Sleep may seem like such a normal aspect of life that it might seem silly to even talk about it! It can be one of the most banal, underrated aspects of people’s lives. But for those who have chronic sleep issues, having enough sleep can be a real challenge and affect everything else in life.
Since 2008, World Sleep Day has been observed to raise global awareness around sleep-related issues and the prevention and management of sleep disorders. It is useful for educating people all over the world about the importance of sleep, as well as changing the way people view and experience sleep by giving them valuable resources to help them in their daily lives.
“Sleep is also vital for your fitness, especially if you are someone who is actively looking to build strength or lose weight. When there is inadequate sleep, cortisol release is higher, and testosterone and muscle fractional synthesis rate is lower. And if your body is not producing enough testosterone, it will not produce enough muscles,” as per the health experts.
A good sleep of 6 to 8 hours is vital for the body’s optimal performance. However, we frequently lose track of our decreasing sleep times as our lives become increasingly consumed by studies, work, and play.
According to the American Sleep Association, “Over 50 to 70 million people have some of the sleeping disorder, over 25 million have sleep apnea, and the most commonly reported sleep problem is insomnia (the inability to sleep at all or for a full night).”
So, here are some applications that will help you get the proper amount of sleep in order to maintain a healthy sleep cycle.
Headspace
Headspace is all about meditation and using meditation techniques to calm your mind. Apart from sleep sounds that aid in restful sleep, the app includes several courses centered on subjects such as living mindfully and others. The app also has some cool features, such as the ability to make the speaker’s voice louder or softer than the ambient sounds in the background. A free version of the app will provide you a limited number of sessions per day, but you can always go premium and get unlimited access to content.
Relax melodies
Relax Melodies is an app that will play different sounds to help you fall asleep maintain a good sleep as well. The app can be programmed to play music all night or to turn off after a certain amount of time. The number of sleep sounds you get here is limited when you’re using the free version.
Noisli
Noisli also provides you with relaxing sounds. However, its most appealing feature is the ability to customize your sounds as per your taste and ambience to create your own soundscape. Noisli can be used for anything from drowning out annoying sounds when you’re trying to work, to set the perfect sleep-inducing stage for you at night.
Calm
Calm is a meditation app that you can use right before going to bed. Calm can help you fall asleep faster with sleep stories, calming music, and even guided lessons on gentle body movements. The app’s free version will help people go to bed and also deal with problems like anxiety. However, users can also subscribe to engage with some paid content.
Sleep Cycle
Sleep Cycle is an app that helps you monitor your sleep time and patterns. The app also has some great features up its sleeve, including monitoring your sleep in real-time by analyzing the sounds you make via your phone. This can then be used to wake you up when your body is in its lightest sleep period, helping you to feel more refreshed when you wake up. You can also set an approximate alarm so the app does not wake you up too late. Premium features include information on how the weather affects your sleep and the ability to take sleep notes, among other features.
Sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle along with healthy food and daily exercise. Sleep disturbances may lead to poorer physical and mental health and are known to increase the risk of developing other major chronic health issues. So, get good and right sleep for a healthy lifestyle.