Sleep is essential for our physical and mental well-being, but many of us struggle to get a good night’s rest. Technology can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to sleep. It can provide helpful tools for relaxation and tracking our sleep patterns, but it can also be a source of distraction and stimulation that makes it difficult to fall asleep. In this article, we will explore some tips and technology-based solutions to help you get better sleep. From apps that track your sleep patterns to devices that emit soothing sounds, we will show you how to use technology to improve your sleep.
Reduce Device Stimulation Before Bedtime
To improve your sleep, it is important to decrease stimulation from devices before bedtime. This can include limiting the use of phones or tablets, as well as tweaking settings on your gadget to hamper negative impacts on sleep. One way to do this is by adjusting the screen brightness or using the night mode feature on your smartphone, which can limit the amount of blue light exposure. In fact, many smartphones have this feature automatically set to adjust based on the time of day. Another tip is to put your smartphone in airplane mode to reduce disruptions such as notifications and pings, allowing for a more peaceful and restful sleep.
Get a Sleep App
There is a wide array of smartphone apps available that offer a variety of features such as free soothing music or guided imagery exercises to help relax your mind. Some of the best include:
Relax Melodies- This one offers a combination of guided meditation, sounds and melodies designed to get you into sleep mode
Pzizz– This one uses a combination of music, binaural beats, and sound effects which are remixed each night based on your preferences, to help you sleep.
Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock– This app tracks your sleeping habits and wakes you up during your lightest sleep stage.
Use a Fitness Tracker or Sleep App to Monitor Sleep Patterns
Monitoring and tracking your sleep patterns can be a useful tool in understanding your sleep health. While the accuracy of fitness trackers and sleep applications may not be perfect, the data they provide can give you insight into your sleep patterns. If you’re not comfortable wearing technology while you sleep, there are also apps such as Sleep Cycle that use the microphone on your phone to detect subtle movements and noises while you sleep. It’s important to discuss any concerns or questions you have about your sleep patterns with your doctor to determine if more advanced sleep therapies or treatments may be beneficial for you.
Incorporate Technology in Your Bedroom
Dodow, for example, is a gadget that emits a soft, pulsating light onto the ceiling, which you can synch with your breath. The aim is to reduce your heart rate and slowly relax you to sleep.
A smart bed is another great option, find the best mattress to buy in 2023. The latest iterations of smart beds have pressure adjustment, climate control as well as low-frequency, sleep-inducing vibrations. If your partner’s snoring or environmental noise keeps you awake, you can use white noise to create a soothing backdrop that hampers those disrupting noises
Increase Daytime Activity to Avoid Naps
Instead of taking that late afternoon nap, leverage your gadget’s stimulating features. You can play a game or browse the web for a few minutes to keep your brain engaged. This way, you won’t have a hard time sleeping at night.
