Do you spend part of the night wiggling under the duvet without finding sleep? Forget about the drugs and other sleeping pills for a moment and let's take a look at this new generation of apps that are supposed to help us return to peaceful sleep. Are they effective? Can they fight insomnia?
Influence of sleep on health
Sleep is an essential physiological need. Few people know this, but we spend an average of more than 2,500 hours a year in bed. That is to say if sleep is important. Rest plays an important role on memory, learning, emotions and more broadly on our overall health..
Several scientific studies have shown that lack of sleep affects the functioning of our genes and can have significant effects on our metabolism. We know that too short nights increase the risk of obesity and reduce the body's ability to metabolize fat. More worryingly, the vast majority of people with chronic sleep deprivation tend to snack on more fatty and sugary products than good sleepers.
Despite all these health problems, almost one in three adults do not get enough sleep (less than 6 hours a night) and one in five adults suffer from insomnia. As a direct result of all this, the consumption of sleeping pills has literally exploded. A third of people over 65 admit to taking it regularly..
Tips for getting back to sleep
Massage, acupuncture, light therapy… there are many methods to fight against insomnia but they are not suitable for all. In recent years, we have witnessed the appearance of a new generation of applications for Android smartphones and tablets offering to improve your sleep but also your alarm clock.
They are particularly useful in cases of mild or transient insomnia . And unlike drugs, they are not addictive. Without being magical, these new tools facilitate falling asleep and offer a detailed study of your nights (REM sleep, deep sleep, etc.)..
My Sleep Coach
Impossible to talk about applications to sleep better without talking about My Sleep Coach developed by the Morphée network (sleep specialists). This free app available on the Play Store monitors your nights and offers various functions to help you get quality sleep.
Each evening you will receive notifications of the time you need to go to bed to be in top shape the next day. For late diapers, the app will display cheering messages to help you let go of your computer and get you to go to bed.
My Sleep Coach also has a dashboard that allows you to record your bedtime, the last activity done before going to bed every night, and to indicate your mood the next day when you wake up.
iSleep
If you are one of those people who take more than an hour to fall asleep, the iSommeil app is made for you. Developed by the team at the sleep center of the god hotel, it offers different music and lights to help you fall more easily into the arms of Morpheus.
Thanks to the sensors integrated in your smartphone, you will be able to follow your sleep times on the different graphs, analyze your breathing pauses and even record your snoring. You just have to think about placing your smartphone on the mattress next to you in airplane mode.
The iSommeil app also offers various tips and tricks to better understand the problems affecting the quality of your sleep. Important detail, it is one of the only applications to have the validation of a Parisian sleep center .
White noise lite
White noise lite is not just another application specialized in sleep analysis. This tool should be considered as a sleep facilitator. As you know, the brain is always on standby, listening to the slightest noise (door slam, motor of a motorbike, etc.). All this noise pollution affects the quality of your sleep.
White noise lite will generate background noise (blowing wind, wave, campfires, rain, thunderstorm, train) to help you fall asleep. This permanent purring soothes and acts like a drug without the side effects.