Tracking your sleep is nothing new in the world of health and wellness. If you are no stranger to sleep tracking, then you know how helpful a sleep tracker app can be. But, given the multitude of sleep tracker app options available in the app store today, it can be hard to choose the best one for you. To help you out, here are the 10 best sleep tracker apps you can download today.
1. Alarm Clock Xtreme
Compatible with: Android
Price: Free | with ads and in-app purchases
Rating: ★★★★☆
Although its name aptly describes its primary purpose, Alarm Clock Xtreme has since expanded into sleep tracking territory. This sleep tracker app boasts an appealing and intuitive user interface, making it easy to navigate even for newbies.
Alarm Clock Xtreme is basically a smart alarm clock and sleep tracker rolled into one. It has a wide range of alarm sounds that are pleasing to the ears. It also makes it harder for you to tap the snooze option — forcing you to solve a math problem early in the morning to do so — which all but guarantees waking up.
This app has the basic features you would find in an average sleep tracker, though it is continuously receiving upgrades. You can also adjust its settings manually to suit your style.
2. Fitbit
Compatible with: Android | iOS | Windows
Price: From $59.95
Rating: ★★★★☆
If you want a device that helps you improve your lifestyle and not just your sleep, Fitbit is the way to go. This wearable device tracks your movement and heart rate with great accuracy. It also provides you with data analytics to help you identify areas of improvement.
With Fitbit, you can also tailor your sleep schedule, set ideal times for bed and waking up, and set sleep goals. Once you have goals in mind, Fitbit will help you attain them. The device also provides you with a Fitbit sleep score, which rates your sleep quality and duration. Plus, this device is absolutely easy to wear and offers a pretty lengthy battery life.
On the downside, some people have criticized Fitbit for issues with data syncing. Additionally, it is not necessarily an app you can download from the App Store or Google Play Store. In order to benefit from Fitbit, you need to purchase their wearable device — and not all of them come with a built-in sleep tracker app. Only newer models like Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Flex, and Fitbit Charge have it.
3. Pillow
Compatible with: iOS | watchOS
Price: FREE | with an option to upgrade to premium for $4.99
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Pillow app boasts a plethora of features including heart rate monitoring, audio recording, and movement monitoring. It even has mood measurement which is one of the more unique features that lets you understand how sleep affects your mood.
This sleep tracker app is also very user-friendly, allowing even the most novice of trackers to use it with no trouble. On top of that, Pillow provides you with in-depth insight and easily understandable charts about your sleep patterns.
While it is compatible with iOS, it is best used with an Apple Watch. This is because a wearable device gives you more accurate data. Pillow also comes with a premium option which grants you access to further features. This includes a power nap mode and customized sleep recommendations.
4. Sleep As Android
Compatible with: Android
Price: FREE | every other day, with an option to upgrade to premium for $6
Rating: ★★★★☆
Sleep as Android is a sleep tracker app that works with a majority of wearable devices that run on Android. This includes Wear OS, Pebble, Tizen, and Garmin. Though, you also have the option to use it with your Android smartphone.
This sleep tracker app comes with the usual features you expect. However, it also has some neat ones that you can unlock. For instance, it has an anti-snore feature that makes your device vibrate if it senses you snoring. It also provides you with customized sleep recommendations, personal alarms, and notifications concerning sleep deficit.
One of the downsides to this app, though, is that it does not automatically track your sleep. Instead, you need to manually switch it on every night before bedtime. So, if you are a forgetful person, you might miss a few nights here and there.
Sleep as Android offers a two-week free trial so you can test it out before wholly jumping into it.
5. Sleep Cycle
Compatible with: Android | iOS
Price: FREE | with option to upgrade to premium for $1.99 a month or $9.99 a year
Rating: ★★★★☆
Arguably one of the most popular sleep tracker apps, Sleep Cycle acts as an alarm clock with a bunch of extra sleep features. The app is very smart and easy to use. Its alarm feature lets you set the latest time you can possibly get up. From there, the app will choose the best time for the alarm to go off based on your sleep cycle.
The app uses a gentle melody to wake you up with no loud noises. It also makes it hard for you to press the snooze button. As for analytics, Sleep Cycle offers you ample data, even if you are a free user. It gives you information such as when you achieved deep sleep, average wake times, and other sleep pattern data.
By going premium, you obtain access to other features such as moon phases, fitness, heart rate, weather, and daily steps. The only downside is that it is rather expensive since it operates on a subscription basis. That said, Sleep Cycle is definitely the best sleep tracker to start with.
6. Sleep Genius
Compatible with: iOS
Price: FREE | with an option to upgrade to premium for $4.99
Rating: ★★★★☆
Known as the sleep tracker app used by NASA’s astronauts, Sleep Genius is a clinically tested app that helps you achieve better sleep. It tracks all the usuals and even helps you get into a deep sleep a lot faster with aid from its relaxation programs.
Additionally, Sleep Genius helps you wake up feeling rested using its advanced algorithms for neurosenses and binaural beats. It also has a power nap feature and cycle alarms which you can personalize according to your preferences.
7. Sleep Monitor
Compatible with: Android
Price: FREE | with ads and offers in-app purchases
Rating: ★★★★☆
Sleep Monitor is a sleep tracker app that tells you how to fix your sleep schedule by monitoring your sleep cycle. It has a smart alarm clock that tells you what time to sleep at night and then wakes you up at the optimal time the next morning. It also comes with gentle music to lull you into a deep sleep.
Additionally, Sleep Monitor comes with a lot of cool features. This includes recording your snoring or talking when you are dreaming, tracking your sleep stages, and providing you with a sleep score. You can also note down other lifestyle habits such as what you eat and drink, as well as your mood prior to sleeping.
8. Sleep Time
Compatible with: Android | iOS
Price: FREE | with ads and offers in-app purchases
Rating: ★★★★☆
Have you ever wondered when is the right time to wake up based on the time you slept? Then, Sleep Time is the best sleep tracker app for you.
While this app does not necessarily track sleep patterns, it does break down your sleep into six cycles. Each cycle then consists of an alarm. You can, however, adjust this to select the number of sleep cycles you want. For instance, if you go with six cycles, the alarm will automatically ring after about 9 hours.
Sleep Time can also distinguish movements while you are sleeping, as well as identify when you are dreaming or snoring. It provides you with a sleep score just like other apps. Additionally, it gives you an analysis of your REM cycle and sleep duration.
9. SleepScore
Compatible with: Android | iOS
Price: FREE | with in-app purchases
Rating: ★★★★☆
With SleepScore, you can use your smartphone to track your sleep cycles and obtain insights. Its goal is to help you get better sleep.
Every night, you will get inspirational quotes and soothing sounds to help you feel more relaxed and achieve a deeper sleep. Then, every morning, you will receive details on your previous night’s sleep, showing you patterns in the form of graphs.
This sleep tracker app, as its name implies, gives you a sleep score ranging from 0 to 100 based on six specifications. It gives you recommendations on how you can improve your sleep, too. If you don’t sleep alone, the app can detect when there is more than one person in bed. This removes any confusion that may arise.
10. Sleeptracker
Compatible with: Android | iOS
Price: FREE | with in-app purchases
Rating: ★★★★☆
Sleeptracker monitors your heart rate, respiration, and sleep cycle automatically. It takes into account your entire day to make the proper observations and recommendations. This includes tracking what you ate and drank for the day, as well as how your mood was.
Moreover, this sleep tracker app gives you a report on the most important data such as REM sleep, awake time, sleep stages, respiration rate, heart rate, and sleep efficiency. It also gives you a sleep score rating. In addition to sleep tracking, you can also record your calories and weight, which makes it a full health and lifestyle app.
A big downside to Sleeptracker, though, is that it cannot function alone. It requires the accompaniment of hardware such as the Beautyrest Sleeptracker Monitor or the Tomorrow Sleeptracker Monitor.
How Do Sleep Tracker App Work?
A sleep track app relies on your phone or wearable device to measure your sleep, including how long you slept and the quality of your sleep. It does this with the help of your phone’s accelerometer. In the case of a wearable device like a smartwatch, sleep tracker apps use its built-in actigraph sensor instead. This makes for more accurate measurement of your sleep cycles.
How long is a sleep cycle? Typically, the first sleep cycle will range from 70 to 100 minutes. This is the shortest cycle. On the other hand, further cycles can range from 90 to 120 minutes. The time you spend on each sleep stage or cycle can vary from one night to the next.
More specifically, though, how does a sleep tracker app even know the length and quality of your sleep? It automatically measures four distinct factors to evaluate your sleep namely your heart rate, movement, environmental factors, and sound. It also encourages you to keep track of your lifestyle. Let us break these factors down further below.
Heart Rate
As you are dozing off, your heart rate will begin to slow and your blood pressure will go down as well. During REM cycle, your heart rate tends to shoot up again because you are dreaming. If you have a wearable device, it can measure your heart rate fluctuations while you are asleep. This gives the app more data about your sleep patterns.
Movement
You will usually place your smartphone under your pillow when you go to bed so that it can measure your movement. In doing so, the sleep tracker app can track your sleep stages. During the early sleep stages, you will tend to move around a lot more. Come deep or REM sleep, though, you will tend to stay put. This helps the app get a handle on your sleep quality and duration.
Environment
There are some sleep tracker apps that detect changes to the environment as well. This includes the temperature in your bedroom and how bright your surroundings are. Using this data, the sleep tracker app will provide you with information on how you can improve your sleep.
Sound
Using your device’s microphone, some tracking apps will record any noises that could possibly interfere with your sleep. It also does this to monitor your body noises such as snoring. This will give you some insight into the quality of your sleep. Additionally, you will know whether or not you are suffering from sleep issues like sleep apnea.
Lifestyle
Unlike the previous four factors, tracking your lifestyle is not an automatic feature of apps. This does not come as a surprise since apps have no way of knowing what you put into your body and how you exercise without input from you. By entering your meals, beverages, exercise routines, and other lifestyle elements, apps can provide you with information on how you can improve your sleep.
Benefits Of Tracking Your Sleep
When you track your sleep, you are poised to reap certain benefits such as:
Better Quality of Sleep
Even if you sleep for a really long time, if the sleep quality is subpar, then you will likely feel groggy and irritated the next morning. By tracking your sleep, you can gain insight into your sleeping habits, thereby allowing you to take active steps to improve its quality.
Longer Sleep
Do you feel like you are not getting enough sleep? With a sleep tracker app, you can definitively get to the bottom of the reason why that is so. Getting more sleep is one of the most obvious benefits of tracking your sleep.
Feel Rested
With longer sleep durations and better sleep quality, you are bound to wake up the next morning feeling relaxed and full of energy to take on what the day has to offer.
The Road To Better Sleep
As you can see, tracking your sleep offers a plethora of advantages when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to technological advancements, the journey to better and healthier sleep cycles is more accessible than ever. With the help of a sleep tracker app, you can start to enjoy a sound and deep sleep. Simply choose from the 10 best apps available and you are well on your way.
