Initially, I was a little put off by the idea of waking up earlier than my actual alarm. You can adjust the duration of the alarm window in the Settings menu, or turn it off completely. So, if your alarm is set for 7 am, it will wake you up anywhere between 6:30 and 7. The app will then wake you during a light stage of sleep within a 30-minute window of your actual alarm. It’s also recommended that you keep your phone connected to its charger to avoid battery drain. Depending on the type of bed you have, you might have to experiment with placement. With my alarm set, I placed the phone near my pillow and a few inches away from the edge of my bed, to prevent it from falling, and went to sleep. It’s a bit easier on the iOS version, but still requires a couple extra steps compared to Sleep Cycle. If not, you have to manually add another alarm to a list, using a slightly clunky tool. Meanwhile, on the Android version of SleepBot, you can set an alarm for the weekdays and weekends, which is great if you’re on a regular schedule. The former offers you a simple dial where you can easily set your wake-up time every night. This is an area where I thought Sleep Cycle was better than SleepBot. To use the app, each night you’ll be asked to set an alarm. Also, this is where you can enable the feature for adding notes and ratings to your sleep entries. For example, there’s a Sleep Aid function that will play soothing sounds like ocean waves and heavy rain until you fall asleep. There are a handful of features in there that I found really useful, but that I missed on my first go-round because they’re turned off by default. I tested Sleep Cycle on my iPhone 5, and right off the bat, I’d recommend taking a few minutes to explore the app’s Settings menu. That said, neither app claims to be medically approved, and if you’re experiencing serious sleeping problems, you should consult a doctor. I liked them enough that I would use either app over the standard alarm-clock function on my smartphone. But I’ve noticed that I’m having an easier time getting up, and feel more clear-headed. So, do Sleep Cycle and SleepBot actually work? Well, I can’t say that I woke up feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every morning, and I’m no sleep expert. This way, you don’t feel as discombobulated when you wake up. By monitoring your movement, they can wake you up during your lightest state of sleep, instead of when you’re in a deep sleep. The second function of Sleep Cycle and SleepBot is that of an intelligent alarm clock. The idea is that, by taking note of your sleeping habits, you can learn why you’re not getting enough sleep, and then do something about it. And each app allows you to rate and add notes about each night’s sleep. SleepBot can even record sounds using your phone’s microphone. Using your phone’s accelerometer, they also track your movement to help determine sleep quality (less movement = better sleep quality). First, they capture information about your sleep cycle each night. Sleep Cycle is available for iOS, and costs 99 cents SleepBot is free, and works on both iOS and Android devices. Hoping to shake my zombie-like state, this week I tried a couple of sleep-tracking apps, called Sleep Cycle and SleepBot. Nothing is really registering in my brain, and if you were to ask me a question, I’m pretty sure you’d be met with a blank stare. For the next hour or so, I stumble around in a fog getting ready for the day, making breakfast and checking email, but really, I’m just going through the motions. Every morning, without fail, I wake up feeling groggy no matter how much sleep I get.
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