5 Apps That Will Help You Sleep Better

Unsplash/Sanah Suvarna

If you’re one of those people who just can’t sleep through the night (or can’t fall sleep to begin with), we can only imagine how frustrated you feel. You may have tried an app or two to help you catch better Zzz’s, but there are so many out there that it’s nearly impossible to know what’s going to work. The five apps below set the bar high and have a lot of potential to help you achieve the incredible night’s sleep you’re craving.

1. Sleep Genius; $4.99 (iOS/Android)

According to the app’s website, NASA named it one of the best 2015 success stories in its annual publication, Spinoff. The app was developed using research that helped astronauts sleep in space. That’s pretty legit. The app studies your sleeping habits over the course of a few days. Then, it starts to wake you in the morning using a gentle five-minute revive cycle. The cycle plays soothing sounds to naturally wake you. It also has relaxation and power nap features.

2. Sleep Cycle; Free (iOS/Android)

Sleep Cycle calls itself a “smart alarm clock” that gathers data about your sleep patterns. You put your phone under your pillow, and the app will record your deepest and lightest stages of sleep. The app will use this data to create a personalized alarm program in which it wakes you gently during your lightest point of sleep closest to your desired wake-up time. You’ll be able to read your patterns to better help you pinpoint major sleep issues.

3. Pzizz; Free (iOS and Android)

If you can’t get yourself to sleep at night, this app might be perfect for you. Pzizz’s website claims to have helped over 500,000 people get to sleep and stay asleep using neurolinguistic programming (a type of verbal and musical therapy). Music and voice prompting are used in the app, and you pick and choose which ones you like best. The app learns what you respond to best and offers a personalized playlist. You can choose how long the app is on and it even works in offline mode.

4. Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson; $2.99 (iOS/Android)

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Deep Sleep is specifically made to help you unwind before going to bed. The app has a variety of meditation exercises with step-by-step instructions that you can do while already in bed. Inspired by Andrew Johnson’s best-selling CD’s, which are intended to help those with anxiety and insomnia, the app utilizes a number of relaxation clips and visuals to help you get to sleep faster.

5. MotionX Sleeptracker; $.99 (iOS/Android)

For $.99, you might get the best bang for your buck with this all-in-one app. The website claims that the app took seven years to develop using “research and development in the biomechanics of natural human motion and sleep optimization.” The app acts like a fitness tracker by measuring your resting heart rate while monitoring your sleep habits and gently waking you up at the lightest point in your sleep cycle. In the morning, you’ll wake up to a detailed report of what the app found, and you’ll be more aware of your own sleeping habits.

Though they’re just apps, they have the potential to help you get the best sleep you’ve had in a while. Plus, you can learn more about your own body. It’s worth a try. Consult your doctor to find out which option is best for you. Everyone deserves great sleep, so get some.