This article aims to provide you with a quick overview of the basic functionality of Pillow. If you use Pillow on the Apple Watch, we also recommend reading Pillow on Watch Basics.
Starting a sleep session on your iPhone
Using Pillow with your iPhone or iPad to record a sleep session is very simple. All you need to do is create your preferred preset and when you are ready to sleep tap on the “Start” button. To create a preset:
Open Pillow on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap on the alarm clock icon at the left bottom corner of the screen.
Tap on the Plus symbol.
Explore the available options and create the preset that suits your needs.
About the available preset options
Pillow's v4.0 version allows you to customize the sleep modes according to your particular needs:
If you do not wish to set an alarm on weekends, then create a preset mode where the alarm is disabled and give it an appropriate title so that you can easily set it up on Friday night.
Are you interested in knowing if you snore loudly or if you talk in your sleep? Ensure that the "Audio recordings" switch is ON so that Pillow can pick up and record the sounds you produce while you are asleep.
If you are one of those people who don't like to miss even a single second of their sleep, even if it means waking up groggier, then the Smart Wake up feature is not for you so switch it off. If, on the other hand, you would like Pillow to wake you up within a preset timeframe when it detects that you are sleeping lightly or you are almost awake, then this feature could help you wake up easier and feel refreshed.
If you enjoy listening to something soothing in order to fall asleep, then the "Sleep Aid" section of Pillow is designed specifically for you, with a variety of sleep sounds, stories, soundscapes, etc.
Note: New sleep aid content will be added frequently so don't forget to check this section once in a while. You might discover something new each time!
Placement of the iPhone
When using Pillow solely with your iPhone or iPad, for the sleep tracking to work properly, your device should be placed face down on your mattress, in a position near your body (a distance of about 15-25cm should suffice).
In case you're seeing more "awake" time than expected, you can also try moving your device a little bit further from your body. We would also recommend avoiding covering your device with heavy blankets and bed covers in order to avoid overheating of the device.
Can I place my iPhone/iPad device on the nightstand?
If you do not use an Apple Watch for sleep tracking, your iPhone and iPad must be placed on the mattress face down a few centimeters away from your pillow. The reason is that Pillow uses the data from the motion sensors available on the device to perform sleep analysis.
Sleep aid options
Pillow comes with a wide variety of sleep aid options. To access the sleep aid section:
Open Pillow on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap on the moon and note icon at the bottom of the screen.
There you will find various Sleep Aid categories to choose from (Meditations, Stories, Soundscenes & Music).
Tap on any one of them to download and listen to.
Once you find the one that you enjoy most, visit the alarm section and set it as the sleep aid of your preset.
Viewing your daily sleep analysis
At the end of each sleep session, open Pillow on your iPhone/iPad and tap on the sleep graph available below your sleep rings to view your Daily Sleep analysis. At the top of that screen you can switch between the "Sleep", "Heart" and "Audio" tabs and you can scroll down to view a detailed breakdown of each sleep stage. Swipe left/right to view previous sleep sessions or return to the most recently recorded one.
You can also view your daily analysis on the Apple Watch. Just open Pillow on the Watch > Scroll down and tap on the graph to reveal your sleep analysis breakdown.