This story was updated in November 2021 to reflect the latest subscription pricing for multiple sleep apps. We also added the Core app as a top pick based on testing led by the Good Housekeeping Institute‘s Media & Tech Lab.
Struggling to catch enough zzz’s? There’s an app for that (no surprise there!). In fact, there are so many sleep apps that promise to help you fall and stay asleep that it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth a try. That’s where the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute come in. To determine the best sleep apps out there, we got feedback from real consumers, spoke with a clinical psychologist and had Rachel Rothman, our chief technologist and director of engineering, report back on some of the effective sleep-focused apps she’s tested.
If you’re feeling extra restless lately, you’re not alone: More than 5 million Americans have issues getting to sleep each night, according to a 2019 study from Iowa State University. Getting yourself into the right headspace to sink into your pillows and quiet your mind isn’t an easy task, and different resources work for different people. Some may enjoy guided meditation facilitated by experts; others might rely on audio activities designed to ease anxiety in the moment. The apps on this list have multiple features designed to calm you right before you put your phone down for the evening.
But there’s one caveat: If you choose an app that also gives you insights into your sleep patterns, like how much time you spent in REM cycle, try not to obsess about the data because that can turn into a whole new snooze-time problem. “If, in the morning, your app says you slept only 65 percent of the night, you may become anxious and develop psychophysiological insomnia, which means you start to turn to bad habits like alcohol or medication to try to get what your app says is sufficient sleep,” says Raj Dasgupta, M.D., sleep expert and associate professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Whether you want to drift off to sweet sounds of nature, white noise or a bedtime story, download one of these apps today to get the slumber you (so desperately) need. Sweet dreams!
*With additional reporting by Alyssa Jung and Zee Krstic.
Slip on the Oura ring and drift off to dreamland. “This is one of the most accurate trackers on the market, and it uses hardware so you benefit from having that sensor,” says Michael J. Breus, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Tiny sensors detect body signals via the highly sensitive arteries in your fingers, so you’ll be able to learn about and track things like heart rate, temperature and sleep activity. If you wear it all day long (which is encouraged), you’ll learn what’s going on inside during daylight hours too. How does this help you sleep? Knowing your body and its trends can help you target things that need more work and will eventually help you snooze better, such as getting more daily exercise or spending a few extra minutes engaging in mind-clearing mindfulness.
Cost: Free to download, $299 for the ring.
Get it for iOs or Android.
Somryst is like having a sleep trainer on-demand. “It’s one of several sleep apps developed using CBTi (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy),” says Breus. “It provides you with actual insomnia therapy that’s FDA-approved and shown to be effective, and this app has great data behind it.” If you have health insurance, check to see if it covers this app — either way, you can still reap its benefits by filling out a sleep questionnaire and consulting with a sleep specialist via telemedicine before diving in. You’ll get insight into your own personal sleep troubles and learn strategies for better sleep that are designed to stick because you’re actually training your brain.
Cost: Free to download, varies based on insurance status.
Get it for iOs or Android.
The Muse app is like having a sleep assistant guiding you to a better bedtime. “I use this almost every day. It’s awesome!” says Breus. You can use the app all on its own, with guided meditations available to calm your mind so it’s primed for rest. But you can also purchase a special sensor-speckled headband that will translate your brain activity into meditations perfect for you, and use your body reads to give you even more personalized sleep tools.
Cost: Free to download, $249.99 for the Muse 2 headband.
Get it for iOs or Android.
Headspace has made a name for itself as a meditation app, but it’s also great for sleep. The free version has “sleepcasts,” which are 45- to 55-minute-long audio experiences (kind of like adult bedtime stories) that help you visualize calming experiences, like a slow moving train or a walk through a garden. There are new stories every night, so you’ll never get bored. If you upgrade to the paid version, you’ll get access to more than 40 themed meditation courses (like for sleep and stress), plus many more sleepcast and music options to help you wind down.
Cost: Free for select content; $70/year for full access.
Get it for iOS or Android.
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s experts absolutely love how easy it is to use the Core app and its accompanying meditation device. To get started, all you have to do is pick up the small handheld device while the app on your phone guides you through a soothing meditation session, whether it’s for sleep, anxiety or stress. It’s the perfect tool to help you center your attention on Core’s gentle vibrations and guide your breathing right before drifting off, especially if you’re someone who has a hard time meditating in the first place.
Our testers liked Core’s natural wood design, which not only looks beautiful on a nightstand but contains ECG biosensors to measure and track your progress in the app. Lab experts also pointed out that the Bluetooth connectivity with Core and a mobile device was seamless, and the device’s charge lasted for days.
Cost: Premium bundle includes device (typically $179) and subscription (typically $70/year) for $200.
Get it on iOS and Android.
This super simple app lets you choose from a bunch of different sounds (like thunder, wind, white noise and even the buzz of a coffee shop) to create your ideal sleep soundtrack. You can even combine sounds you love and save them in the app for future use. Pro tip: If you’re using it overnight, keep your phone plugged in — otherwise, you may wake up to a drained battery.
Cost: $2, website is free.
Get it for iOS or Android.
With Pzizz, you can set a timer for the length of a sleep session so it plays a soothing dreamscape (read: combo of music, voiceovers and sound effects) while you snooze; then, you can wake up to the built-in alarm. You’ll need to upgrade for more advanced features, like the ability to choose different sounds, but the app offers a seven-day free trial.
Cost: Free for select features; $70/year for full access.
Get it for iOS or Android.
Slumber offers a combination of experiences to help you fall asleep, whether it’s meditation focused, a six-part bedtime story series or the sound of a warm jacuzzi. You can also choose a background noise (like rain or the ocean) to play for up to 10 hours after the main track ends. New sleep-inducing stories and meditations are added each week, and you can listen to them all if you upgrade to the premium version (otherwise, you can get many episodes for free).
Cost: Free for 10+ episodes; $60/year for full access.
Get it for iOS.
The Calm app is super easy to use, and the Sleep Stories section has bedtime stories (for kids and adults!) read aloud by people with soothing voices, including celebrities like Matthew McConaughey. Only a few stories are included for free, but getting a subscription unlocks a huge library of meditations made specifically for sleep — plus categories like stress and ASMR!
Cost: Free for some features; $70/year for full access (includes a seven-day free trial).
Get it for iOS or Android.
If you want to learn how you slept, the Sleep Cycle app is for you. It tracks your sleep patterns and provides tips to optimize your snooze time. Plus, it has an alarm clock that gently wakes you up when you’re in your lightest sleep phase so you’ll wake up feeling refreshed. Just keep in mind that no sleep tracker is 100 percent accurate, so if you’re really struggling with your sleep, you may need to see a dedicated sleep specialist. “Accuracy can be an issue here because you don’t have a sensor physically on the body, but it can still provide you with clues about your sleep,” Breus says.
Cost: Free.
Get it for iOS or Android.
If you still haven’t found a sleep app that works for you, Ten Percent Happier is worth a shot. It offers a wide range of meditations — including ones for sleep — that range from three minutes to 45 minutes to help you relax and fall asleep. There are also meditation courses spanning a variety of genres and the option to message a coach for extra support.
Cost: Free for some features; $100/year for a subscription (includes a seven-day free trial).
Get it for iOS or Android.
If you want to establish a nightly routine that helps you ease your mind for bed, why not try journaling? You don’t even need an actual journal to do this. Reflectly is an intelligent journal that asks you guided questions and prompts you to organize your thoughts. It helps you, well, reflect on the day, on your thoughts and any problems you may have faced. You may find yourself moving past thoughts that would have kept you up otherwise.
Cost: After a free trial, $10/month, or $60/year.
Get it for iOS and Android.
On the hunt for bedtime help with the little ones? Rothman says she has used this whimsical app with her children to calm them before bed, as it’s a modern upgrade to story time. Sleepiest is loaded with bedtime stories that you can mark as favorites as you go, but it also features auditory meditative techniques like white noise to ease bedtime routines. Push notifications on a child’s phone can remind them it’s time for sleep, and soothing background music can help them drift off too.
Cost: Free version, plus premium users charged $10/month or $50/year.
Get it for iOS.
If kids (or cartoon lovers!) are looking for an illustrated storybook to flick through before bed, this digital replacement, Moshi brings fantastic worlds to life featuring real-life stars. Goldie Hawn voices a Moshi track aimed at reducing kids’ anxiety around germs and daily routines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most stories last between 15 and 20 minutes to engage kids while they get ready for sleep, and you can download them for instances where WiFi may not be available (e.g. traveling on planes!).
Cost: Free limited version, or a premium subscription with more content is $60/year (includes a seven-day free trial).
Get it on iOS and Android.
Selina Tedesco, Good Housekeeping Institute
Product Testing Analyst, Media & Tech Lab
Selina Tedesco is a product testing analyst in the Media & Tech Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she evaluates consumer goods like electronics, smart devices, toys, cars and home improvement merchandise.
Amina Lake Abdelrahman, Good Housekeeping Institute
Editorial Assistant
Amina is an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she works with lab experts (who test all the latest products) and writes original content based on their recommendations.
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