Thomas Dekker said it best: “Sleep is the golden chain that ties our health and our bodies together.” However, over the years, lifestyle changes and societal pressures, paired with easily accessible electronic devices and a large range of online platforms, have reduced our sleep quality and duration.
The irony is that while technology plays a part in causing these problems, it can also be one of the solutions. There are many apps on the market to help you sleep better, and as long as you need, and in this article, I’m going to share some of them with you.
These apps are those that I’ve tried myself and found to be actually useful, instead of just being good advertisers. Now, let’s start the journey to a healthier lifestyle, one app at a time.
1. SleepWatch
If you’re an Apple Watch user like me, this one may be the most suitable choice for you. The app easily syncs with your watch and independently collects a range of data to help you sleep better. Some of this data includes the time you go to bed and wake up, your heart rate and movement, and even the sounds you make while sleeping.
By tracking this data, the app provides you with a sleep score that highlights areas where your sleep is lacking and suggests the changes required. For example, it can help you figure out whether you were in a light or deep sleep, and suggest practices or solutions like white noise to help you reach the ideal sleep state.
It also keeps track of sleep debt, that is, how many hours of sleep you got vs how much is recommended daily. You can also use the app to identify other behaviors like late-night eating or alcohol that may impact your sleep, and take a more well-balanced approach across your entire lifestyle.
While syncing the app with your watch helps, you can still use the app without a watch. Unfortunately for Android users, this one’s only on the Apple App Store. The app runs on a subscription model and has quite a low-price tag, even offering a 7-day free trial.
- Subscription Options: Monthly / Annually
- Prices: Monthly at $5 / Annually at $40
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2. Calm
If you’re looking for a full-scale solution to sleep, relax, and meditate better, Calm might just be what you need. You can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your focus using the apps’ expertly guided meditation, breathing exercises, and sounds or music.
What stood out to me was the app’s Sleep Stories feature. This helps put you to sleep by narrating stories using the voices of different celebrities. My favorite was Matthew McConaughey, I mean that relaxed southern drawl would ease up even the toughest of nuts.
The app also checks on you at different times of the day to ensure the solutions are working. It runs on a subscription model, and the content you’ll have access to varies based on your plan. Since I used the annual plan, I had access to newer content each week. Calm offers a 7-day free trial so you can try before you pay to see if it works for you.
- Subscription Options: Monthly / Annually / Lifetime
- Prices: Monthly at $15 / Annually at $70 / Lifetime at $400
3. Chorus Sleep
If you’d call yourself somewhat of an insomniac, Chorus Sleep can help you change that. The app takes a science-backed approach to helping you sleep better and longer. It uses the concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy (a solution for those who can’t sleep well) to create its in-app programs.
The app shares many features with Calm, such as guided breathing, meditation, and relaxation exercises, as well as soothing sounds like white noise. You can either choose to go for self-guided sessions or use the help of a sleep expert, but I’d recommend going with an expert.
If you own a smartwatch, you can sync the app and collect information on important sleep metrics like heart rate, sleep efficiency, and even snoring. This can help you become wary of bigger threats like sleep apnea and get the help you need timely.
P.S. Syncing your data requires internet connectivity. If you’re looking for a provider, I’d recommend Spectrum. Their speed and reliability worked for me, plus the Spectrum internet prices are quite decent.
You might be wondering, “Hey, the features of this app are quite similar to Calm, but why has this guy ranked it in third place?” There are 3 reasons for that: one, the price is a bit higher, two, the subscription options are a bit limited, and three, there’s no free trial.
- Subscription Options: 1 Month / 6 Months
- Prices: 1 Month at $19 / 6 Months at $60
Sleep Apps – Helping You Utilize Your Full Potential
Sleep is the foundation of our mental and physical well-being, and neglecting it can result in a range of potentially alarming conditions like anxiety, depression, and heart issues.
With these apps, you can learn and act on the changes required to achieve the sleep quality and duration you need to reach your full potential.
