Best Apps for Better Sleep (Android and iOS)

It’s been a month and counting since cities in the Philippines are in community quarantine. There are a lot of adjustments for everyone, and one of them is sleep. Since most of us work or keep ourselves entertained indoors, we tend to find more reasons to sleep later each night, or should I say early morning.

However, at times like this, where in the world is in a pandemic, staying healthy is very important. And getting good sleep can boost your immune system and daily performance. So to help you get better periods of sleep, here are some tips with apps you can try, whether you’re an Android or iOS user.

Listen to bedtime stories

Personally, I was skeptical about listening to bedtime stories before. But upon trying it, suddenly it became a go-to strategy for me to fall asleep faster without thoughts lingering in my head. There are podcasts that you can listen to on Spotify, Apple Music, or other platforms that focus on producing soothing bedtime stories. Some of them are Get Sleepy, Sleep with Me, and Sleepy.

If you want a more in-depth experience, then try the app Calm for sleep stories that feature well-known voices such as Stephen Fry, Jerome Flynn, LeBron James, and more. Calm has a free trial, but it will charge you PHP 2,700USD 46INR 3,900EUR 44CNY 335 annually after.

Download Calm: Android/iOS

Eat early dinner or try fasting

It’s true that when you digest food, your internal body clock knows that you’re awake. So it’s best to eat dinner at least 3-4 hours before your bedtime. On the other hand, if you’re interested, try fasting. Not only is it a normal part of sleep, but fasting will also put your body on standby to repair itself. To guide you on regulated fasting, download the app Zero – Fasting Tracker.

Download Zero – Fasting Tracker: Android/iOS

Stretch your stress away

After a long day, consider a ritual before bed like doing yoga. You don’t have to be an expert to be able to do this activity, and yoga is highly effective in releasing stress and negative effects on your sleep. Start with simple stretches and move forward with basic positions from the app 5 Minute Yoga.

Download 5 Minute Yoga: Android/iOS

Exercise guided breathing

If yoga really isn’t your thing, then take time before going to bed to do some breathing exercises. A slow and steady breathing pattern helps foster a sense of calm within you. Take time to release the things that are bothering you at the moment and be mindful of the present. You can try free apps like The Breathing App or Breathe2relax.

Download The Breathing App: Android/iOS

Download Breathe2relax: Android/iOS

Play relaxing games

And if you still don’t find deep breathing exercises effective for you, then consider playing idle relaxing games like My Oasis or Penguin Isle.

Download My Oasis: Android/iOS

Download Penguin Isle: Android/iOS

Jot it down

One of the reasons why people get hard times to sleep better is having countless worries. Don’t worry, it’s normal and almost everyone gets it, but one way to handle your thoughts is writing them down. Whatever it is, no matter how big or small, just put them in your notes and read it then in the morning when you’re head is refreshed from a good rest. Almost every smartphone has a note-taking app pre-installed but you can also opt for feature-loaded ones like Evernote or Google Keep.

Download Evernote: Android/iOS

Download Google Keep: Android/iOS

And finally, a few more tips to improve your sleep is to avoid napping during the day or limiting it between 20 to 30 minutes for a power nap. Also, go for drinking caffeine-free tea or coffee instead; or drink your caffeine earlier than 3 pm so it won’t affect your sleep.

We hope that these apps and tips can eventually help you get better sleep quality. Share to us in the comments about your experience or if you have more to add on the list. Sleep tight!