Do you often wake up feeling exhausted? If you’re finding it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep, these apps may be just the thing you need.
Sleep can be troubled for a variety of reasons. Be it the pressure of work, the admin of life or the challenges of raising a family that run rampant through your mind the minute the lights go off. Or perhaps there’s nothing worrying you at all and yet you still can’t manage to nod off.
Sleep hygiene has become a popular wellness buzzword, and countless studies have proved that good sleep quality is essential for our overall mental and physical health.
If your bedtime routine is faultless, and yet you’re still struggling to get a good kip, we’ve rounded up our favourite apps that may provide just the thing you need.
Best apps for sleep tracking
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Sleep Cycle
From falling asleep to waking up, this app is your personal AI sleep assistant.
Sleep Cycle includes a library of sleep-inducing sounds and relaxing stories to help your mind relax and naturally drift off, as well as track your snooze with sound technology — removing the need to wear a bulky watch or ring.
Stats are provided to help you understand how long it takes you to drift off as well as the exact amount of time you slept, while masterclasses with experts such as Dr Mike Gradisar are available to help you tackle your sleep challenges.
From £34.99 for a one-year subscription. You can get a 30-day free trial here.
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Pillow
Those with an Apple watch already have access to an ideal wearable for sleep stats, and it easily links up to the Pillow app for vital insights like your time spent in REM, light and deep sleep.
Pillow measures your heart rate as well as taking audio recordings, which are used to measure disturbances such as snoring, sleep apnea and talking in your sleep.
Unlike other apps, Pillow has presets such as powernap and full-cycle nap to help you take a purposeful midday snooze.
Premium subscription starts from £29.99 per year. Download a free version here.
Calm
Calm is one of those all-rounders that helps you to unwind in all sorts of ways. The audiobook app provides a great way to relax without sitting in silence or counting sheep. Narrators include powerhouses such as Stephen Fry, and there’s even an audiobook session for kids with tales like Winnie-the-Pooh.
If audio books aren’t your thing, opt for one of the soothing music options, and you can track your sleep using the clever tool, which monitors things like quality and duration.
Premium subscription starts from £49.99 per year, with a free trial available to download here.
Headspace
Meditation, or ‘beditation’, can be key in relaxing the mind, leading to falling into a deep sleep easier, and waking up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of the day.
While this isn’t a sleep tracker, the app does include loads of sleep exercises and guided meditations created by experts to help you learn how to sleep the right way for your body.
Premium subscription starts at £49.99 per month, or a seven-day free trial is available to download here.
SleepScore
Improve your sleep without wearables. This app uses your smartphone microphone to track your breathing and body movement to measure your sleep. Simply keep your phone next to you on the mattress to allow it to work.
The SleepScore app gives daily (or rather, nightly) feedback on your sleep and compares it to the ideal stats for people your age and gender.
Annual premium subscription starts at £44.99.
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Sleepio
Looking for a free sleep tracking app? Sleepio is recommended by the NHS and can be free for some through the NHS.
The app’s six-week course will help users identify the cause of their poor sleep, how to make lifestyle adjustments during the day and night for better sleep, and how to clear your mind before sleep.
The NHS suggests that within three weeks, users start noticing improvements in their sleep.
The free app is available to download here.
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