New Garmin Sleep Pulse Ox widget arrives with possible sleep apnea detection tool
A new Sleep Pulse Ox widget has arrived in the Garmin Connect app for some users. Pulse oximetry, or Pulse Ox, measures the oxygen saturation in your bloodstream. Various Garmin smartwatches contain infrared light sensors to monitor your SpO2 level, with all-day tracking already provided in Garmin Connect.
The new widget provides four insights: Avg SpO2, Low, Avg HR and Events. The Avg SpO2 measurement indicates your average blood oxygen level through the night, Low provides the lowest data point recorded, and Avg HR provides your average heart rate as you slept, measured in BPM. The Events section is currently blank for users, making it unclear precisely how it could be used. It might be that Garmin intends its smartwatch owners to use this tool as an early indicator of sleep apnea; a drop in the blood oxygen level can result from an apnea or hypopnea event.
While the wearable would not provide a diagnosis, as Garmin does not have FDA approval for such a tool, it could prompt users to seek medical advice. When the Events category will begin working is not known. It could be that Garmin releases this feature as part of its next quarterly update. Customers also hope to see the Sleep Coaching and nap logging tools available on the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 smartwatches rolled out to more models.
Source(s)
Garmin, Gadgets & Wearables
