10 Free Sleep Apps to Help You Snooze Better Tonight

Harmony Hypnosis Meditation

Created by one of the UK's leading hypnotherapists, Darren Marks, the Harmony Hypnosis Meditation app features hypnosis sessions for deep relaxation. Marks has created a range of best-selling hypnotherapy apps that simulate as closely as possible what it's like to see a real hypnotherapist. His soothing voice lulls you to sleep with a mild hypnosis, focusing on the rhythm of your breathing, clearing conscious thoughts, and reaching full relaxation throughout a 20-minute session.

Get it on iOS or Android

Calm

If you've been in the market for a mindfulness or mental wellness app, then you've definitely heard of the Calm app. It's a widely popular option — and for good reason. Calm is well-known for its free sleep stories, some of which are read to you by familiar celeb voices. But its offerings aren't only focused on relaxing at night — the app can also teach you how to meditate, give you tips on mindful movement and soothing stretches, guide you through breathing exercises, and queue up songs and visuals to help you focus.

While Calm's full features are unlocked with a monthly or yearly subscription, you get a free seven-day trial and permanent access to a bunch of content without paying for the upgrade.

Get it on iOS or Android

Pillow

If you have an Apple Watch, downloading Pillow will give you a very detailed look at your sleeping patterns. Once you pair the watch to your phone, it will automatically detect when you're sleeping, so you'll wake up to a breakdown of your rest — including a heart rate analysis and audio recordings from the night. (So you can find out once and for all just how loud you snore.) The app also has alarm sounds that you can use to wake you up at an optimal point during your sleep cycle.

Don't own an Apple Watch? You can still use some of the functions of the app by setting your phone on your pillow.

Get it on iOS

Loóna

Loóna hones in on your bedtime mood, which should be clear of stress and anxiety if you want to truly disconnect and enter the sleep zone. Check in with the app throughout the day for help relaxing when the day gets hectic, and at night, you'll receive a recommended "soundscape" with chill music, storytelling, and peace-inducing activities. All soundscapes can be unlocked with a premium sibscription, but the free version provides more than enough to put your restless mind at ease.

Get it on iOS or Android

BetterSleep

BetterSleep provides personalized relaxation and sleep assistance. Extremely user-friendly, the free sleep app offers over 100 different selections to help you tap your way to the exact sound that resonates with your mood.

BetterSleep offers ambient and binaural beats, giving you the option to simply relax or tell your brain that it's time for sleep. Reviews even reveal that some parents use the app to help soothe their babies. Use the alarm clock to wake up on time and save your favorite sounds to play again another night.

Get it on iOS or Android

Pure Nature

Feel like you're sleeping outside — minus the threat of mosquitos or other creepy crawlies — with Pure Nature, a free sleep app for iPhone full of sounds straight from the wilderness. The sounds you're hearing were captured by Lang Elliott, a professional nature recordist. Upgrade to the premium version to unlock all of the binaural sounds, grouped into albums. (Sorry Android users, this one's only available on iOS.)

Get it on iOS

Relax & Sleep Well

Relax & Sleep Well has hypnosis recordings from the UK's best-selling self-help audio author, Glenn Harrold. Harrold takes you on a relaxing journey into a deep state of self-hypnosis, accompanied by background sounds at frequencies proven to enhance the meditation effect. He uses a post-hypnotic affirmation technique and even-toned suggestions that stay with you in your everyday routine.

Get it on iOS or Android

ASMRtist

This no-frills free sleep app for iPhone users is a great option for those with an affinity for ASMR. The library contains a few dozen ASMR sounds, and you can choose the ones that work for you or allow the app to shuffle them. If you know these sounds are going to put you right to sleep, you can also set a timer for them to turn off automatically.

Get it on iOS

Apple Books

You probably already had this one downloaded, but yes, it doubles as one of the best free sleep apps for iPhone users. Reading before bed may calm your mind so that you fall asleep easier, but only if you choose the right book. Go with a book you've already read and therefore know the ending to, so you don't find yourself up all night thinking, "just one more chapter." With Apple Books, you can download all of your favorite books, read a free sample of any new titles, and browse what's on your bookshelf by title, author, or category.

Get it on iOS

Day One

Even before you climb into bed, you get that familiar feeling...worry, stress, doubt that you actually finished everything on your to-do list. Soon your body begins to train itself to stay awake in bed, over-analyzing every little problem. Been there.

According to research on the subject, writing in a journal before bed can help you process emotions, solve problems, and get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper (or pixels?), so you can let them go before bed. Day One is a virtual diary with endless potential. Type in your thoughts before bed, add photos from the day to look back on later, or even hand-write an entry. Once you download it, you'll never want to rely on a basic notes app again.

Get it on iOS or Android