Apple just bought Beddit, the 'Fitbit for sleep tracking'

Your Apple Watch is one step closer to having an official sleep tracking app now that Apple has bought Beddit today.

It's an app that's described as "Fitbit for sleep tracking," according to its founder, and Apple could easily include its sleep score technology in watchOS 4.

Right now, the Beddit Sleep Monitor app requires a thin sensor that goes under your mattress. It then syncs your sleep data to your iPhone and Apple Watch.

It's able to capture your sleep time, sleep efficiency, heart rate, respiration, temperature, movement, snoring, room temperature and room humidity.

There are other sleep tracking Apple Watch apps, but this one has some serious analytics attached to it. Its hardware also has a serious price tag: $149 (£129, AU$224).

Apple Watch sleep tracking hurdles

Apple acquiring Beddit makes a forthcoming sleep tracking feature a no-brainer for the Apple Watch. However, we're left with several important questions.

  1. Will it launch with watchOS 4 beta at Apple's WWDC keynote next month?
  2. Will it be exclusive to Apple Watch 2 or rumored Apple Watch 3?
  3. Will a likely new app still require the expensive Beddit Sleep Monitor hardware?
  4. Is Apple Watch battery life good enough for a sleep tracker?

Apple's been focused on fixing your poor sleeping issues for a while

Apple's been focused on fixing your poor sleeping issues for a while

There's a lot of interest in Apple Watch sleep tracking, but who will have access to the newly acquired technology remains our most pressing question. 

It could easily be saved for the Apple Watch 3 if the new smartwatch promises longer battery life. The Apple Watch 2 can get day-and-a-half battery life right now. Good enough, but for sleep tracking, it could certainly be better.

Some of these answers could come at Apple's WWDC 2017 on June 5 or the iPhone 8 launch event, expected to happen in September.

Matt Swider