Hello, fellow insomniac.
Are you reading this at 2 am? Did you fall asleep right after the kids and then wake up just now with a million thoughts running through your head? Let me guess, you’ll be up until about 4 am, fall back asleep and then be rudely awakened from your slumber around 5:30 or 6 am.
I was a terrible sleeper before our son. I stayed up until 11:30 pm most nights watching TV trying to fall asleep. After he arrived, I was up and down multiple times a night breastfeeding. I assumed that once we could get to the point of him sleeping through the night I would magically get 7-8 hours of restful sleep. Not even. Now, I crash early and hard for a few hours. Then I suddenly wake up around 2 am.
A year or more ago, I started trying various meditation and sleep apps to get my mind to quiet down rather than going to Netflix. Here are five apps I’ve tried, so get your earbuds out and give them a test run.
Breethe
Choose from a wide variety of content to help you fall asleep or go back to sleep. Bedtime stories, bedtime visualizations, sleep music & nature sounds.
Cost
Free for some features; Premium membership unlocks all content and features for the duration of the subscription. Monthly: US$ 12.99 per month & Yearly: US$ 89.99
Calm
Currently my favorite. The sleep stories seriously help me fall back asleep. I use the free version, which has pretty limited options. It gets rave reviews on iTunes.
Cost
Free for some features; $70/year for full access (includes a seven-day free trial)
Headspace
This was the first relaxation and meditation app I ever tried. I found after some time that I was tired of the guy’s voice. The free version now has “sleepcasts” that run 45-55 minutes.
Cost
Free for some features; two auto-renewing subscription options: $12.99 per month & Yearly: $94.99
Pzizz
Guess what you and a celebrity have in common? Insomnia apparently. “I love Pzizz… Best I’ve used by a mile” – J.K. Rowling. The app is known for its “dreamscapes”, a mix music and voiceover. Per the app, headphones/earbuds are recommended for optimal effectiveness.
Cost
Free for some features; Premium starts at $4.99 per month & a year of Pro is $69.99
White Noise Lite – Play Store | iTunes
It’s exactly what it sounds like. There’s a catalog of white noise options. Depending on your preference, there are natural sounds or machines. According to the app store, white noise will help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Cost
Free with new downloads at the White Noise Market.
Tired momma, which apps have you tried?
