Sleep and Technology: Five Smartphone Apps That Can Help You Sleep.

In general, sleep and technology aren’t supposed to mix – you’re supposed to power down and turn that screen off before bed.

But a host of smartphone apps are available to actually help you sleep. Here are our five favorites:

1. Sleep Cycle. This app actually tracks your sleep patterns by measuring your nightly movements. Set your phone next to your pillow and start the app at bedtime; in the morning your movements will be graphed for you. Even better, the app chooses the optimal time for you to wake up in a 30-minute window.
2. Sleepbot. This app not only tracks your movements, but records your audio so you know if you snore or if a neighbor’s dog woke you up. It will track your patterns over time so you can see any interruptions or concerns.
3. Hemi-Sync Sleep. This app uses “binaural beat technology” to produce “the natural brainwave patterns of the Delta sleep state as you reap the benefits of deeply restorative sleep.” Turn it on and fall asleep – it has an alarm function to wake you.
4. Pure Sleep. Another brainwave app, Pure Sleep works with binaural beats and isochronics (for those that don’t respond to the former). This app lets you choose your frequency so that you can fall asleep more quickly.
5. Sleep Talk Recorder. Not sure what you’re confessing in your sleep? While this app won’t necessarily help you sleep, it will record what you’re saying and give you some peace of mind – or not. Even better, you can upload and share what you’re saying, and listen to what other folks are saying, too.

Do have a sleep-related app to recommend?