How to Use Sleep Mode on iPhone and Apple Watch - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

How to Use Sleep Mode on iPhone and Apple Watch

by

In iOS 14 and watchOS 7, Apple introduced a new Sleep Tracking feature that lets you monitor how much sleep you're getting each night and improve your sleep habits with the help of bedtime reminders and a winding down process.

iOS 14 watchOS 7 Sleep Tracking Feature 1
In the Health app on ‌iPhone‌ or using an ‌Apple Watch‌, you can set up a Sleep Schedule with the amount of sleep you want to get each night and your standard sleep and wake up goals.

You can also enable something called Sleep Mode, which automatically simplifies your iPhone's Lock screen at your scheduled Wind Down time. If you have an Apple Watch with Sleep Mode active, it replaces your normal watch face and any complications with a simplified time display.

Sleep Mode also turns on Do Not Disturb to silence notifications and prevent your phone from ringing (although you can give certain callers permission to break through Do Not Disturb in Settings). If you've already set a Sleep Schedule and set a Wind Down time, you can enable Sleep Mode by following these steps.

  1. Launch Apple's Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Browse tab in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  3. Scroll down and select Sleep.
    sleep

  4. Under "Your Schedule," tap Full Schedule & Options.
  5. Under "Additional Details," tap Options.
    4howtousesleepmodeios

  6. Under "Sleep Mode," toggle the switch next to Turn On Automatically to the green ON position.
    sleep

How to Manually Control Sleep Mode on iPhone

Once enabled, Sleep Mode will turn on and off automatically to match your Sleep Schedule, but it can also be toggled on or off manually in your iPhone's Control Center, like so.

sleep
If Sleep Mode is active on your iPhone, you can tap Dismiss to deactivate it and access your Lock screen normally.

sleep

How to Manually Control Sleep Mode on Apple Watch

Like on iPhone, you can toggle Sleep Mode on and off on Apple Watch by bringing up the Control Center from the bottom of the screen.

sleep
If Sleep Mode is active on your Apple Watch, turn the Digital Crown until your normal watch face appears on the screen.

sleep
For more details on the sleep features in iOS 14 and watchOS 7, check out our dedicated guide.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors