Let’s face it – life’s busy in 2020. So busy in fact, that many of us struggle with slowing our minds down at night and getting off to sleep. This can lead to all sorts of health problems, such as memory issues, trouble concentrating, mood swings, accidents, weakened immunity, high blood pressure, risk of diabetes and weight gain. The list goes on.
So, what do we do about it? How do we ensure we get an adequate amount of quality sleep each night to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day? Well, in 2020, the answer seems to come in the form of sleep apps.
Sleep trackers, meditation apps, sleep aids – all designed to help you slow your heart rate and fall asleep with ease. Using nature sounds, white noise and other sound effects to help you drift off into a deep sleep, sleep apps improve your sleep quality so you feel your best self each day. And don’t forget the handy smart alarm to ensure you don’t sleep in too long!
Here are the best sleep apps of 2020 and why you need to download them right now. Zzz...
1. Pzizz
“Sleep at the push of a button!” This is the tagline of one of the world’s most-loved sleep apps, Pzizz. Endorsed by everyone from J.K. Rowling to the Duke of York, Pzizz uses a combination of a soothing voice with binaural tones (or bears) to help you drift off to sleep. Pzizz is designed to help you get in a good power nap or get off to sleep.
Using the app is pretty simple. All you have to do is choose which module you wish to use – Power Nap or Sleep – and then select the settings for each. The default settings are ideal for getting started, then progress to other settings as you get more familiar with the sleep app.
These settings include Length (how long you want Pzizz to play), Voice (whether you want to the voice turned on or not), Volumes and Alarm (in case you don’t wake up from your nap in time!).
2. Sleep Cycle
One of the things we love about this app is that when you visit its website you can see in real-time how many of its users are asleep right now and woke up in the last 12 hours. You can also see the average sleep time and average sleep quality of its users, which definitely made us feel a lot better about our own often-poor sleep!
Sleep Cycle believes that by tracking your sleep you’ll find your perfect wake-up window and will feel the benefits of better health. The app tracks your sleep patterns by using sound analysis to identify sleep phases and your movements in bed. Sleep Cycle uses a wake-up phase (30 minutes by default) that ends at your desired alarm time. The app will monitor signals from your body during this phase to wake you softly when you’re in the lightest sleep phase possible.
3. Relax Melodies
This popular app helps sleep-searchers catch some zzz’s by combining soothing, ambient sounds, sleep meditations, bedtime stories and breathing techniques. The app offers over 100 soothing sounds and music designed specially by in-house experts to lull its users into a deep sleep stage.
Another feature of Relax Melodies is SleepMoves, a series of innovative body exercises developed in collaboration with sleep professionals. Also available is Sound Breathings, an assortment of breathing techniques that will see you achieve specific goals such as reducing anxiety and clearing your mind.
4. Sleep Time
Another popular sleep app that tracks and analyses sleep data, Sleep Time uses an accurate, state-of-the-art algorithm to monitor your movements throughout the night. It then generates customised data of your sleep cycles in easy-to-digest charts and graphs.
Much like Sleep Cycle, Sleep Time uses a handy smart alarm which works out the best time to wake you during the ideal moment of your lightest sleep stage. The aim? Ultimate revitalisation, of course.
Soundscapes (think calming waves and tropical storms) help you enter the Land of Nod with ease. Forget counting sheep!
5. White Noise
Do you live in a busy city where the sound of sirens at night or rubbish collection trucks in the morning keep you from getting a decent night’s sleep? Or perhaps you’re simply a light sleeper and even the simplest sound of a bird cooing outside will keep you up.
If so, White Noise is the app for you. A free app that allows you to cycle through 40 sounds or combine several together to help you sleep better, White Noise is very easy to use. Simply swipe your thumb on the screen the same way you would your camera roll on your iPhone.
Options include ocean waves crashing, rain on a car roof, blowing wind and many more. Download the app today and experience the benefits of white noise.
6. Awoken
A slightly different take on a sleep app, Awoken is described as a “lucid dreaming tool”. Free to download, Awoken aims to connect you to your mind and dreams on a “whole new level”. Using a combination of proven techniques with experimental enhancements made possible by smartphones, this unique sleep app helps you to have lucid dreams.
The app is split up into a range of innovative features, such as Reality Checks, Dream Journal and Totem Sound. Reality Checks allow you to set an interval between a part of the day (for instance 7am and 11pm) where reminders will randomly notify you to take note of your surroundings. This allows you to distinguish your life from a dream – a key exercise in learning to lucid dream.
Dream Journal allows you to make note of your dreams each morning digitally, while Totem Sound is designed to condition you into performing reality checks during the night when you’re sleeping. The idea is for the sound to play into your dream and awaken your mind to the dream while inside. Mind-blowing, right?
7. Headspace
We couldn’t finish this list without mentioning Headspace. Ok, it’s actually a meditation app, but it doubles up as being great for sleeping, too. The free version has “sleepcasts”, which are basically 45 to 55 minute-long audio experiences that help you visualise calming experiences. A bit like adult bedtime stories.
These visualisations include things like walking through a garden or listening to a slow-moving train. Each night there are brand new sleepcasts to stop you from ever getting bored. Once you’re hooked (which we guarantee you will be), you’ll likely want to upgrade to the paid version which gives you access to more than 40 themed meditation courses, plus many more sleepcast and music options.
Once you've downloaded your sleep app, don't forget to wear your favourite sustainable downtime wear from our Boody Lounge range. Perfect for finding your downtime!
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