Whether you’re in need of a little extra help falling asleep, or you just want to have something fun to do before you go to bed, these apps will make it easy.
Sleep is essential for our physical and mental well-being, yet many of us struggle to get a good night’s rest.
Statistics say that 32.8% of Americans say they sleep less than 7 hours, and 34.9% of insomniacs have a family history of insomnia. Fortunately, there are now plenty of apps that can help you get the sleep you need.
White Noise Apps
White noise apps are a great way to drown out distracting sounds and relax before bed. They also help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep longer.
Several studies have shown that white noise can help improve sleep and concentration, as well as reduce the number of times you wake up during the night.
This is especially helpful for adults who have difficulty falling asleep, such as those suffering from insomnia.
Some of the best white noise apps have a wide variety of nature-themed sounds, such as rain on a window, a storm, a campfire, and wind.
They also offer a timer function, which allows you to set the sound to automatically stop after a predetermined amount of time.
Another popular option is Calm, which offers a variety of meditation and relaxation tools, including soothing music and sleep soundscapes.
It also includes breathing exercises, mindfulness skills from world experts, and sleep stories narrated by celebrities like Harry Styles and Black Pink.
Some of the best white noise apps for iPhone include Pzizz, Sound Machine, Calm, myNoise, and Sleep Fan.
They all offer a variety of soothing sounds and have a wide range of features, including the ability to mix and match sounds and a timer function.
Meditation And Relaxation Apps
When you want to get in the mood for sleep, meditation and relaxation apps can be a great way to calm your mind and help you fall asleep easily.
They offer guided meditations, calming music, and breathing exercises that can help you relax.
Whether you’re new to meditation or are an experienced meditator, there’s something for everyone.
These apps also offer features like a meditation journal, a timer that shows how much time you’ve spent in a session, and tools to share your progress.
Some of these apps are free while others require a subscription. It’s important to consider these costs when choosing an app, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
A popular choice among meditators, Insight Timer is home to a huge library of meditations from tens of thousands of teachers.
The app also features several hundred meditation music tracks, and it’s easy to see how many people are meditating nearby.
Another popular meditation app, Headspace, offers a variety of guided meditations on mindfulness, stress, focus, and resilience.
The app also has a library of “sleep casts,” 45- to 55-minute audio stories that help you relax before bed.
The app’s subscription plan includes access to even more sleep casts and meditation courses, as well as a wide range of other features, including a sleep tracker.
Sleep Music Apps
Some apps offer a variety of relaxing music, soundscapes, and other soothing audio. These include instrumental tracks, white noise, nature sounds, and binaural beats.
Some also feature calming stories or bedtime readings to get you in the mood for a good night’s sleep.
One popular sleep music app is Noisli, which allows users to mix and match a range of soothing sounds such as rain, wind chimes, or crackling fires.
It’s free to download and offers limited access, or you can pay $10 a month for a premium version with unlimited streaming.
Another popular app is BetterSleep, which offers a wide variety of relaxation sounds that can be customized to your specific mood and preferences.
It’s free to download and has a great composer tool that makes it easy to create unique and appealing sleep music tracks.
Other sleep-related music apps include Calm and Headspace, which offer a variety of sleep-inducing sounds, including music, sleep stories, nature sounds, and bedtime readings. Some also feature meditation and guided breathing sessions.
Mindfulness Apps
There are a lot of mindfulness apps out there that can help you meditate, relax, and sleep easier. The key is to find one that is suited to your needs and preferences.
There are many different types of meditations that can be found on these apps, including breathing techniques, soundscapes, and stories.
Some of these meditations are designed specifically for sleeping, while others are simply meant to help you calm down before bedtime.
Another popular meditation app is Relax Melodies, which features breathing techniques, sleep moves, and relaxing sounds that are all meant to help you fall asleep easily.
It also includes “community melodies,” which are mixes created by other users.
This meditation app is free to download and offers a 14-day free trial. After that, you can pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee for access to all the premium content.
This mindfulness app has a library of over 500 guided meditations, quick meditations that can fit into your busy schedule, and more.
In addition, it also has group chats and offers meditation courses that can help you reduce stress, improve your focus, and more.
Sleep Cycle Trackers & Alarms
Using sleep cycle tracking and alarms can be one of the best ways to ensure that you get a restful night’s sleep.
These apps use your smartphone’s sensors and algorithms to record sleep data and can help you analyze your sleeping patterns.
The app will then provide you with a detailed breakdown of how long you slept, what types of sleep stages you went through and how well you woke up.
This can help you figure out if you have any sleep issues and how you can improve your sleeping habits.
Some apps also offer alarms that gently wake you during your light sleep stage to help prevent you from waking up groggy and tired. These alarms can be programmed to activate during a specific window of time, usually 10 to 45 minutes.
Some apps can even help you track the sounds that are causing you to wake up during the night. These apps can help you detect snoring, coughing and other sounds that may be disrupting your sleep.
The best sleep tracker apps will use your phone’s microphone and speaker to record different sounds throughout the night, including snoring and other noises that could be disrupting your sleep.
They will then record these sounds and analyze them to see if they are related to sleep disruptions or problems.
Bedtime Storytelling Apps
Bedtime storytelling can be a very effective way to help kids relax before going to sleep.
It also provides them with the opportunity to develop their cognitive skills and strengthen their imagination. Besides, it can also reduce their stress and anxiety levels.
In addition to that, it can help them develop their social skills. It can also provide them with a sense of control over their own nighttime routine.
There are many apps that can tell your children a bedtime story, so it is important to choose one that you think will be the best fit for them.
For example, New Horizon offers a range of free bedtime stories that will help your child wind down and get ready for sleep.
Another app that can help your kids prepare for sleep is Nighty Night. It features cute illustrations, sweet lullaby music, and stories with great narration.
The app is free to download, but you will need to subscribe if you want to unlock all the stories available. This app is very popular among parents and kids, so it’s a great option to consider!
The BetterSleep app can track your sleep patterns and provide you with personalized data such as length of sleep and quality.
This information can help you understand your sleeping habits and improve them over time.
