LIFE HACK
3 Apps for Better Sleep
Scientists and your parents agree: Staying healthy means getting the right amount of sleep. But as we all know, catching that proper amount of z’s can be easier said than done. We’ve picked a few apps that can help improve your bedtime routine.
Set your scene with sounds
If you’re the type who likes to fall asleep to a certain sound, look no further than BetterSleep. The app lets you mix and match its collection of ambient audio tracks—waterfalls, chirping birds, howling winds—into your own personalized relaxation soundtrack. Want to drift off to a city thunderstorm? Or a forest in springtime? Or a distant train whistle mixed with the crackle of a vinyl record? You can create whatever you like (or pick an existing mix created by members of the app’s community).
Upgrade your alarm
Here’s how it works: Instead of setting an alarm for precisely 6:30 a.m., tell Sleep Cycle you want to “wake up between 6:15 a.m.–6:45 a.m.” From there, the app will use your device’s microphone to track your sleepy-time noises and estimate when you’re in the lightest part of your sleep cycle. When it does, it’ll gently nudge you awake, not with a hideous burst of digital noise but with cool, soft sounds with names like Warm Breeze, Nightingale, Dreaming Near the Sea, and Caribbean Cove—and who wouldn’t want to wake up there?
Help the kids wind down
If your little ones aren’t big fans of settling down at night, try Moshi: Sleep and Mindfulness, an app full of bedtime stories that are designed to lull them to sleep with soothing narratives and rhythmic sounds. As each 15- to 20-minute story progresses, the pace gradually slows. And most recordings end with several minutes of relaxing music—which, hopefully, your kids won’t hear.