It’s been a while since we shared our favorite apps to help you get better sleep. So long, that our last post about favorite sleep apps seems to include apps all recently acquired by mattress companies. Hm.
I did recently write about my favorite iOS tip for helping me fall asleep (and stay asleep) and it was so helpful to so many of you, I’m hoping this recommendation will help you too.
After all, parents are dealing with a lot of stressful stuff these days, which, I know, is the understatement of the year. Of course parents always tend to put ourselves and our needs last, and that certainly includes sleep. But now more than ever I think it’s important that we find ways we prioritize our own well-being so we can be in the best shape we can be for those who really need us.
Besides, a lot of our older sleep app recommendations have since become acquired by mattress companies it seems. So I won’t go there.
The tip I will give you is to download the The Calm App.
(Frequent readers may wonder if I will ever stop singing the praises of the Calm app? Probably not and no I’m not an affiliate or anything like that.)
A lot of people think of Calm for meditation prompts and mindfulness exercises — and those are great. They also offer white noise “soundscapes” like a babbling brook or a light rainfall, but for me, those are better for calm breaks during the day.
At night, it’s their growing collection of Sleep Stories that really give me the most value.
Related: Getting a better night’s sleep: 8 tips you may not have tried
Find the right voice and the right story style for you and you just may have found the help you need. I prefer the nonfiction/travel/nature stories like “The Magic of Muir Woods” and “Crossing Ireland By Train.” Like, aren’t you getting sleepy just hearing those titles? But with 200+ Sleep Stories, including classic fiction and stories just for kids, there’s surely a few that will be your speed.
As for the narrators, I often choose a story based on who’s reading.
May I recommend the exquisitely calming voices of Jerome Flynn (hey, Game of Thrones fans), Alan Sklar, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Cilian Murphy (who voices the Ireland train story), Deepti Gupta, Eric Braa, Chiké Okonkwo… there are so many here that just do it for me.
In a totally platonic, sleep-only kind of way of course.
Related: 6 smart ways to use tech to help your teen get better sleep at night. They need it!
I was also thrilled when Idris Elba joined the roster — though for some of us, his voice may be more uh, invigorating than sleep-inducing. Totally up to you.
Download the Calm App for iOS or Android free and try out a lite version before upgrading. I’ve never regretted my annual subscription for full access at all and it now seems to be on sale for a limited time.Though I do wish they offered a family plan because my kids love it too and it can get expensive that way.
PS If you’re a Prime Student Member on Amazon, you can download Calm at a discount — you’ll get a 3-month free trial (6 months if you’re a new Prime Student Member) then it’s just $6.49 a month.
