You need sleep. (Yeah, you already know that.) What isn’t always intuitive is how to get it. Between all of the stress the world has served up this past year and
Some of these digitally-available apps allow you to access meditation sessions or white noise recordings that you can play next to your pillow. Others monitor your sleep behaviors (like breathing and time spent tossing and turning) to help you make adjustments to your bedtime routine. “All of these apps have similar principles built into them,” says Rafael Pelayo, MD, professor at Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine and author of How to Sleep. At the end of the day, they’re designed to help you reach your sleep goals.
Pelayo’s pro tip for getting the most out of your app: Stick with it. After you’ve established your baseline (you do this the first time you use your app), use it enough times to identify trends in your sleep. (Note, if you find that your sleep declines, it might be worth checking in with a doctor.)
Pelayo notes that sleep apps can be “convenient, practical, and effective,” tools for getting a good night’s rest. Learn more about some of our favorites, below.