When we sleep, we alternate between deep and light sleep cycles. These stages usually last 30 minutes. At least that’s what science tells us, but each of us sleep patterns are different. Some go to bed as soon as they put their feet in bed, some take hours. That’s why brainstorming when you’ll be in light sleep mode and setting an alarm to coincide with that doesn’t always work. However, that can happen if you’re willing to delegate the responsibility to sleep tracking apps.
How it works
The sleep tracking app tracks your movements as you sleep. If you’re in deep sleep, you won’t move around in bed or toss while you sleep. In light sleep mode, it could be you.
The way it works is you give the app a 30-minute period when you want to wake up, make sure the phone is charging, lock the screen from within the app so it stays active, and then leave the app by your side in bed. The accelerometer in your phone is enough to track your sleep movements. Over a period of 30 minutes, the app will gently wake you up while you’re fast asleep.
Sleep tracking apps serve two purposes: 1) Wake you up gently when you’re in light sleep so you’re refreshed and ready to start your day. 2) To track your personal sleep patterns and give you specific numbers. The apps give you stats like how many of them are “good night sleep”, how long you slept, and some even give an overall efficiency score.
More than waking up
Avoid afternoon grogginess by using one of the sleep tracking apps.
The app that wakes you up just in time so you don’t wobble also works throughout the night to track your movements. It knows how long you’ve been in deep sleep, how much time you’ve spent reading on your iPhone instead of trying to sleep (ok, it’s not, but it should) and will tell you how much sleep you’ve really “sleep well”.
Based on all tracking, some apps will also give you performance scores. It’s true that tracking won’t be as advanced as wearing a fitness tracker like the Gear Fit (there are ways to integrate those, too, more on that later), but tracking your sleep through Such apps are also unreliable.
Now that we know what sleep tracking is, let’s talk about apps.
1. Sleep cycle alarm clock
The Sleep Cycle alarm clock is available for both iOS and Android and costs $0.99. This app, with its blue highlights and simple white text, is eye-catching. The app also has a test mode to see if the sleep tracking sensors are actually working. You are asked to gently roll over in bed with the phone lying down for the test.
Since it’s a paid app, it has everything you need. Detailed weekly and monthly charts, nightly stats, backup to cloud, multiple alarm options, etc.
2. Sleep Time – Alarm Clock for iOS and Android
Sleep Time (iOS, Android) is a free alternative to Sleep Cycle, and when free apps come out, it covers the basics. You can track your sleep with the free app, and customizable alarms and statistics. Android app hasn’t been updated for over a year now but iPhone app is under active development and has extra features like M7 coprocessor support for iPhone 5s, export as excel spreadsheet etc. with the free app especially for iPhone you really can’t go wrong with Sleep Time.
3. Sleep like Android
Sleep as Android is a sleep tracking app that has been around for a long time. I tried this app 2 years ago – it’s much better now, especially for the eyes. If you are looking for a deep dive into the Android universe, then this is the app for you. It supports Pebble and Gear 2 wrist tracking in addition to the usual stats, graphs, and alerts.
This app also has wake verification. That means you need to do some math, shake your phone, or count some sheep before the alarm goes off. Is there a better way to make sure you stay awake? While the app is feature-rich, it’s not technically free. The free app only gives you a two-week trial of sleep cycle tracking with smart wake up, which is basically why you’re using it. But the upgrade costs just a dollar, well worth the feature set.
In short
If you’re just getting started with iPhone, use Sleep Cycle. If you’re on Android, start with Sleep as Android, and if you like, unlock paid features after two weeks.
Image via: Chris Waits, Beverley Goodwin.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
