Ever since I started reviewing iPhone apps a few years ago, I’ve come across dozens of innovative and useful apps, but very few of them have impressed me as much as Sleep Cycle has.
Now, where to start? Sleep Cycle is an app for the iPhone (sorry iPod Touch users,) that allows you to monitor your sleep patterns and average sleep time. I know that doesn’t sound particularly interesting, but I haven’t gotten to the best part yet. Sleep Cycle isn’t one of those apps where you have to manually input your sleep data, no, this app allows you to put your iPhone under your covers, where the built-in accelerometer measures movement and translates it into a nice graph.
The first time I tried this I must admit I was a bit skeptical, but when I woke up in the morning there was a cool graph documenting my sleep pattern from the night before (deep sleep, dreaming, and awake.) In addition to monitoring sleep patterns, Sleep Cycle slowly wakes you up at a preset time so it feels like you’re naturally waking up. I was skeptical of this too at first, but to my surprise, it really does work.
This video demonstration really sold me on Sleep Cycle:
I would strongly recommend that you buy this app, and for $0.99 a more seamless, functional sleep app can’t be found. Sleep Cycle gets an A+ in my book.
Visit Sleep Cycle’s website here
Buy Sleep Cycle [App Store, $0.99]
Note: The views expressed above are mine alone and not necessarily those of iPhonefreak.com.
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March 18th, 2010 at 8:05 am
I've been using Sleep Cycle now for a few months and I agree with this review. Getting a sleep graph may not sound all that exciting but it is really addictive. It is especially good at explaining why you might feel tired even if you've gotten 8 hrs of sleep (you might have disturbed sleep architecture ie. the different stages och sleep cycles). I've found that it doesn't work equally well on all mattrasses (I've tried 3 different ones), the softer the better. But I've been so impressed with the alarm sounds that even though I haven't been able to get a descent sleep graph, I've still used it just for the really nice alarm sounds!
March 18th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I've been using it for a couple of weeks and, since it begins to wake you up when you are in a light sleep state, I've found that I am getting out of bed about 20 minutes earlier and feeling much more rested when I wake. It's well worth the 99 cents and the slightly annoying bit about sleeping with my phone.
March 18th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Wondering if your phone can still ring while the app is running, as that would NOT be good!!! I suppose one should set their phone to the silent mode while app is running? Wondering if that has been a problem for anyone…. Comments?
March 19th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Pretty cool app. I don't usually purchase to many apps, but I think this will be one of them! Great review as well.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:56 am
I have used it for a couple of weeks….and its pretty cool to see the nights you have had some "drinks"….how comatose you are. Deep, deep sleep cycle. But yet, in the am, your up refreshed. Of course the days you wake up and your rest has been less than stellar, you know why…. woken up in the middle of the night…or too much tossing and turning. You tend to remember then….Love the wake up sounds. I just wish there was a way to have it ring without the vibrate, it kinda ruins it for me…and I really dont want to deactivate my vibrate just for this app. Cause I forget to reactivate it and I miss stuff I need.
Otherwise a fantastic app! Thanks!
March 29th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Very nice iPhone app,i really appreciate the developers of this iPhone app.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:36 am
i think its an amazing think , i think it requires some special hardware to monitor the situation , anyway unbelievable ,really interesting to try this application .
September 13th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
You're supposed to put your phone in airplane mode!
December 7th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
It's available and works on iPod. It works really well.
December 8th, 2010 at 10:28 am
This is such a con. Before you come on here posting that it works for you, do me a favor and put your iphone on your bedside table tonight and see the results.
December 9th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
anyone know how i view my full graph? it only shows 7 hours at a time but i want to see the whole night…
December 14th, 2010 at 11:56 am
maybe you should read twice, it says to put it on your mattress so that it can sense your movements throughout the night. Bedside table won't work of course !!
December 15th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
It says on the website the alarm will go off even if the phone is muted.
December 15th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Yes? Your point is?
If the graph goes to the bottom and stays there, it means insuffient movement was detected.
December 16th, 2010 at 7:24 am
Maybe you should think a little and try what Dereck says. The point being made is that the graphs are BS, and if you keep it on your bedside table it shouldn't pick up anything, but it still makes sleep graphs.
December 21st, 2010 at 1:59 pm
fail. his point is that various people have reviewers have said the graph still records "sleep patterns" and peaks and troughs in the waves, when the phone is isolated on a desk. just like when it's next to you in the bed. research a little before commenting, think outside the box.
December 31st, 2010 at 4:22 pm
I have an ipod touch – it is compatible with the ipod touch
January 20th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
The accelerator is actually really sensitive, so your bedside table won't give as accurate as a result but will still notice movement. Don't believe me? Put it in test mode, and put it on your coffee table and wave your hand in front of it. Your bedside table is usually touching your bed, so it will pick it up.
January 21st, 2011 at 8:51 am
Thats exactly what i did. I dont know maybe your table has legs or something becuase all I got was a huge ass deep sleep line.
Dont trust this dumbass, this is legit, i put it on my table and got no movement at all, it real so dont worry.
January 21st, 2011 at 8:53 am
You people are fucking retarded, how does your table move,
Its not bullshit, your stupidity is, maybe if you actually tryed it like i did you would know that youd get nothing but a deep sleep through out the whole night.
February 13th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
when the app in activated, does it require to conncet to a server to transfer data? if so then you'll get charged because of transferring data throughout the night.
March 7th, 2011 at 1:36 am
did u get an answer to this? I 'd like to know too.
thanks
March 8th, 2011 at 2:07 am
My ph's on silent @ nite, the alarm still goes off, if u still don't want to be disturbed, u can put it on flight mode.
March 23rd, 2011 at 10:11 am
Love this app for my iphone, but am wondering if there is a way to delete the oldest days. Don't want to use up a lot of my iphone memory with the graphs. Do you just have to delete the whole program and start over? Or can you delete some days?
March 30th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
When I've done that (or it's fallen off the bed because I don't put it under the sheets) it's just bottomed out at deep sleep and stayed there.
I wonder if maybe your place is by heavy road traffic or something that causes micro-tremors in your house? The accelerometer in the phone is certainly that sensitive if the calibration is set to very sensitive.
April 27th, 2011 at 4:38 am
NO, when the app in activated, it does not require to conncet to a server to transfer data
April 27th, 2011 at 4:39 am
NO, when the app in activated, it does not require to conncet to a server to transfer data
NO CHARGE except 0.99 to buy it at first place