Are You Sleeping Well? Best Sleep Apps and How They Can Help You
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According to the American Sleep Association, about ⅓ of Americans struggle with insomnia or other sleep-related problems. They explain that sleep is not a passive part of our lives, but a very dynamic period for our nervous system, and adults over the age of 25 need between 7 and 9 hours per night to function properly. If you find it hard to quiet your thoughts or relax at night, you can benefit greatly from the help of a sleep app. Here are some of the best ones out there right now.
Best Free App
Insight Timer (Insight Network Inc)
An extensive free library of nature sounds, relaxing music, and meditations that you can filter by category and duration. Start with a curated selection by answering a few questions about your beliefs and preferences.
Free with optional in-app purchases.
Available for Android and iOS.
Best Meditation App
Headspace
Known for its guided meditation tracks and mindfulness exercises geared to all moods and topics, Headspace has expanded its menu to sleep stories called "sleep casts" and calming music.
Try the free 7-day trial, then $69.99/year or $12.99/month.
Available for Android and iOS.
Best Sleep Tracker
Sleep Cycle (Sleep Cycle AB)
Optimize your downtime by using this app which operates with its “smart alarm clock.” It tracks and analyzes your sleep throughout the night to wake you up during your light sleep phase, helping you rest better and feel less groggy in the morning.
Try the free 7-day trial, then $39.99/year or $9.99/month.
Available for Android and iOS.
Best White Noise App
Atmosphere: Relaxing Sounds (Peak Pocket Studios)
This app provides soothing sounds from diverse atmospheres (forest, beach, etc.), binaural beats, healing frequencies, and white, brown, and pink noises. You can also save custom sounds.
Free with optional in-app purchases.
Available for Android and iOS.
Expert Sleep Coach
Sleep Station
This is a web-based app that is actually an online sleep support program designed by experts. They offer packages including sleep analysis, a sleep improvement plan, coaching, and ongoing support.
Starting at $149.
Available online.
Lucid Dreaming Tool
Awoken
If you're interested in making the most of the dream world, this app offers tools to help trigger lucid dreams, including a pin-protected dream journal, reality check reminders, dream pattern reports, and more.
Free with optional in-app purchases.
Available for Android.
Best Overall App
Better Sleep (Ipnos Software)
Formerly known as Relax Melodies, this comprehensive sleep app offers all kinds of seamless sleep-inducing sounds, bedtime stories, and breathing exercises, in addition to sleep tracking features.
Try the free 7-day trial, then $59.99/year or $9.99/month.
Available for Android and iOS.
One caveat: apps that offer a free trial usually automatically switch to an annual subscription after the week is up, unless you opt-out, so mark your calendar if you're not convinced.
If you've never tried a sleep app, you may be in for a real game-changer. However, you can also find other sleep aids beyond these apps. Spotify Premium also has a great offering of audios and podcasts to help you sleep, and you can set it to automatically shut off when it ends or after a certain period of time. There are also countless free YouTube videos with white noise or meditations, though you should make sure you have the autoplay option turned off. If you're comforted by soft, repetitive sounds, there's a whole world of ASMR to discover. And while we're on the subject, remember to set your screen to automatically switch to soft, warm light at least an hour before you go to bed so that the blue light doesn't disrupt your circadian rhythms.
Most of the time, the root cause of sleep difficulties requires addressing the big picture, through lifestyle changes or one-on-one therapy sessions. But sleep apps, like the ones mentioned above, can be an excellent complement to help you relax your body and mind, and even offer insight into your sleep patterns to improve them.
Sweet dreams!
xx, Danae