Does anyone use a phone App to help with anxiety/sleep?

[sharpiepaper]

I keep seeing advertising for phone Apps such as breeth and calm. They look good and I’m tempted to subscribe. Has anyone used one? Are they any good?

I've used headspace in the past for both anxiety and related sleep issues. During the day I used it for mindfulness practice and some courses they did on anxiety, and at night I just used it for background music and podcasts to help me sleep.

My DS had sleep issues for a while and the calm app helped with that from what I can remember.

I just use a free rain app called Relax Rain for sleep- it has me drifting off in no time.

I used to have a subscription to Calm but found the stories were ending before I fell asleep, meaning I had to reach for my phone to play another one. There was no way to make stories play consecutively. Also I hate waking during the night to silence, which means I start thinking. Night thoughts are never positive ones.

Now I listen to podcasts and they automatically play one after another. I listen to light-hearted interesting chat while dropping off and it stops the intrusive thoughts. I love No Such Thing As A Fish.

I use a free app called Insight Timer. It's sleep and meditation music and it's brilliant. Always helps me sleep.

I use Headspace Sleepcasts to get me to sleep at night. They really help to clear my head and on nights that I use them I tend to stay asleep. A sleep mask has helped too. I went through a period of insomnia but these are really improving things.

I use audiobooks and chose “cosy” mysteries, which are interesting but not scary/upsetting.

Yiu can set the timer for how long you want. After a year of this, I set the timer for ten minutes and am usually asleep after about three minutes!

I listen when I’m out walking or doing things by myself, as I find it keeps intrusive thoughts away.

I use insight timer too. It's free and literally thousands of different sessions. Meditation, yoga nidra, sleepcasts. Odd one is a bit woo but on the whole great.

How do you get on insight timer?
It tells me to put in my phone number so they can send me the app but then tell me my number can’t be recognised. I’ve been going round in circles for days.

@HazelandChachaHaz I think I just downloaded it onto my phone off app store. Pretty sure I didn't have to input my mobile number.

Thanks, it worked that way. No clue why they wanted to do it via my phone number.

I use Calm, mainly for the sleep stories. I find it really, really helpful.

I used Pzizz a lot last year for sleep and use it occasionally now when I’m struggling.

I use the sleep casts, sleep music and soundscapes from Headspace. I have no trouble with sleep but my DC1 struggles enormously to fall asleep - it works a treat.

I use Rain Rain - it helps me get to sleep

I used to use rain rain a lot but also find white noise on spotify. Some plays for hours. I did have a calm and headspace subscription once that were gifts but I could not get into the mindfulness so it was a bit wasted.