Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Review: It Works!
| App Name: | Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock |
| Platforms: | iPod Touch, iPhone |
| Version Reviewed: | LexWare Labs AB |
| Genre(s): | Healthcare & Fitness |
Admittedly, I was a touch skeptical that a bio-metric alarm clock would work for me. The science makes sense but $200 price tags that I associate with these devices are quite good at adding to this skepticism.
Something, however, needed to be done as each night I was getting enough sleep only to wake up feeling anxious or just downright zombiefied and unrested.
Recently, I began using the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock, available at the App Store for a ridiculously cheap price tag of $.99. While not new to the App Store it was new to me, and now I am a new man.
By no means is this app going to make up for a night when you simply did not get enough sleep instead the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock uses the accelerometer in your iPhone to determine what level of sleep you are engaged in throughout the night.
It does this quite accurately and unobtrusively and after a few days use refines its findings.
The four stages of sleep according to helpguide.org:
Stage 1 (Drowsiness) – Stage 1 lasts just five or ten minutes. Eyes move slowly under the eyelids, muscle activity slows down, and you are easily awakened.
Stage 2 (Light Sleep) – Eye movements stop, heart rate slows, and body temperature decreases.
Stages 3 & 4 (Deep Sleep) – You’re difficult to awaken, and if you are awakened, you do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes. Deep sleep allows the brain to go on a little vacation needed to restore the energy we expend during our waking hours. Blood flow decreases to the brain in this stage, and redirects itself towards the muscles, restoring physical energy. Research also shows that immune functions increase during deep sleep.
REM sleep (Dream Sleep) – At about 70 to 90 minutes into your sleep cycle, you enter REM sleep. You usually have three to five REM episodes per night. This stage is associated with processing emotions, retaining memories and relieving stress. Breathing is rapid, irregular and shallow, the heart rate increases, blood pressure rises.
Sleep Cycle analyzes these stages and begins determining the best time to wake you up in the 30 minutes leading up to time you have set your alarm to wake you.
Obviously, this product will not work optimally if you share your bed with others but when alone it truly works wonders. If you have inconsiderate friends or family as I do Airplane mode is highly suggested, and my ONE complaint with this product is that must be done through the Settings on your phone rather than straight from the app.
They have even added the ability to share your sleep graph with your friends on Facebook, but that just seems annoying.
Our Rating: 4.5/5
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