What’s (APP)ening?
Whether you sleep three hours a night or eight, your smartphone may hold the secret to a good night’s rest, helping you feel more productive and awake in the morning. Here are some apps students, staff and faculty can use to maximize their sleeping hours — no matter how short they might be:
Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
Device: iPhone
Cost: $0.99
With this app, you will never have to be jolted from a deep sleep or dream again. Place the iPhone on the bed while you sleep, and the app will analyze your sleep cycle and pick the best time within a 30-minute window for you to wake up. Using a built-in accelerometer to measure movement and sound, the app will wake you in the lightest phase of sleep so you feel well-rested and ready to start the day. It also keeps statistics on how you sleep so it gets better at judging over time. For Android users, there’s a free version called “Sleep as Android” that works, too.
Relax and Sleep
Device: Android
Cost: Free
If you find yourself too wired to sleep in silence, this app offers 35 soothing sounds of water, nature and white noise to help you relax and sleep. Combine two or more sounds to make a melody that works for you. The auto-off timer will make sure the music doesn’t play all night long. There’s also a $2 version of the app that allows you to preset your favorite sounds for falling asleep and create a custom alarm sound for waking up.
Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson
Device: iPhone, Android, Windows Phone
Cost: $2.99
This app is a guided meditation with self-help expert Andrew Johnson, aiming to gently ease the user into a deep sleep. The app includes instructions for breathing and relaxation techniques to get you to sleep fast. With four out of five stars and more than 700 reviews, there’s a good chance this app may work for you, too.
Sleep Talk Recorder
Cost: (iPhone) $0.99 (Android) Free
While this app may not help you maximize your sleep, it can help you find out if you talk in your sleep or prove that someone else does. Put the phone on your bed or bedside table before you sleep, and the app will record any nighttime rambling. There’s an option to share the recordings on Facebook and Twitter … if you’re not embarrassed by what you hear.