Skip to content

HOLIDAY SALE - USE CODE XMAS20 to SAVE 20%

Your cart is empty

Jan 31, 2025

Should You Consider a Sleep App for Insomnia?

Should You Consider a Sleep App for Insomnia?

Article: Should You Consider a Sleep App for Insomnia?

With the ongoing focus on getting sufficient, quality sleep, it should be no surprise that we’re looking to technology to guide us to better sleep. In a previous article, we shared the travel trend known as “sleep tourism,” traveling with the goal of improving one’s sleep, which often includes some type of sleep coaching. However, with the plethora of sleep apps available for download, you don’t need to travel to find a coach.

Some Questions to Ask If You’re Exploring Sleep Coaching Apps

Insomnia may include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or waking up too early, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).  It can negatively impact every aspect of your life. As many as 35 percent of adults complain of insomnia. Chronic insomnia, which occurs three times per week and lasts for at least three months, should be discussed with a medical professional. However, if you’re having a hard time getting sleep, and you and your doctor have eliminated any health problems or sleep disorders as the cause of your sleeplessness, you might consider a sleep coaching app.

1.   What Is the Goal of Sleep App?

A sleep app can provide coaching in the form of advice, education, and support to help improve your sleep. “Sleep coaching differs from therapy, in that the goal of coaching is not to diagnose or manage clinical conditions, but rather to provide education, support, and motivation to engage in helpful behaviors and perspectives,” according to a research article on app-supported sleep coaching published in Frontiers in Sleep. Sleep apps are intended to help adults to assess their sleep patterns and habits to improve the quality and quantity of their sleep.

2.   How Do Sleep Apps Work?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), in which a therapist identifies the most relevant targets for behavior changes to improve sleep, was recommended as a first-line treatment for adults with chronic insomnia in 2016. “The majority of patients respond to this treatment fairly quickly,” according to Stanford Medicine.  In a Medium article Dr. Michelle Jonelis, a medical doctor board certified in sleep and lifestyle medicine and the founder and medical director of Lifestyle Sleep, reviews the evidence suggesting CBT-I is a much better choice than sleeping medication for those struggling with sleep. A Mayo Clinic article on prescription sleeping pills agrees that behavior changes learned through cognitive behavioral therapy, including “[s]leeping on a regular schedule, exercising regularly, avoiding caffeine later in the day, avoiding daytime naps and keeping stress in check,” are “generally the best treatment for ongoing insomnia.” If you’ve read our previous articles, you’ll be familiar with some of these behavioral recommendations including creating a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment and following a soothing bedtime routine in the hour before sleep. That includes putting your cell phone to sleep in its sleeping bag.

Downloadable sleep apps make CBT-I accessible to a larger number of people who might not be able to find or afford a therapist. Although the American Academy of Sleep Medicine continues to prefer “on-site delivery and telehealth CBT-I,” it does recognize the benefit of digital CBT-I (dCBT-I), particularly when “access at sleep centers is limited.”

3.   Where Do I Find a Sleep App?

There is no standard certifications of sleep apps and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine does not currently provide a list of digital CBT-I programs. In her Medium article cited above, Dr. Jonelis does provide her list of digital CBT-I programs.

One of these apps, CBT-i Coach, was developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to augment clinician delivered CBT-I for its potential to “enhance delivery of CBT-I and mitigate common adherence issues.” For everyone not currently in CBT-I with a healthcare provider, the VA created Insomnia Coach, based on CBT-I, to help manage insomnia. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, both Insomnia Coach and CBT-i Coach “will guide you through the process of learning about sleep, developing positive sleep routines, and improving your sleep environment.” You will complete an assessment from which they will create a training program and keep a sleep diary to track your progress.  You can also access tools to improve your sleep, including suggested activities to relax your mind and body before going to bed.

4.   How Much Do Sleep Apps Cost?

You can see the cost of digital CBT-I apps on the list compiled by Dr. Jonelis. You can also find the prices on the companies’ websites or the app stores. Several of the apps are free and others offer free trial periods. Sleepio is an app purchased by employers and provided free to employees. Companies like The Hartford Financial Services Group began offering its employees the Sleepio program in 2015, according to an article in Inc. It’s worth checking with your employer’s benefit plan as employers are increasingly offering sleep health and wellness benefits.

5.   Online Courses to Improve Your Sleep

Recognizing the public health concerns created by a population getting insufficient sleep, many sleep centers are making the latest sleep information available to the public. Harvard Health Publishing of Harvard Medical School offers “Improving Your Sleep,” an interactive online course to “help you find how to get to sleep more easily, replace restless sleep with restful sleep, and wake refreshed and alert.” Even without signing up for the course, you can take advantage of a wealth of sleep health information through its “Sleep & Health Education Gateway.” The VA offers a free online course, “Path to Better Sleep,” if you’re not interested in an app.

If you’re having sleeping problems, you should see a medical professional to determine if there is a medical or psychological reason for the problem including sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Once you’ve eliminated those possibilities, you might investigate sleep coaching through an app.

Set your sleep goals and track your progress toward a great night’s sleep.

-Team at down etc

Read more:

What Is Sleep Tourism?

Bedtime Rituals for Better Sleep

About down etc

For over twenty years, down etc has worked with hoteliers and professional housekeepers in hotels around the world to provide pillows and bedding that will offer guests memorably great sleep. Through our retail website, we seek to provide products that will result in the same quality sleep for our customers at home. We believe in the restorative power of a great night's sleep, whether at home or away.

 

DISCLAIMER: You should not rely on any of the foregoing as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical or health and wellness advice, diagnosis, or treatment by a healthcare professional. If you have specific concerns or a situation in which you require professional or medical advice, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified specialist, such as a licensed physician, psychologist, or other health professional. Never disregard the medical advice of a physician, psychologist, or other health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of the information or content offered or provided on the Site. The use of the Site and all information and content contained thereon is solely at your own risk. 

EXPLORE MORE

Top Trends in Bedroom Design for 2025

Top Trends in Bedroom Design for 2025

Here are some of the trends that reflect our changing lifestyles in 2025. They all share the goal of creating a bedroom that is a sanctuary for relaxation and sleep.

Read more
Is Daylight Saving Time Bad for Our Health?

Is Daylight Saving Time Bad for Our Health?

The second Sunday of March, at 2 a.m., most of the United States will shift its clocks forward—costing us an hour of sleep—as part of daylight saving time. Why do we do this, and should we continue?

Read more