World Sleep Day is celebrated on the Friday before the northern hemisphere vernal equinox as an annual event organised by the World Sleep Society. Celebrated first in 2008, it aims to highlight the benefits of good and healthy sleep.
This year, the event is celebrated on March 19.
It draws society’s attention to the burden of sleep problems and its medical, educational, and social aspects. In fact, it also raises awareness of sleeping disorders, prevention, and management.
Sleeping well at night leads to improved concentration and productivity. According to Harvard Medical School, animal, as well as human studies, suggest that the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory.
It adds, “Sleep researchers study the role of sleep in learning and memory formation in two ways. The first approach looks at the different stages of sleep in response to learning a variety of new tasks. The second approach examines how sleep deprivation affects learning.”
On World Sleep Day, we bring you five apps that can help people sleep properly:
Sleep Cycle
Available on both Android and iOS platforms, Sleep Cycle helps people relax, sleep better, and wake up feeling rested the next morning. It tracks sleep from bedtime to morning, and gives a detailed analysis that helps the user wake up in the morning feeling fresh.
Its in-built alarm clock gives a gentle wake up call while offering a snooze function by shaking or double-tapping the phone lightly.
Tide
Tide helps in taking care of the user’s physical and mental health by integrating meditation, sleep, and tools to keep focus — all in a single app. It has a vast array of audio tones, which helps relieve stress, stay focussed, relax with mindfulness, and better sleep at nights. The Tide app, too, is available on both Google Play Store and Apple Store.
Pzizz
Helping its users sleep better, Pzizz allows one to choose between three different aspects — focussing, napping, and sleeping. In sleep mode, one can customise sessions with different genres of narrations and dreamscapes.
Its nap mode helps people fall asleep quickly for a quick refreshing nap, while its focus mode helps users be alert, helping them with a productive mindset. The app is offered on both Android and iOS.
Pillow
Positioned as a smart sleep assistant, Pillow is available only on iOS devices. It can analyse one’s sleep cycles automatically using an Apple Watch or from the app by placing the phone near the pillow. It records important audio events such as snoring, sleep apnea, and sleep talking.
Calm
Calm is one of the most renowned apps that helps people sleep. It has helped millions experience reduced stress, get a restful sleep, and reduce anxiety with the help of guided meditation.
It also boasts of sleep stories, healthy breathing programmes, and relaxing music sessions. Its guided meditation sessions are available in a variety of time limits. Calm also has a 10-minute programme added daily to help ease you into the day or unwind before bed.
Headspace
Wellness application Headspace was started with an aim to increase early intervention for mental health problems among people aged between 12 and 25 years. Its service covers four core areas, including mental health and wellbeing, physical and sexual health, work and study support, and alcohol and other drug services.
It houses a special suite of content that helps users wind down and relax and sleep peacefully.
Slumber
The Slumber app started as an iOS-only product and is now available on Android. It boasts of a collection of ultra-relaxing, sleep-inducing stories, and meditations designed to beat insomnia. Besides, it claims to help its users fall asleep quickly every single night by helping them turn off their mind by entering a deep state of calm.
