Confession: I’ve never been super into sleep apps, but now I’ll take all the help I can get. Because, well, good sleep hygiene kind of fell to the bottom of my list of priorities these past few months. Understandable but definitely not ideal. On the one hand, there are a ton of reasons why our sleep would be all out of whack, from pandemic-related anxieties that keep us up late to wonky routines that make time (and consequently bedtimes) feel fake. At the same time, sleep is crucial in a million ways, and now isn’t the best time to slack on habits that support our mental health. So I’ve been trying out a lot of sleep apps.
Don’t get me wrong—there are a lot of factors that go into getting enough good-quality sleep (such as avoiding these sleep mistakes or trying these hacks for falling asleep faster). That said, even if we know the importance of sleep and technically how to get it, it’s often easier said than done. Sleep apps can be useful tools if you’re struggling to put some good sleep habits into practice, whether you need to overhaul your sleep hygiene completely or just keep a closer eye on it. Below, find the best sleep apps to help you build good habits, wind down at night, track your z’s, and wake up feeling refreshed.
1. Calm
On top of guided meditations, music, and nature sounds to lull you to sleep, Calm also has “sleep stories” to bring back the comforts of a classic bedtime story. Some of them are even narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Laura Dern, Leona Lewis, and Harry Styles.
Get it: $70/year, iOS and Google Play
2. SleepTown
Building healthy sleep habits can be such a process and SleepTown gamifies it in a way that might actually motivate you to keep it up. Basically, you set sleep-related goals (like waking up at a certain time), and as you stick to them, you construct buildings and expand a mini town within the app. But if you miss your goal, your buildings get demolished. (You might be familiar with the company’s other app, Forest, which grows trees as long as you don’t use your phone to help you stay focused.)
Get it: $2, iOS and Google Play
3. Noisli
Noisli isn’t strictly a sleep app, but it’s perfect for anyone who likes to fall asleep to sounds or music. It allows you to mix and match different sounds (like thunderstorms, wind, fire, or café noise) to create the ideal noisescape for you. If you’re not feeling super creative, it also features premade playlists you can enjoy without fuss, including one for sleep.
Get it: $2 to download, then free for basic use or $10/month for optional premium subscription, iOS and Google Play
4. Twilight
We won’t be the first to tell you how screens can screw with your sleep, but we know it can be so hard to disconnect from your devices before bedtime anyway. A good middle ground is reducing your exposure to blue light, which can suppress the production of a sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin. Twilight tones down blues on your display and shifts instead to a red tone that’s easier on the eyes and helpful for sleep. (Apple users, you can just utilize Night Shift mode for this).
Get it: Free, Google Play
5. Rise
Using data from your phone and optional wearable devices (like an Apple Watch or Fitbit), Rise analyzes your sleep habits and offers recommendations to optimize your routine for quality sleep. For example, it suggests when to start winding down, when to eat big meals, and when to start avoiding blue light for the night, all in the name of preparing you for a quality night of sleep. (Many athletes love it to help optimize their performance.)
Get it: $7/month, iOS and Google Play
6. Pzizz
This app features what they call dreamscapes, or mixes of music, voiceovers, and sound effects to help you doze off. Most notably, some of its dreamscapes are designed for power naps, so if you’re someone who has a hard time falling asleep quickly and conveniently during the day (or always wake up groggy after), Pzizz might be worth a shot.
Get it: Free for basic, $10/month or $70/year for optional premium subscription, iOS and Google Play
7. Slumber
Another solid option for anyone looking for sleep meditations, soundscapes, and adult bedtime stories. Slumber has a robust library—more than 150 episodes—and individual stories are customizable. Reviewers love how you can adjust the background noise of individual sleep stories to make them a perfect fit.
Get it: $50/year, iOS (join the Android wait list here)
8. Sleep Cycle
How we wake up is an important part of sleep too. Smart alarm clock app Sleep Cycle aims to analyze your sleep in order to wake you up at the best time—meaning during a light sleep phase so waking up feels as gentle and easy as possible.
Get it: Free or $30/year for optional premium subscription, iOS and Google Play
9. Sleep Time
Half smart alarm, half soundscape app, Sleep Time is for anyone who wants to make falling asleep and waking up a little easier. With its customized sleep reports, you can get insights about your habits (like how often you hit snooze and when).
Get it: $2 to download and $30/year for optional premium subscription, iOS and Google Play
10. Relax & Sleep Well
If you want to try something a little different, Relax & Sleep Well is a popular app from hypnotherapist Glenn Harrold. Many of the recordings (including four free hypnotherapy and meditation sessions) target insomnia caused by stress and anxiety.
Get it: Free with in-app purchases, iOS and Google Play
11. Do I Snore or Grind?
The thing about snoring and grinding your teeth is that they can both really impact your sleep—but many people have no idea that they do it. This app, by SleepScore Labs, helps you figure out if and when you snore or grind your teeth through recordings, then offers insight on the various causes and remedies that might help.
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Get it: Free, iOS and Google Play
12. Relax Melodies
Another sound-mixing app to help you create the perfect sleepscape to doze off to, but with some unique features. Relax Melodies incorporates nature sounds, binaural beats (meaning sounds of different frequencies in each ear so the result is more immersive), ASMR-inspired noises, white noise, and more. It also has bedtime stories and meditations.
Get it: $10/month or $60/year, iOS and Google Play
13. Headspace
This list wouldn’t be complete without this popular meditation app that experts and users alike love for all things mindfulness and meditation. If you find yourself lying awake at night with a million anxious thoughts swirling through your head, Headspace’s guided sleep meditations might help turn down the noise.
Get it: $13/month or $70/year, iOS and Google Play
14. Moshi
This sleep and mindfulness app for kids will not only potentially help your young-uns get to sleep, it may also teach them good mindfulness habits that will help for life. And hey, if your kids sleep better, you sleep better.
Get it: $40/year, iOS and Google Play
15. Sleep as Android
This hugely popular smart alarm (we’re talking 4.5 average rating based on 317,569 reviews) has an enthusiastic fan base for plenty of reasons, including its Spotify integration that allows you to wake up to your favorite music.
Get it: Free with in-app purchases, Google Play
