6 mobile apps that can help monitor your sleep

Whether it’s because of work, looking after your kids, insomnia, or sleep-related conditions like sleep apnea, a good night’s sleep can sometimes be hard to come by. Luckily enough, there are plenty of mobile apps that can help bring you a more restful night of sleep.

With the help of these sleeping apps and the perfect mattress and bedding, you can give yourself the best chance possible to drift off at night.

If you’re looking for a cheap and convenient way to check your sleep habits, try these apps.

Sleep Cycle

Sleep Cycle is available for iOS and Android and the app records the percentage of sleep quality and the average time in bed. It also highlights when the shortest night of sleep occurred. Sleep Cycle uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to track your sleep phases, and the app wakes you during light sleep. If you want to wake up when you’re sleeping the lightest, try Sleep Cycle,

The only negative to this app is that you need to be prepared to sleep with your iPhone which isn’t always ideal if you share a bed.

SleepBot

This app is free for iOS and Android and includes a motion tracker that uses a smartphone’s accelerometer. It also keeps track of sleep cycles and records sound levels. SleepBot features detailed tables that break down your sleep history by date, sleep time, wake time, hours of sleep and debt, or amount of sleep lost.

The only negative to this app is that it can put more pressure on you when going to sleep when you get into your long bed at night and cause anxiety. If you are already worried about sleeping then having an app record your sleep may add extra stress to an already tough sleeping situation.

MotionX-24/7

This app monitors the motion of your body in bed to sense the quality of your sleep. MotionX-24/7 records audio clips of when a person snores or moves in the middle of the night. What’s great about this app is that you can set the app to wake you up at the optimal time in a sleep cycle. The app also provides a view of your light sleep, deep sleep and total sleep times. It also plays white noise or soothing music to auto-fade out when you fall to sleep which is the best factor in this app.

Sleep Time

Sleep Time app monitors light and deep sleep phases and graphs from data acquired by a smartphone’s accelerometer. It incorporates an algorithm designed at Stanford University to analyse sleep cycles. Sleep Time rates your sleep with an average efficiency percentage. You can pick your soundscapes among choices such as ocean waves or a rain forest storm. Note that the app doesn’t work if the phone locks during the night.

Despite this app being good, it has one major disappointing factor which is the app doesn’t work if the phone locks during the night.

Smart Alarm Clock

Smart Alarm Clock app for iOS that records noise disturbances while you sleep. The app takes advantage of the iPhone’s touch-screen capabilities to allow you to browse through stats in graphs, such as duration of sleep and time of disturbance, like talking or snoring.

Unlike other apps, this phone does not need to be very close to you. Providing the phone is in the same room it will pick up anything it hears.

Apps that help you sleep

Remember that although these apps can help you with your sleep the apps themselves will use up your battery life overnight so be prepared to either leave it on charge during the night close to you or charge it in the morning when you wake up.

All of these apps above can help with sleep but remember that it will not solve all your problems. Take a closer look at your mattress and bedding to make sure they are a great comfort level for you to drift off at night.