If you struggle with insomnia, you’re not alone. About 10% of adults suffer from an insomnia disorder, while another 20% occasionally experience insomnia symptoms. And not being able to get a good night’s sleep is more than just annoying: it can negatively affect both your mental and physical health. But never fear—I’m a licensed social worker and former therapist who has spent the last three years evaluating mental health apps and other resources, and I’ve put together a list of accessible and affordable sleep-focused apps dedicated to helping you fall asleep and stay asleep, so at the click of a button you can kiss your insomnia goodbye.
Compare Top Picks
Compare Top Picks
Best for Falling Asleep
Calm
Best for Falling Asleep Calm
calm
See Retailer
$79.99 for annual subscription, $399.99 for lifetime subscription
Yes
7 days
iOS, Android
Best with Smart Tracker Devices
SleepWatch
Best with Smart Tracker Devices SleepWatch
sleepwatchapp
See Retailer
$4.99 for monthly subscription, $39.99 for annual subscription
Yes
7 days
iOS, Android
Best for Extra Features
Pillow
Best for Extra Features Pillow
pillow
See Retailer
$9.99 for monthly subscription, $39.99 for annual subscription
Yes
7 days
iOS and Apple Watch
Most Versatile
Sleep Cycle
Most Versatile Sleep Cycle
sleepcycle
See Retailer
$39.99 for annual subscription
No
7 days
iOS, Android
Best with Coaching
Sleep Reset
Best with Coaching Sleep Reset
thesleepreset
See Retailer
$297 for monthly subscription
No
No
iOS, Android
Full Review
How I Review Sleep Apps and Online Therapy Services
I’ve spent years testing and surveying real therapy users and reviewing their experiences to help rate and share the best online therapy services. You can see a full breakdown of our online therapy research and testing process on Verywell Mind. Here is an overview of how I capture and evaluate firsthand experience and survey data.
App Testing
I had 23 testers try 29 different mental health apps, including sleep-specific apps, for a month each. If an app offered a “pro” or “premium” version, we tried that along with the free version in order to get a greater understanding of all the app had to offer. My testers engaged with their app every day in order to test its services and understand the impact it had on their lives with regular, consistent use.
Firsthand Experience
I had 65 different people sign up for talk therapy with all 55 online therapy companies reviewed. Over the past three years, I’ve published 153 reviews (here are our reviews for BetterHelp and Talkspace, for instance). I had my testers try out each company’s therapy services, and if the company offered other services (like couples therapy and kid or teen therapy) we tested those too.
I asked each tester to try each service for at least a month, which usually meant between two and six sessions at each company. I also asked testers to switch therapists partway through, if possible, in order to get a holistic idea of the offerings and quality of each company. My testers were located all across the United States and abroad, meaning I gained extensive information about each company’s services in a variety of areas.
User Surveys
I surveyed more than 8,000 therapy clients who are currently using one of the 55 online therapy companies tested or who had used one in the recent past. I collected 350 different data points in which I asked users to evaluate each company’s services, from their therapist’s qualifications to whether they found a therapist who met all their needs to how they’d rate the company overall.
Why Trust Verywell Mind
Hannah Owens is Verywell Mind’s Mental Health Editor. Hannah is a licensed social worker with a clinical background in community mental health. She’s worked at programs treating those with serious mental illness, providing both individual and group therapy. In her time at Verywell Mind, Hannah has designed and run years of online therapy testing, overseeing and editing reviews of the top online therapy companies out there and writing and editing roundups of the best online therapy services based on our extensive and thorough testing. Hannah brings her unique combination of both clinical and editorial expertise to her work for Verywell Mind.
Licensed social worker since 2019
Clinical background in community mental health
Specializes in serious mental illness
Believes in the mission of online therapy to make mental healthcare more accessible
