4 Smartphone Apps to Help You Sleep Better

By Nina Dombalagian HERWriter

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Woman checking her sleep sounds and noise after waking up

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Ever feel like you just can’t get up in the morning? Or that you just can’t seem to fall asleep at night?

How much sleep is enough sleep? How can you maximize sleep time but still feel well rested in the morning?

With sleep, answers always vary. Sleep habits and how much sleep someone should get is based on their own individual self and usually cannot be generalized.

However, smartphone apps specifically designed for sleep have been able to alleviate some of these problems and yield suggestions for individuals who are looking for sleep help.

Here are four apps to try if you can’t seem to get a good night’s sleep:

1) Sleep Cycle

Woman waking up well rested

Sleep Cycle records your movements and measures how well you’ve slept or where you could have slept better. The app will determine when you are in your lightest movements of sleep and will wake you up with an alarm during that time.

This helps to wake you up at the appropriate time in your cycle so you won’t feel disturbed or groggy.

2) SleepBot

Woman turning off phone before going to sleep

SleepBot also tracks your movement and how you sleep. It shows your history of sleep and where you aren’t sleeping enough in terms of “sleep debt” and where you can improve.

It allows you to create an offset period for tracking if you don’t fall asleep right away when you’re in bed. It also automatically turns off all notifications and puts your phone on airplane mode while asleep for no distractions.

3) Alarm Clock Sleep Sounds

Woman falling asleep to peaceful music

Alarm Clock Sleep Sounds is an all encompassing app that offers a personalized sleep program. You can choose how you want to fall asleep, how you want to wake up and what sounds you want to fall asleep to.

It provides guided meditations to relax you before sleep and affirmations when you wake up to energize you.

4) Sleep Talk Recorder

Woman checking her phone after waking up

While Sleep Talk Recorder is geared mostly for entertainment, it can be useful in making sure sounds are normal and safe for sleep. Users are able to record when they talk, snore, or do anything with this app and share with other users in a community.

It’s also beneficial for finding out about sleep conditions that you might be unaware of. Though silly, it’s helpful in differentiating the funny sounds and the serious ones.

Sources:

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? sleepfoundation.org Retrieved Oct. 11, 2014.
http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

The Best Sleep iPhone & Android Apps of the Year. Healthline.com. Retrieved Oct. 11, 2014.
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/top-insomnia-iphone-android-apps#3

5 Apps That Keep Me Happy, Fit & Healthy. mindbodygreen.com. Retrieved Oct. 11, 2014.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14657/5-apps-that-keep-me-happy-fit-healthy.html

Reviewed October 15, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.