Check out our pick of the best snoozy apps this World Sleep Day!
Sleep is so important for our mental and physical health and wellbeing but many of us don’t get enough of it. If you struggle to get a quality night’s sleep, why not try one of these free sleep apps today?
Calm
Cost: Free (option to upgrade to Calm Premium for £42.99 per year)
This beautifully designed app has a dedicated sleep section filled with relaxing sleep stories, read by celebrities such as Kate Winslet and Matthew McConaughey. Most of these can only be accessed by upgrading to Calm Premium, but the stories by Idris Elba and Stephen Fry are included in the free version of the app.
If stories aren’t your thing, there are lovely meditation guides, designed to help you get the sleep you need. Premium users can also enjoy the Soundscapes – relaxing background sounds such as rain on a window or white noise ocean surf.
Best bit: Click on the mountains on the top-left of your home page to choose a calm background. You can then play audio outside the app to help you drift off. Mountain Lake is our fave!
Available from:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/calm-meditation-and-sleep/id571800810
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.calm.android&hl=en_GB&gl=US
Slumber: Fall Asleep, Insomnia
Cost: Free (upgrade for £38.99 per year)
Slumber has lots of relaxing sleepy stories and meditations to help you drift off, narrated by a host of calming voices. As with the Calm app, you can gain access to a much wider library by upgrading, but there is still plenty of content available for free.
Best bit: The ASMR story, The Orient Express, read by The French Whisperer. It’s a lovely blast of ASMR tingly goodness!
Available from:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/slumber-fall-asleep-insomnia/id1109543953
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fm.slumber.sleep.meditation.stories&hl=en_GB&gl=US
SLEEP by Max Richter
Cost: Free
This is a clever and clean little app from renowned composer, Max Richter. You can link it to your Spotify or Apple Music account and then choose whether you want to sleep, meditate or focus.
The app lets you set a wake-up time or a ‘bring me back’ time for leaving your meditation session. It automatically links up to your chosen streaming account to play Max’s beautifully calming music. There’s also a handy journal section where you can set goals and track your progress.
Best bit: The simple black and white graphic of the moon spinning slowly. It’s incredibly relaxing and peaceful.
Available from:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sleep-by-max-richter/id1509084936
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.umusic.richter&hl=en_GB&gl=US
Headspace
Cost: Free (option to upgrade to Headspace Plus for £4.99 a month)
Aside from amazing meditation exercises and stress-release workouts, which can all help you to get a better night’s sleep, there’s also a whole section dedicated to sleep tools.
You can customise the length of the sleep music and let it play from 10-500 minutes – the Doze music is available for free, but you’ll have to upgrade if you want access to the many more playlists in the library.
Best bit: The slider tool on the sleep stories allows you to change the ambience and voice to customise the sound to your own preference.
Available from:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/headspace-meditation-sleep/id493145008
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.getsomeheadspace.android&hl=en
Sleeptic
Cost: Free (option to upgrade for £15.49 for two months)
Sleeptic is a simple app designed to help you track your sleeping patterns and increase your sleep efficiency. If you’re guilty of hitting snooze one too many times, then this is the app for you – Sleeptic challenges you to play a game in order to turn off your alarm.
Best bit: The statistics section which allows you to link up your Apple HealthKit to get accurate sleep statistics.
Available from:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sleep-analysis-sleeptic/id1448461593
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartalarm.sleeptic&hl=en_GB&gl=US
