Breaths per minute during sleep. Elevated baseline is one of the earliest wearable-detectable signals of illness — often rising 1–2 days before subjective symptoms.
Respiratory rate is the number of breaths taken per minute. For wearable tracking purposes, sleep respiratory rate is the relevant value — measured during overnight rest when motion artifacts are minimal and the rate is stable.
During sleep, healthy adults breathe at 12–18 breaths per minute. This is lower than waking respiratory rate because metabolic demand is reduced and muscle tone is relaxed.
| Rate (breaths/min) | Category |
|---|---|
| 12–16 | Optimal — typical resting range |
| 16–18 | Normal — upper end of healthy range |
| 18–20 | Mildly elevated — monitor for trend |
| > 20 | Elevated — significant deviation from baseline |
| < 12 | Low — possible medication effect or sleep apnea |
Source: Lim WS et al. Defining community-acquired pneumonia severity. Thorax. 2003. Wearable normative data from Oura internal studies.
Elevated respiratory rate is among the most reliable early indicators of respiratory illness. In Oura's published research, respiratory rate elevation of ≥1 breath/min above personal baseline predicted positive COVID-19 test 2–3 days before symptom onset in a significant proportion of cases.