Having trouble sleeping? We may have found you a solution

Here's our pick of apps and gadgets that help induce sleep

Let's face it—the pandemic has impacted sleep around the world: age, gender, or professional (or financial, religious, etc.) background notwithstanding. The findings of Phillip's sixth annual sleep report 2021—Seeking Solutions: How COVID-19 Changed Sleep Around the World'— are hardly surprising, and we're sure nothing much will change in 2022.

According to the data, people are sleeping only 6.9 hours per weeknight and 7.7 hours per weekend night, much below the recommended seven to nine hours per night. Only 55 per cent of people are satisfied with their sleep. More specifically, to India, the report highlights Indian adults experiencing new challenges since the start of the pandemic:

• Difficulty falling asleep (37 per cent)

• Difficulty staying asleep (27 per cent)

• Waking up during the night (39 per cent)

Stress—coupled with increased screen time—continues to be the biggest obstacle. We don't need to spell out the pitfalls of sleepless nights, so here's a roundup of sleep apps and gadgets, some well-known and others not as popular, but all promising to lull you into slumber.

Sleepiest

Remember the days mom and dad would read you a bedtime story, and before you knew it, you were dead to the world? Sleepiest offers tales of well-known characters, including Sherlock, Robinhood and Doctor Doolittle, in addition to famous authors like Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. Stories last as short as 13 minutes to more extended versions of 40 minutes. What sets this apart from other sleeping apps—it's one of the few that offers sleep data tracking. The only downside for non-iOS users, sleepiest is not currently available for Android.

https://www.sleepiest.com

Slumber

The name itself is enough to get you hot and excited (point us to one insomniac who wouldn't trade sex for a good night's sleep). The app, exclusively designed to induce sleep, is divided into four categories: Sleep Meditations, Soothing Sounds, Calming Stories and Children's stories. Available for both Apple and Android devices, the app allows you to choose the background sounds to the story you've zeroed in for the night.

https://slumber.fm

Oura ring

Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston, Prince Harry, Arianna Huffington and Jack Dorsey are just some of the famous celebs who've been sporting the Oura ring—all super busy, high net worth individuals who probably need help with sleep, so we know this ring really works. What does it do besides looking pretty on your finger? It knows when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake, tracks your vitals and makes recommendations for how to live your best day. So if your Sleep, Readiness (how biologically equipped you are to handle the day before you—yup, you read that right), and Activity (general movement) scores don't make the cut, Oura, via the app linked to your phone, will make suggestions to put you on the right track.

Made in titanium and available in black, gold, silver, or stealth (matte black), prices range from $299 to $999 depending on the finish you select.

https://ouraring.com

Amazfit Zenbuds

Perfect for helping you find Zen in the chaos of everyday life, these noise-masking earbuds not just block the outside world but also monitor (via a corresponding phone app) your heart rate, sleep positions and the quality of your sleep. Unlike other earbuds, these are lightweight— the soft, flexible, skin-friendly silicone tips make them comfortable to wear while sleeping. The natural sounds are engineered to "relax your mind and trigger a sleep cycle", automatically pausing once they detect you've fallen asleep. Available for $119.

www.amazfit.com

Moshi

Parents, you'll thank us for this recco—the stories, both for day and night, are designed specifically for kids (or the kid in you), and you'll even hear some narrated by actors Goldie Hawn and Star Trek's Patrick Stewart. Available for Apple, Android and Kindle Fire devices, the popular story categories for kids include Falling Asleep, Night Wakeups, Fairytale Fans, Adventure Seekers, Littler Listeners and The Whole Family.

https://www.moshikids.com

Withings Sleep Analyser

If you're the kind who likes to go to bed accessory-free, this option is worth checking out. A thin mat that slips under your mattress, this sleep sensor records changes in pressure and noise during the night. Calibration is a one-off process, and once it's set up and connected to your phone and Wi-Fi network, it will record your sleep patterns each night with no further input. Available for $99.95.

www.withings.com

Headspace

If you've not downloaded Headspace yet, now's the time to do it. Available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, in addition to the meditations that the app has become extremely popular for, there are over 50 Sleepcasts to choose from. The narrator's voice is paired with ambient sounds related to the story's topic, such as rainfall or wind, with the option to control the volume of the ambient sounds independently of the narration volume.

https://www.headspace.com

*All apps offer a free trial after which you can choose a plan that suits you best

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