Do you have problems falling asleep? There are sleep apps that have relaxation methods that can help you. Personally, I usually listen to relaxing sounds and use apps that track sleep cycles. However, I found that very few actually work, since calming the mind and relaxing depends on many factors.
So, are sleep apps reliable? Which is the best option? In this article, I will list apps that help you rest better, along with some recommendations to combat insomnia successfully.
Best Applications to sleep, monitor sleep and combat insomnia
As with anxiety apps, sleep apps offer a series of steps to follow to get better rest. Although it is also good to know how to set an alarm on your mobile with time intervals, it always helps to use an additional tool. Next, I will tell you what they are and what each of them offers.
1. Dream – Sleep App on Apple Watch
If you use the Apple Watch, try this smart bracelet app in the App Store. Some of its functions are sleep recording according to your schedule, alarm clock configuration and activation of sleep mode. If you synchronize it with the Health application on your iPhone, you can check your statistics, goals, and respiratory rate, among others.
2. Headspace guide to sleeping well
Headspace is considered the best meditation app that also includes a series of functions to relax and fall asleep. You can start by choosing between shorter meditation sessions, listening to a relaxing narrative and creating the conditions for deep sleep. It’s free, with a payment option to access more features.
3. Calm: meditation and sleep
Calm has a series of courses and meditation sessions guided by experts, where they teach you breathing techniques to relieve stress and anxiety. The app includes natural sounds, an emotion tracker and inspiring stories that will help you combat insomnia with ease.
4. Pokémon Sleep
Pokémon Sleep tracks your sleep and creates a report of it. You just have to place your device next to your pillow and, when you wake up, see what your Pokémon look like while they sleep. If you want to know more, I invite you to read this practical Pokémon Sleep guide that explains how it works.
5. Sleep Cycle – Sleep Calculator
If you hate the alarm clock, this app can be a perfect replacement to monitor sleep through natural sounds. It includes a repertoire of songs such as birds, sea, river current, garden and soft piano. The good thing is that it is free and you can use it even when you are taking a nap.
6. Meditation: Lojong
This is one of the best free apps to relax and sleep it includes various mental training programs. Although it has many features in its free version, the premium account adds better features, such as the ability to access themes offline.
7. My Oasis
My Oasis is one of the best relaxing mobile games that helps you rest better while playing. The dynamic consists of collecting hearts to collect various animals and expand your island in the middle of nowhere. Includes relaxing sounds and simple designs to calm your mind and control your anxiety.
8. Meditopia: Meditation, Sleep
This is another app to combat insomnia that uses surround sounds, along with a meditation program that covers various topics such as sleep, stress and self-esteem. It also has a timer to meditate without guides in your free time, while you select background music to relax.
9. Sleep Time
If what you are looking for is a sleep calculator, this app is ideal for you. In it, you will find various options to monitor your sleep at any time of the day, whether at night or at midday. That way, you would be able to sleep efficiently and wake up with all the energy to start or continue your day.
10. White Noise Lite
This app is designed to be used in the background, so it will continue working even if you enter another application. Its sound library includes over 40 natural sounds, which can be mixed to create new soundscapes. It is compatible with Chromecast TV, Android devices, iPhones and iPads.
Read Also: What is white noise and how it affects your sleep [4 apps to test]
11. Sleep Monitor: Sleep Tracker
Sleep Monitor is a sleep calculator that helps you rest better. To do this, you must control your rest cycles and analyze the results. Some of its functions are alarm settings, relaxing music and a sleep diary.
12. Better Sleep
This app offers you a wide variety of relaxing music and tones to help you fall asleep. In addition, it has a section of bedtime stories and relaxation techniques that you can try from your bed, while you close your eyes and relax your body.
13. Sleep sounds
In addition to relaxing with immersive music, you can also view background images with simple and calm designs. This app also has an ASMR section, where you will find unique sounds that can give you greater comfort.
14. Zen: Meditation and Sleep
This is a good sleep app that has easy-to-follow guided meditations. There are everything from fighting insomnia to sleeping faster. New sessions and motivational reflections are published every week, to achieve your goals and achieve a fuller life.
Sleep Applications: Warnings and Cautions
According to this study, the main cause of why many young people have sleep and concentration difficulties is spending a long time using their mobile phones. Since social networks have their apps, it has become easier to access them at any time and, mainly, many use them at night to publish or interact with their friends.
That is why it may sound contradictory to think that there is an app for sleeping and falling asleep. Practically, most of them have a similar function, which is to generate sounds, configure a sleep calculator or detect your rest patterns.
While some of these apps have been designed by experts, not all of them come with a guarantee that they work. This was demonstrated by a team of researchers who analyzed a specific app to monitor sleep. In this case, they asked ten volunteers to use it to record their sleep hours.
In the end, they verified that the app has high sensitivity, but low specificity. That is, it can calculate the pulse and respiration, but it is difficult for it to determine if the user is really sleeping or awake.
On the other hand, These apps do not exactly help you sleep but, rather, “They’re based on movement,” says Johnathan Barkham, M.D., a clinical instructor of sleep medicine at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
In addition to limited research and lack of government oversight, some experts worry that cell phones themselves can harm sleep because people bring the devices to bed to check email and social media. So if you do use a sleep app, be sure to keep the phone face down so the light doesn’t bother you, and keep it in airplane mode so you won’t get calls or texts, says Brynn Dredla, M.D., a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.
In conclusion, what you should do is go to a professional if you have insomnia problems. In health matters, you should never leave aside the diagnosis made by a professional to replace it with an application, since very few are actually analyzed by experts.
Now that you know how they work and which are the best apps for sleeping, tell me if any of them worked for you in the comments. If you think this advice has been helpful to you, I invite you to share it with your friends to raise awareness about these types of issues.
