Apple Launches New Hearing and Sleep Health Features on Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 2

A beginner’s guide to the newly-released Hearing Test and Sleep Apnea features from Apple that will keep you more in tune with your body.

If you think taking care of your hearing and sleep health is a concern reserved for the future, think again. Apple has long been an advocate for keeping tabs on your health metrics with the help of its devices, namely iPhone and Apple Watch. We’re all familiar with the handy pedometer, menstrual cycle tracking, and workouts feature—all of which have seamlessly integrated into our lives. “Closing your rings” might even be a daily goal of yours. 

Recently, Apple has once again upped its game with the introduction of Hearing Health and sleep apnea features, which have finally been launched in Malaysia. With your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro 2, these features will help keep you even more up-to-date with your own health. Ahead, we tell you all about the newly introduced Apple Hearing Test and Sleep Apnea Notifications.

HEARING HEALTH 

WHAT IS IT?

The term “hearing health” is used to refer to the overall performance and status of our auditory system, which can affect everything from communication to cognitive function. Common hearing health problems include hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear infections. Hearing loss is a widespread chronic condition globally with more than 1.5 billion affected by it. It ranges from mild to severe and can have a profound impact on a person’s overall wellbeing. While many may equate hearing health to a problem only worth our time later in life, it has recently become evident that all adults should keep their ears in check as we become increasingly exposed to noise in our daily lives. 

As a giant in the audio world, Apple has committed itself to being part of the solution. In 2019, Apple launched the Apple Hearing Study in collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the World Health Organization, featuring data contributions from over 160,000 adult participants. It found that one in three people are regularly exposed to loud environmental noise levels—from subway trains to concerts—that can have a detrimental impact on their hearing over the course of time. 

FROM PREVENTION TO ASSISTANCE

With this data, Apple introduced the Loud Sound Reduction feature on AirPods Pro 2. The well-fitting ear tips help with passive noise reduction, while the H2 chip actively reduces louder noises at 48,000 times per second. On the other hand, those who want to get a more quantifiable, in-depth look at their auditory health can take the newly introduced clinical-grade Apple Hearing Test on their iPhone or iPad with AirPods Pro 2*. The test itself is simple to do and only takes a few minutes. 

Upon completion, the Apple Hearing Test will generate a comprehensive but easy-to-understand summary of your results, which includes the severity of your hearing loss (if any) in an audiogram, a classification, and the next steps. Using your results, you can then personalise your AirPods Pro listening experience–even with little to no hearing loss—so as to preserve your hearing health and optimise your comfort. These results can be shared with an audiologist should you require more assistance or treatment. 

Those with mild to moderate hearing loss can also use the AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids using the Hearing Aid feature, accessible on Settings under Hearing Assistance. Settings such as amplification, balance, and tone can be adjusted to fit your needs. On top of that, the all-new Media Assist feature can also help enhance audio on videos and calls. These features are accessible on the hearing health tools that Apple now offers. On the Apple Watch, the Noise app will notify users when environmental noise may be detrimental to their hearing health. Similarly, iPhone users can set a volume limit for their AirPods to a preferred, comfortable decibel level.

HOW TO TAKE THE APPLE HEARING TEST

To take the Apple Hearing test, you will need a pair of AirPods Pro 2, a compatible iPhone or iPad, and a quiet space.

Steps:

1. Wear your AirPods Pro 2 and connect them to your iPhone or iPad.
2. Open Settings and tap the name of your AirPods 
3. Select ‘Take a Hearing Test’ and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. To view your full results and access hearing health resources, open the Health app > Browse > Hearing > Hearing Test Results
5. To export your results, scroll to the bottom of the results page and click ‘Export PDF’.

Tips: 

• Find a space where you can take the hearing test without disturbances to ensure accurate results.
• Adjust the position of your AirPods or change the ear tips to make sure they fit well in your ears.

* The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware, paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later, and is intended for people 18 years or older.

SLEEP HEALTH

WHAT IS IT?

When it comes to sleep, it isn’t just about the hours you get in. It’s also about the wakefulness, breathing patterns, and regularity of your sleep. There are a number of sleep disorders that can also affect your sleep quality such as insomnia and sleep apnea. The latter is a serious respiratory condition that disrupts your breathing repeatedly during sleep. While a few disturbances can be fairly common—and may relate to alcohol intake, medications or any upper respiratory illnesses—any elevated levels of disruptions may be of concern. 

With Apple Watch, you can keep tabs on breathing disturbances during your sleep using its accelerometer. It will then track your breathing patterns over the course of 30 days (with at least 10 nights of data). The collected data is then categorised as “Elevated” or “Not Elevated”. If you experience consistent “Elevated” levels of disturbances over the 30-day period, you will then receive a notification that you are showing signs of sleep apnea and should consult a medical professional.

HOW TO TURN ON AND USE SLEEP APNEA NOTIFICATIONS

All you’ll need is an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, an updated iPhone, and your Sleep app with setup complete. 

Steps:

1. Wear your Apple Watch to sleep for at least 10 nights within a 30-day period in which your data will be analysed.
2. Turn on Sleep Apnea notifications in the Health app in Browse > Respiratory.
3. Select Sleep Apnea Notifications > Set Up and confirm your date of birth and if you’ve ever been diagnosed with sleep apnea > Next > Done.
4. To view your results, open the Health app > Browse > Respiratory > Sleep Apnea Notifications OR Breathing Disturbances.
5. To export your results, scroll to the bottom of the results page and click ‘Export PDF’.

* Sleep apnoea notifications are intended for use by people 18 years old or older who have not been diagnosed with sleep apnoea. The Sleep Apnoea Notifications Feature is not intended to diagnose, treat or aid in the management of sleep apnoea. Not all people with sleep apnoea will receive a notification.

Find more Apple-related reads here.