Goodnight, sleep tight… thanks to this new app

It’s finally bedtime for adults and we’re oh-so looking forward to it

It’s no secret that we’re all stressed...we’re living in a worldwide pandemic. Has this affected our sleep? A million times yes. Our minds are running on a hamster wheel and they very rarely shut off when our head hits the pillow. So what do we do? You can only try natural magnesium supplements so many times. Enter the new app, WAVE, claiming to “train your brain to sleep better”.

So how is this different than other guided sleep apps? Formally a music-guided meditation app, WAVE received consistent feedback that it’s users needed something to fall and stay asleep. This brought to life a relaunch of the app, offering both live and on demand guided sleep sessions. All “classes'' are led in real time by a sleep coach. For some this may be comforting...and others maybe slightly creepy for a stranger to coax you to sleep? Personal preference.

The WAVE app, founded by Mason Levey and Brad Warsh, claims to combine relaxation techniques with guided sleep sessions to lull even the most high strung adults to sleep.

Beginning every night at 9:00 pm, the guided sleep sessions begin, with a new one launching every 30 minutes. We can see this as a valid point in “sleep training”, since it programs our bodies to set a certain sleep schedule. The app even allows you to book sessions in advance, keeping you accountable. The sessions end at midnight, but some of them are available on demand. This could be helpful during those bouts of insomnia that we all get around 3-4 am these days.

During these sleep sessions, your “coach” guides you through breathing exercises, calming visualizations, relaxing music, and blissful stories. If you’re looking for a replication of your parents telling you bedtime stories, this may be a close second (and a lot more acceptable as an adult). Another factor that sets WAVE apart from other guided sleep/meditation apps is the choice of setting. As you join the sleep session, you can choose the scenario, such as resting in a hammock or taking a nap on a sailboat in the Mediterranean. Once your sleep guide completes their technique (storytelling, breathing, etc), each user is auto-transitioned into the “sleep-room”, which contains looping music to continue the experience.

A lot of us have picked up healthy habits while spending more time at home, but some have been not so healthy habits as well. Maybe you’re staying up later? Not sure when to put your work phone away or stop answering emails? Well now, you have “sleep” scheduled and on your calendar.

The creators of WAVE have thought of everything, even down to the specific music choices for each sleep scenario. Matthew Wong, the director of music explains “We use a technique called Brainwave Entrainment so that, after listening to the music and sounds for some time, the brain will begin to match the frequencies and waves of the tunes…...The tones, winds, and other elements we use are put together into a musical wave and tuned in such a way that it mimics the waves that appear in REM sleep, therefore inducing relaxation and allowing us to fall into a deeper sleep, faster.”

You can download WAVE exclusively in the Apple Store, free of charge for a limited time. Sleep tight.