Getting your sleep data in
DebuffTimer reads the sleep records stored in your iPhone's Health app. What gets recorded depends on whether you wear an Apple Watch to bed.
01What does wearing an Apple Watch add?▸
YOIYou get to see what your sleep was actually made of. With just an iPhone, Health only knows when you fell asleep and when you woke up. Wear an Apple Watch and it also records how your sleep depth shifted through the night, plus what your body was doing while you slept. DebuffTimer reads all of that and turns it into charts and scores.
Without an Apple Watch (iPhone only)
· The time you fell asleep and woke up
· Total hours slept
With an Apple Watch
You also get:
· How your sleep depth changed through the night (deep sleep / light sleep / dreaming)
· Heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate while asleep
· How often and how long you woke up during the night
DebuffTimer uses this to score each night on five things: how long you slept, how unbroken it was, how steady your bedtime is, how far off your plan you were, and the mix of sleep depths.
· The time you fell asleep and woke up
· Total hours slept
With an Apple Watch
You also get:
· How your sleep depth changed through the night (deep sleep / light sleep / dreaming)
· Heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate while asleep
· How often and how long you woke up during the night
DebuffTimer uses this to score each night on five things: how long you slept, how unbroken it was, how steady your bedtime is, how far off your plan you were, and the mix of sleep depths.
02How do I set it up with just an iPhone?▸
You don't need an Apple Watch. Set up these two things and your sleep will be recorded automatically.
1. Turn on the Sleep Schedule in the Health app
Open the Health app on your iPhone → "Browse" at the bottom → "Sleep" → "Set Up Sleep Schedule." Enter your bedtime and wake time, then switch it on.
From then on, your iPhone uses movement while it sits by your bed to record the hours you were asleep.
2. Let DebuffTimer read Health
In DebuffTimer, go to Settings → Sleep Data → and turn on the Health connection. When the permission screen appears, allow access to sleep data.
After that, DebuffTimer pulls in your records every time you open the app.
With an iPhone alone, sleep depth is not recorded — you'll mainly see sleep duration and your bed and wake times. To see what your sleep was made of, wear an Apple Watch to bed.
1. Turn on the Sleep Schedule in the Health app
Open the Health app on your iPhone → "Browse" at the bottom → "Sleep" → "Set Up Sleep Schedule." Enter your bedtime and wake time, then switch it on.
From then on, your iPhone uses movement while it sits by your bed to record the hours you were asleep.
2. Let DebuffTimer read Health
In DebuffTimer, go to Settings → Sleep Data → and turn on the Health connection. When the permission screen appears, allow access to sleep data.
After that, DebuffTimer pulls in your records every time you open the app.
With an iPhone alone, sleep depth is not recorded — you'll mainly see sleep duration and your bed and wake times. To see what your sleep was made of, wear an Apple Watch to bed.
03Nothing is coming in — what now?▸
Check these in order.
1. Is there any sleep data in the Health app?
Open Health → "Browse" → "Sleep" and look for that day. If it's empty, nothing was recorded on the iPhone / Apple Watch side yet — check the setup in topic 02 above.
2. Does DebuffTimer have permission?
Go to iPhone Settings → Apps → Health → Data Access & Devices → DebuffTimer, and make sure Sleep is switched on.
3. Import by hand
In DebuffTimer, tap Settings → Sleep Data → Import now to re-read Health on the spot.
If the Health record changes later — after you fall back asleep in the morning, for instance — DebuffTimer follows those changes automatically for the last three days.
1. Is there any sleep data in the Health app?
Open Health → "Browse" → "Sleep" and look for that day. If it's empty, nothing was recorded on the iPhone / Apple Watch side yet — check the setup in topic 02 above.
2. Does DebuffTimer have permission?
Go to iPhone Settings → Apps → Health → Data Access & Devices → DebuffTimer, and make sure Sleep is switched on.
3. Import by hand
In DebuffTimer, tap Settings → Sleep Data → Import now to re-read Health on the spot.
If the Health record changes later — after you fall back asleep in the morning, for instance — DebuffTimer follows those changes automatically for the last three days.
04When do imports and the “Last Night's Result” notification happen?▸
YOIYou don't need to open the app in the morning. Once your sleep lands in Health, iOS quietly wakes me up and I import it on my own. I'll deliver “Last Night's Result” as soon as it's in — silently, in case you're back asleep.
Imports run automatically
Even with the app closed, iOS wakes DebuffTimer in the background whenever new sleep records arrive in Health (at most once an hour). The exact timing follows when your Apple Watch syncs to your iPhone.
The “Last Night's Result” notification
As soon as the import finishes, DebuffTimer notifies you — bedtime, wake time, sleep duration, and score. It makes no sound, so it won't wake you if you've dozed off again. Nights imported more than 6 hours after waking are considered old news and aren't notified.
If you swipe DebuffTimer away in the App Switcher, iOS stops background imports — that's an iOS rule. Opening the app puts everything back to normal: it catches up on whatever was recorded in the meantime, so no data is ever lost, and “Last Night's Result” still arrives if it's within 6 hours of waking. You just lose the “it shows up without opening the app” convenience, so it's best to leave the app alone.
Even with the app closed, iOS wakes DebuffTimer in the background whenever new sleep records arrive in Health (at most once an hour). The exact timing follows when your Apple Watch syncs to your iPhone.
The “Last Night's Result” notification
As soon as the import finishes, DebuffTimer notifies you — bedtime, wake time, sleep duration, and score. It makes no sound, so it won't wake you if you've dozed off again. Nights imported more than 6 hours after waking are considered old news and aren't notified.
If you swipe DebuffTimer away in the App Switcher, iOS stops background imports — that's an iOS rule. Opening the app puts everything back to normal: it catches up on whatever was recorded in the meantime, so no data is ever lost, and “Last Night's Result” still arrives if it's within 6 hours of waking. You just lose the “it shows up without opening the app” convenience, so it's best to leave the app alone.
Frequently asked questions
Yoi explains how things work; pricing, permissions, and data questions get a plain answer from the developer.
Q01What is the debuff value?▸
YOIIt's the time you've been awake, converted into drunkenness. Runs from 0 to 150. Stay up 17 hours straight and your judgment is about as sharp as at 0.05% blood alcohol — that comes from a study by Williamson & Feyer (2000). As the number climbs, I start looking worse, too.
Q02How does it go back down?▸
YOISleep. That's the whole trick. Seven hours means a full recovery; anything less heals only a fraction — your sleep divided by seven hours. A one-hour nap after an all-nighter is... well, a gesture.
Q03Are records automatic or manual?▸
YOIManual at its core. Tap the sleep button when you head to bed, tap the wake button when you're up. If you allow Apple Health access, the app can also pull in sleep data automatically whenever you open it. That link is optional, and you can turn it on later. You can also edit or delete any recorded sleep entry.
Q04What notifications will I get?▸
YOIIf you're still up late at night, I send warnings. A little pushy, I know — it's my job. In the morning you just get the result, stated flatly. Both are local notifications built on your device; nothing comes from a server.
Q05What is Bedtime Shield?▸
Bedtime Shield limits access to apps you choose, during hours you set. It is free. Because it uses Apple's Screen Time API (Family Controls), iOS will ask for Screen Time permission the first time you enable it. The apps you select are stored only as anonymous tokens issued by iOS, kept on your device — the developer cannot learn which apps you picked.
Q06How much is free?▸
Everything that gets you to bed is free: the debuff display, night warnings and morning reports, the weekly wake schedule, date-specific overrides, Bedtime Shield, sleep records (with edit and delete), sleep analysis (5-axis score and stage timeline), day-by-day detail for the last 7 days, 30-day charts and summaries, home screen widgets, and Lock Screen Live Activities. Dark/Light mode is also supported. There are no ads.
Q07What does Pro unlock?▸
A single one-time purchase (¥300 in Japan; local pricing may vary) unlocks day-by-day detail older than 7 days, month-over-month comparison, and notification customization. It is not a subscription — no monthly fee, no renewal.
Q08Are there ads?▸
No. The app contains no advertising or tracking SDKs.
Q09Where is my data stored?▸
Everything stays on your device. There is no backend server and no account system, and the developer has no way to access your data. See the privacy policy for details.
Q10What are the requirements?▸
An iPhone running iOS 18.0 or later.
Q11I blocked DebuffTimer itself and can't open its settings▸
It lifts automatically at your wake-up time. The shield only covers the stretch from your bedtime limit to your scheduled wake-up, so the longest you can be locked out is a single night. If you are not in a hurry, just wait it out.
To lift it right away, use the iPhone Settings app — you do not need to open DebuffTimer.
- Open Settings
- Tap Screen Time
- Tap App & Website Activity (or App Limits)
- Turn off the restrictions set by DebuffTimer
Afterwards, open DebuffTimer and tap Settings → Bedtime Shield → "Turn off all shields" to reset. When you pick apps again, avoid selecting a whole category, or check that DebuffTimer is not in your selection. DebuffTimer is in the Health & Fitness category.
Contact
Bug reports, feature requests, and questions are all welcome.
YOIWrite something and I'll carry it to the developer. If you'd like a reply, leave your email too.