I must admit, I'm a bit of a sleep tracking nerd. I've been monitoring my sleep patterns for over a year now using an app and it's amazing what you find out about yourself.
Things like “actually, that glass of beer doesn't help me sleep better“, or even how I sleep after I've exercised or when I've had a lot on my mind and feel a little stressed about work etc.
If you're considering trying a sleep tracking app or are looking for an alternative to your current solution, in this article we review 7 of the very best sleep tracking apps on the market.
6 of The Best Sleep Tracking Apps
1. SleepCycle (4.7 /5)
Arguably the most recognised app in the list, Sleep Cycle tracks and analyzes your sleep and detects the perfect time to wake you up so that you feel more rested and alert.
I've personally used Sleep Cycle for over a year now (553 nights and counting to be exact). Now when I first started using the app it was pretty basic but the design was slick and it ticked all of the boxes.
Since the, over 1.5 years later, they have seriously upped their game when it comes to features, usability, reporting and integration.
The Pros of Sleep Cycle
- Wake Up Phase can be set for 10, 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes – meaning the alarm will sound within the chosen minutes before and up to your alarm time.
- 4 Free alarm sounds and TONS of premium options, plus the option to choose your own song from your library.
- Sleep notes allow you to log journal-style notes alongside your sleep, so if you've had a great sleep you can recall what you did that day.
- Great statistics showing your sleep quality, the time you went to bed/woke up and time spent in bed all in nice graphs.
2. SleepScore (4.3 /5)
SleepScore is both a sleep tracker and sleep health app that excels when it comes to helping you wind down before bedtime with soothing sounds. It's smart alarm will wake you in the lightest part of your sleep cycle and track all of the necessary data for you to hack your sleep.
The Pros of SleepScore
- Accurate tracking of your sleep cycles including REM sleep, wake time, deep/light sleep.
- The selection of sounds to help you drift off to sleep in a calm and relaxed manner really do help.
- Offers science-backed sleep advice based on your data to help improve your sleep.
- The Sleep Sanctuary function will analyze your bedroom’s light & sound to create the perfect sleep sanctuary, + get local outside temperature.
3. Sleep Tracker 24/7 (4.1 /5)
As the title suggests Sleep Tracker 24/7 is an ‘always-on' activity tracker for the iPhone which claims to be “The best professional medical-class tool for the iPhone”. Not only does this app focus on improving your sleep, but also alerts you when to ‘Get Active” after being stationary for too long (which can negatively impact your sleep).
The Pros of Sleep Tracker 24/7
- Always-on, not just a sleep tracker but an overall health professional for your iPhone.
- Accurate heart rate and sleep monitoring to track cycles and provide bio-feedback for you to increase sleep quality.
- Activity is automatically tracked, including waypoints, steps counter etc making it a duel-purpose app.
Download Sleep Tracker 24/7 Here
4. Sleep Genius (4.1 /5)
Sleep Genius is a paid app available on both iPhone and Android which was “developed following research helping NASA get Astronauts to sleep”, and with a claim like that you need to take notice. Their app is designed to help you find your perfect target bed time an help you drift off within 15-minutes of this time for optimum sleep quality.
The Pros of Sleep Genius
- Their Revive Cycle Alarm gently wakes you from any sleep stage over the course of a 5-minute cycle.
- They promote power naps (of which I'm a huge fan) and use scientifically proven music which has been modified to help relax your brain and reduce stress and anxiety.
- Sleep Genius have a real focus on improving your sleep, preventing sleep deprivation, and sleep-linked obesity.
5. Pillow (4.4 /5)
Pillow is a newer app to the market but has been making significant waves in the industry thanks to it's super modern and sleek design and key features you'd expect in a sleep tracker. They suggest the Apple Watch is the best device to use with their app for accuracy in measurements, however, you can also use your iPhone or iPad on the bedside table too.
The Pros of Pillow
- The single best feature of this app is that there are no buttons to press, just wear your apple watch and the app takes care of the rest.
- Modern and intuitive design makes navigating the app and finding your stats a breeze.
- Your movements and heart rate are both tracked at the same time to provide the optimum wake up time possible.
- Their audio recordings provide insights into how your night's sleep went, including snoring and sleep apnea.
Final Thoughts
If you've yet to start tracking your own sleep I highly recommend you begin tonight. Not only will you learn more about your sleep habits, but also what activities lead to a better (or worse) sleep and how you can ‘hack' your sleep and improve your day-to-day life.
