your nightly sleep and predict how you'll feel the next day.

Code discovered in iOS 26 has revealed an intriguing image buried within the Health app. The graphic shows an Apple Watch displaying the number "84" surrounded by three colored bars that match some of the sleep stage colors already used by the device — orange for time awake, light blue for REM sleep, and darker blue for Core or Deep sleep.

The file name "Watch Focus Score" is what makes the finding particularly interesting. It suggests Apple might be developing a comprehensive sleep rating system that goes beyond the basic metrics currently available.

The image includes familiar iOS sleep-related icons like moons and beds, plus a thermometer icon. The latter's inclusion suggests that the potential sleep score could incorporate multiple health metrics, similar to Apple's Vitals feature in watchOS 11.

Currently, your Apple Watch tracks sleep stages, time in bed, and time awake. But unlike many other fitness trackers, it doesn't provide an overall sleep quality score. Such a feature might predict how focused you'll be during the day based on your sleep quality, for example.

Of course, this is still early speculation based on a single image file. Apple frequently tests features that never see the light of day. But given the Apple Watch's increasing emphasis on health features, a comprehensive sleep score feels like a logical next step. The real question is whether this will arrive with watchOS 26 or if Apple is still experimenting with the concept.

Either way, it's another sign that Apple continues pushing the Apple Watch deeper into health territory, where better sleep insights could genuinely improve your everyday life.