How to measure sleep on Android without activity wristbands, the best applications

Sleeping is not as easy as lying down and letting sleep ensue, often there are circumstances that impair rest. And the apps to measure sleep can help make this as restorative as possible – we’ve put together for you the best apps for you to know how you rest at night. And without having to use other accessories: your phone is enough.

Acquire an activity bracelet like the one Xiaomi Mi Band 6 or a smart watch like Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 It involves not only obtaining a multitude of exercise data, but also what happens when we close our eyes at night. In general, these types of ‘wearable’ accessories (wearables) include sleep recording and analysis among their functions, but it is not an exclusive feature of them: only with the mobile we can also analyze how we sleep and much more information. All you need is a good app: we have chosen the best ones for you.

Sleep as Android

She was one of the first to record the dream using a smartphone, too is one of the best in terms of quality and also features included. And it is that Sleep as Android not only measures the different phases of sleep to offer the data the next morning, it also allows us to find out if we snore during the night and even if we speak in dreams.

Thoroughly analyzing sleep patterns with Sleep as Android, as well as everything that happens during the night, helps to locate problems that make it difficult to rest. Of course, the data should never be taken as guidelines to modify our health: Sleep as Android, like the rest of the apps that we recommend, should only be used as a guide.

Sleep as Android is free, although limited and with ads. To unlock its full potential, you must acquire the unlock key

: it costs 9.99 euros and you only pay once.

Sleep monitor

Like the previous application, Sleep monitor uses the mobile’s sensors in addition to the microphone to record activity during sleep. It is enough to put the mobile in bed before sleeping so that the app analyze how to fall asleep, the different phases of sleep, the ambient noise and the real time of rest. In addition, it offers different alarms and even ambient noise to fall asleep, among many other functions.

Sleep Monitor has a multitude of options, although, as is often the case, most of them are paid. Unlike Sleep as Android, Sleep Monitor has a subscription service to unlock the full potential of the software, including the ads: 5.99 euros per month or $ 29.99 per year.

Sleep Cycle alarm clock

This application focuses on alarms, although it also records sleep in order to later analyze its quality, phases and duration, how long we were snoring and the real time we were able to sleep, among many other data. The statistics are very complete, although as an app it is somewhat limited if the subscription is not paid.

Sleep Cycle urges you to set an alarm to wake up the next day for later record all sleep information with the help of mobile sensors, including the microphone. It offers data backup (with subscription), smart alarm that wakes up taking advantage of the sleep cycle, sounds to sleep more easily (with subscription) and more features. The interface is very slick, clear, and offers a remarkable amount of graphics and information related to sleep.

Sleepzy

Another vitamin alarm app with sleep log, snoring analysis and monitoring. All with a very attractive interface that not only facilitates the management of the options, but also understand night charts at a glance. The app uses the phone’s sensors (including the microphone if snoring is recorded) and allows setting sleep targets as well as smart alarms that wake up to ensure maximum rest (it is possible to adjust the time frame).

Sleepzy offers most of its options free of charge, albeit with advertisements. To fully unlock the entire app, it is essential to subscribe to the service: 39.99 euros per year. No free trial required to use Sleepzy: just close that window and use the sleep log with or without an alarm.

Tips to improve your sleep record with your mobile

• Place the mobile on the bed. Ideally, place it under the pillow: in this way it will record your movements and also snoring.
• Activate airplane mode. Avoid potential sleep interruptions to ensure that you get the best possible sleep.
• Make sure the mobile is charged before sleeping. Our recommendation is that you do not charge the phone while you sleep and record the dream: you could get entangled with the cable. Generally, apps don’t consume more than 20% battery power overnight (about eight hours in bed).
• You can use a second mobile to record the dream. Since a special mobile phone is not needed for this type of application (they use accelerometers and, to record snoring, also the microphone), it is advisable to use a second mobile phone for recording. This way you will have your main mobile ready in the morning: you can leave it charging overnight.
• If you have a watch or bracelet use them. The mobile works well to perform sleep analysis, but there is no doubt that a bracelet or smartwatch achieves a better record of all the changes that occur in the body. Applications such as Sleep as Android allow you to combine mobile and accessory: in this way you will have much more data, also more accurate.

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The news

How to measure sleep on Android without activity wristbands, the best applications

was originally published in

Engadget Android

by
Ivan Linares

.