8 Apps to Help You Sleep

apps to help you sleep

8 Apps That Will Help You Sleep Better

Charlotte Grainger

You’re lying in bed, eyes shut tight, trying to fall asleep. You toss, you turn, but you just can’t seem to get comfortable. It’s been hours and you’re scared to check the time on your phone. You need to sleep but it’s simply not happening. If this scenario sounds familiar, you need to do something about it sooner rather than later.

Of course, maintaining a balanced lifestyle, exercising and eating well will help. The better your lifestyle, the better your quality of sleep will be. But, while you should be doing all of the above, there’s another tip you could try too. Yes, there are many sleep apps that can help you get some much-needed rest. Let’s take a look at eight of the best now.

1. Pzizz

Touted as the ‘world's most advanced sleep and power nap system’, Pzizz creates dreamscapes that you can listen to while in bed. Each of these dreamscapes is tailored to the different points in your sleep cycle, which should help you get some rest.

Aside from relaxing sounds, the tracks also include voice narrations to help beat insomnia. Sounds too good to be true, right? Believe it or not, there’s clinical research to support the theory that the Pzizz app can help enhance the benefits of sleep.

Find out more here

2. Nature Sounds Relax & Sleep

Nature Sounds Relax & Sleep is what it says on the tin. The Android-only app offers a range of calming soundtracks to help you drift off to sleep peacefully. There’s a wide range of tracks from which you can choose. From relaxing water sounds to white noise, you should be able to find something that suits your needs. Give it a go!

Find out more here

apps to help you sleep

3. Sleepstation

Fancy having a team of sleep experts at your fingertips? Sleepstation gives you just that. The app offers a six-week online course to help you fall asleep each night. Once you’ve created your account and identified the problem, you can start using the resources.

The first step is to create a seven-day sleep diary, in which you monitor your nighttime activity. When you’ve done that, the app reviews your information and offers you personalised advice to suit your needs. Plus, the app is free when referred by the NHS.

Find out more here

4. Sleep by Headspace

If you’re already using the Headspace app, why not kick things up a gear? You can access the Sleep section through the main app by hitting the button at the bottom of the screen. This part of the premium app includes guided meditations, soothing sleep sounds, and even ‘sleepcasts’. The latter include both visual and audio tracks to help you relax.

Find out more here

5. Slumber

Winner of Apple’s ‘New Apps We Like’ award, Slumber is an ultra-relaxing app that will help you sleep better. The app offers a range of episodes you can listen to when you’re in bed, each of which should ease you into a blissful sleep. Combining bedtime stories, meditation and the sounds of nature, there’s an almost endless choice of episode options.

With the free version of the app, you get ten episodes that you can listen to time and time again. However, if you want full access to the entire library, you will need to get the premium version of the app. You can also use Slumber to track your sleep each night.

Find out more here

apps to help you sleep

6. Sleep Cycle

Do you wake up each morning feeling like you already need a nap? The problem could be that you’re rising at the wrong time during your sleep cycle. That’s where this handy app comes into play. The Sleep Cycle app monitors your sleep and wakes you up at the opportune time when you will feel most rested and revitalised. The app is free to download on either Apple or Android phones, but does include in-app purchases.

Find out more here

7. White Noise Lite

Have you ever tried listening to white noise to help you sleep? Research published in the Journal of Caring Sciences suggests that doing so could both improve and maintain sleep throughout the night. The study found that this sound was efficient when ‘masking environmental noises’ and helping people get some rest. If you want to try it for yourself, there’s a free app that you need to know about.

The White Noise Lite app helps to block out any distractions that could be preventing you from falling asleep. It also aims to help people relax and reduce their stress levels. With over 40 looped sounds and free downloads, you can use this app night after night.

Find out more here

8. Sleepio

Created by Professor Colin Espie from the University of Oxford, Sleepio is a program that teaches you to get more rest. Using both the app and a website, you can start to learn more about how to get to sleep faster, how to block out negative thoughts and how to sleep deeply each night. To start using the free app, you first need to take a quick test.

The evidence-based program uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques. Each session helps to support people when reaching their sleep goals. You can also get bite-sized advice from the professor through the app when you need it the most.

Find out more here

Conclusion

*Yawn*… Ready to hit the hay? Now that you know about the best sleep apps out there, why not try a couple for yourself. Each of these eight apps has something unique to offer. Take the time to consider which one may work for you. Sweet dreams!

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