If you are like me then you have trouble sleeping, maybe not all the time but when you can sleep…YOU CAN’T SLEEP!!
Speaking of which I’m writing this at about 3am because guess what, I can’t sleep. So before I use one of these apps that I’ve carefully selected to manage, assist or help with entering sleepy time junction (credit for the animation in the link goes to Penniless Ragamuffin, credit for the mp3 track used goes to Master Sword and of course credit goes to the Game Grumps for inspiring us, and providing the initial jumping off point for both the track and animation, if you want to check out the video that inspired this clip then head over here, the relevant part runs from 4:37 to 5:04)
The first, most recent and most helpful so far for me has been an app called:
Atmosphere (Google Play/Apple Store) I guess overall it’s not super unique, I could have picked any one of dozens of other apps that do the same, I just happened to pick this one but as ambient sound/noise makers go this one has a nice spread, categorised by…genre I guess and you can put on multiple noises at one and raise or lower the volume on one so another can be heard more clearly. It’s also free and doesn’t drain the battery too much. So it’s a must have for the insomniac…who’s trying not to be on the go. A similar app that’s had some celebrity endorsements is Pzizz and it does have more to it, more than just basic noises at least but I’m happy enough with Atmosphere, however if J.K Rowling’s seal of approval is worth something to you then you can get Pzizz on the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.
But in my adventures in not sleeping I’ve also been experimenting with other apps for sleep aid and I recommend you check out:
Insight Timer (Google Play/Apple Store) if the reason you can sleep is your mind is racing, you’re anxious or you just need to unwind I can strongly recommend Insight Timer, not only is it free, in comparison to similar apps like Calm or Headspace who charge a subscription but also it’s just as effective, if not more so because I’m not worrying about a bill when I should be sleeping. It walks you through a variety of meditation practices, allowing you to distress in a relaxed environment. Personally I wasn’t too sure about Meditation I figured it my mind was busy, focusing on my thoughts wouldn’t help but it turns out I was wrong and if you really try then it can certainly help you to relax. It also has variable timed exercises if you need to chill out in a hurry.
SleepScore (Google Play/Apple Store) is a science backed app, that truly examines your sleep cycles and rates/suggest improvements. I’ve found that knowing when I go to sleep and how long it takes as well as my peak sleep times was helpful in moderating my sleep times. Since using it, especially in conjunction with these other apps I’ve found it easier to sleep, and my sleep quality has improved.
Let’s say you have no problem getting to sleep but your partner says you snore and you don’t believe them or you are aware and want a heads up on what the snore means, maybe even a heads up on potential health issues. Then check out:
Snorelab (Google Play/Apple Store) does everything I said above, I monitors your snoring and records your snoring and helps you to eliminate it. I’m still working through this one so I can’t say if it works 100% but it does detect and analyse your snoring which is what I want at this stage.
So there we have it apps for before, during and after sleeping, all personally vetted by me, all available on both IOS and Android and all free, although some do have additional options that can be paid for, but aren’t required to make use of the app. The jumping off point for this article was Atmosphere however and I cannot recommend it highly enough, the ambient noise is ideal for me and has actually improved my nights rest.
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