All 2027 shelves · sleep
The best sleep app of 2027
Our pick: Sleep Cycle. It tracks your night from the phone on your nightstand, wakes you during lighter sleep with its smart alarm and records snoring, with no wearable to buy. If you need help falling asleep rather than tracking, choose Calm.
The 2027 picks
Sleep Cycle
Best sleep app of 2027Sleep Cycle is our pick because it gives most people useful sleep tracking without buying anything to wear. Leave your phone by the bed and it analyzes the sounds of your night to estimate your sleep phases, then its smart alarm wakes you within a window you choose, during lighter sleep, so mornings feel less abrupt.
It also records snoring and sleep talking, and shows trends over weeks so you can connect late coffee, alcohol or a late screen with how you slept. The free version covers the alarm and basic tracking; Premium adds deeper statistics and history.
Calm
Best for falling asleepIf your problem is getting to sleep rather than measuring it, Calm is the better choice. Its Sleep Stories, soundscapes and breathing exercises are designed to quiet a busy mind at bedtime, and they work well alongside a tracker.
Rise
Best for energy and sleep debtRise focuses on sleep debt and your circadian rhythm. It estimates how much sleep you owe and maps the hours of the day when your energy is likely to rise and dip, which helps you time caffeine, focus work and bedtime.
BetterSleep
Best sound mixerBetterSleep lets you mix your own background sounds (rain, fans, music, white noise) and adds sleep stories, meditations and sleep tracking. It is a good choice for light sleepers who need sound to mask a noisy room.
Pokémon Sleep
Best for making bedtime a gamePokémon Sleep turns sleep tracking into a game: the more consistently you sleep, the more you progress. For people who struggle with a regular bedtime, the game loop can be surprisingly motivating.
Side by side
| App | Best for | Needs a wearable? | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep Cycle | Tracking + smart alarm | No | Yes |
| Calm | Falling asleep | No | Some free content |
| Rise | Sleep debt and energy | No | Free trial |
| BetterSleep | Sound masking | No | Yes |
| Pokémon Sleep | Motivation | No | Free to play |
Plans as described by each company. Phone-based tracking estimates sleep; it is not a medical sleep study.
Getting more from a sleep app
- Keep the phone in the same spot every night so readings are comparable.
- Look at weekly trends, not one bad night.
- Test one change at a time: a fixed wake-up time, no caffeine after lunch, or a screen-free last hour.
- Use the smart alarm window to wake up during lighter sleep rather than at a fixed minute.
If you snore loudly, stop breathing during sleep or are very sleepy during the day, an app is not enough; see a doctor.
Questions people ask
What is the best sleep app of 2027?
Sleep Cycle, for most people. It tracks sleep from your phone without a wearable, wakes you in a lighter sleep phase with its smart alarm and records snoring. Calm is the best app for falling asleep.
Do sleep tracking apps actually work?
Phone-based trackers estimate sleep phases from sound or movement, so treat the numbers as trends rather than medical measurements. They are most useful for spotting patterns, like how alcohol or late screens change your night.
What is the best free sleep app?
Sleep Cycle and BetterSleep both have useful free versions, and Pokémon Sleep is free to play.
How much sleep do adults need?
Public-health guidance in the US recommends at least seven hours a night for adults. If you regularly feel unrested despite enough time in bed, talk to a doctor.
How these picks are made: how we pick. Changes: updates.