Sleep Genius iOS/Android App Helps You Catch More Zs

I’m high maintenance when it comes to sleep. I use earplugs. I turn on a white noise machine. I wear an eye mask. Sonata is my friend. And that’s on a good night.

In other words, I’m a perfect test case for an app like Sleep Genius. The Android and iOS apps, which were recently updated with new features, are billed as “the world’s most scientifically advanced sleep apps.”  The developer (Sleep Genius LLC) claims its research helped “NASA get astronauts to sleep.” (Sleep Genius also runs on Samsung’s Gear 2 smartwatch and Gear Fit activity tracker/watch).

“Neurosensory algorithms” are put to work to “help your brain get ready for sleep, guide your brain through each stage in the sleep cycle, and wake you with a gentle, refreshing alarm,” according to the description of Sleep Genius in the App Store.

Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s marketing. But I can say that Sleep Genius helped me to some degree. I like the soft, soporific music that lulls you to sleep, which you can play continuously or turn off automatically via a timer. And I appreciate the gentle, five-minute alarm that gradually wakes you up. The app is easy to use, too — simple and straightforward.

The app is free, but you need to pay the $5 upgrade fee to get the most out of Sleep Genius. Without the upgrade, you don’t get the three different revive cycle alarms, the power nap feature (love that!), sleep tracking/reporting, personalized feedback or other goodies. I recommend giving the free app a try, but because it’s pretty basic, you should be prepared to pony up the five bucks.

Overall, Sleep Genius is worth trying — though I’m not convinced the gentle music is more conducive to my sleep than white noise. Then again, I have room to improve in the sleep department, so I plan to continue my Sleep Genius experiments.