If you struggle to fall asleep at night, you’re not alone. Researchers at Iowa State University found that more Americans struggle to both fall asleep and stay asleep than ever before. Given the link between quality sleep and overall wellbeing, there’s a case to be made in favor of trying new options that could improve your snooze.
Types of Better Sleep Apps
Sleep apps offer ways to better understand your sleep patterns and stressors. There are also sleep-specific, journaling, and guided meditation apps to help you fall asleep faster or get back to sleep if you wake in the night. Some of these apps also work with a smart watch or wearable fitness tracker.
Here are three better sleep apps that can potentially help improve your mind/body connection so you can get more rest.
1. Sleep Cycle: A Sleep Tracker, Music/Sounds, and Alarm ApP
While in most contexts outside of a medical sleep study, inviting someone to listen to you sleep is arguably weird. But the Sleep Cycle app does just that, using the microphone on your phone to track your sleep patterns. Using what it calls “patented sound analysis technology,” Sleep Cycle generates reports and attempts to help you troubleshoot factors that may be affecting the quality of your sleep. The app then uses that data to determine the best time to wake you with an alarm. Sleep Cycle also offers music, sounds, and guided meditations for bedtime relaxation. Some features of the app also work with Apple Watch.
Available on: Apple and Android
Free or Paid: Free and paid versions
Similar apps: Apple Sleep for Apple Watch
2. Calm: A Guided Meditation App With A Variety of Sleep Meditations
While not specifically a sleep app, the Calm app offers multiple guided meditations designed to help you drift off to sleep. Other themes include short daily meditations and topic-specific guided meditations for issues including anxiety, stress, movement, and pain management.
If you’ve ever nodded off during a boring class or meeting, then Calm “Sleep Stories” meditations might be just the trick to help you relax into sleep. If you’d prefer calming sounds instead of voiceovers, the app also has music and nature sounds without lyrics or narration.
Available on: Apple and Android
Free or Paid: Free and paid versions, monthly and annual subscription options
Similar apps: Headspace, Buddhify; both are available in free and paid versions on Apple and Android devices
3. Reflectly: A Smart Digital Journal
Billed as “the world’s first intelligent journal,” Reflectly is a mental health app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to send journaling prompts to users. Journaling apps are one way to develop better sleep hygiene, including creating a soothing bedtime routine.
Research shows that journaling about worries at bedtime can help people fall asleep, and a study conducted at Baylor University found that people who wrote to-do lists fell asleep faster than those who journaled about completed activities. The study even found that the more to-do items a person listed, the faster they fell asleep. The researchers concluded that spending just five minutes journaling at bedtime can help keep the mind from ruminating on our modern and often overflowing to-do lists.
Available on: Apple and Android
Free or Paid: Free and paid options
Similar apps: Day One (Apple only); free and paid versions
When to Seek Medical Advice
If you feel like you’ve tried everything, including myriad better sleep apps, and your sleep isn’t improving, see your healthcare practitioner. A medical consultation can help you identify any health issues that could be contributing to your sleep situation.
