Sleep is a funny thing. Staying up past your bedtime as a kid was a treat. Sleep didn’t seem so elusive back then. But now with longer workdays, a serious caffeine habit, and an endless stream of binge-worthy shows, it’s a miracle if you get six hours of shut-eye per night. Then go ahead and check out these eight apps to help you get more shut eye:
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Tune out all of the background noise—from your clunky pipes to your loud next-door neighbor—with this app. Don’t let the name deceive you. You can opt for traditional white noise or choose from a full catalog of ambient sounds, including “extreme rain pouring” and “cat purring.”
(Free on iOS and Android)
This app lets you be your own sleep DJ. Choose from more than 70 pre-recorded ambient sounds or mix them up on your own. You’ll never get bored, considering there are more than 300,000 possible combinations. The app also includes a sleep timer and alarm clock.
(Free on iOS and Android)
Do you wake up feeling groggy even after getting a solid eight hours of sleep? That’s probably because your alarm jolted you awake in the middle of deep sleep. This app is designed to wake you up at the lightest point in your sleep cycle. That means the app may wake you up 15 or 20 minutes before your typical alarm, but you’ll feel refreshed.
(Free on iOS and Android)
Studies have found that meditation and exercise can help with sleep issues, and that’s exactly what Centered does. You can choose from seven mindfulness practices, including self-guided meditation, a mindful walk, and body-awareness meditation.
(Free on iOS)
For years meditation has been sold to us as some mystical type of practice. But Headspace is here to prove anyone can do it. The guided meditations help slow down the racing thoughts in your head — a necessary skill when you try to fall asleep fast.
(Free on iOS and Android)
If you think you’re too busy to meditate, we’ve got news for you: All you need is three minutes. Aura specializes in guided micro-meditations. Start by telling the app how you’re feeling (anxious? stressed? great?), and get a meditation tailored to your needs. The app also features a gratitude journal, which studies have shown can help people fall asleep faster.
(Free on iOS and Android)
Fall asleep using the same ambient noises NASA sends to astronauts to help them get shut-eye in space. The scientifically composed audio is designed to relax your breathing, lower your heart rate, and prepare your brain for sleep. It’s basically like the app version of getting rocked to sleep as a baby.
(Free on iOS and Android)
How many times did you fall asleep in the middle of a lecture when your teacher was droning on and on? This app does the same thing, thanks to Andrew Johnson’s gentle, melodic voice. You can’t help but feel relaxed while listening to his guided meditations.
(Free on iOS and Android)
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