Sleep pretty with Sleep Cycle « The BEST Apple Hardware and Software Reviews

Written By Editor March 23rd, 2010

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Recently, a fan of the site recommended a clever little app called Sleep Cycle for the iPhone – an alarm clock with a huge difference.

Basically, this app promises to monitor your current state of sleep and will only wake you when you are in your lightest sleep pattern.

The idea is that this should leave you feeling less tired and more alert during the day. We couldn’t pass up any sort of opportunity like this could we?

So, we purchased Sleep Cycle from the app store for a bargain $0.99. Less than a dollar to change our life?

We know what you’re thinking – how does it plan to conjure such magic? By using the iPhones’ fairly sensitive accelerometer to monitor your movement. The app is then able to decide upon your current sleep state and it will monitor your nights sleep to produce a handy graph the next day so you can see when your in the most heavy state of sleep. The general concept is you should move more in light sleep phases (the same sleep that gives you dreams) and this is when it’s best to wake up.

Anyway, less of this interesting but slightly anal geek talk. Let’s look at the app.

Verdict

So, after trying the app and finding out our Editor could sleep through the worlds end at 2 in the morning, what do we think? Well, come 6:00 a.m wake-up time the app gently eases in with a peaceful, non-aggressive tone. Ben still felt 6 o’clock tired, but not for more than say a minute. Afterwards, he felt more alert and ready to take on the day. It’s tough to test things like this, but we do recommend you try it even for just one night to see if it effects you. For $0.99 you cannot complain with this app. Sweet dreams!