You have probably heard of the craze of mindfulness, it is one of the favoured techniques of the counselling service. Designed by an American, the technique is supposed to bring you into the present, making you more relaxed and aware of your surroundings.
This month’s app is Sleepfulness. Although it is a cheesy play on words, a number of its users have sworn to it helping them get a better night’s sleep by taking you through guided meditations concentrating on the various parts of the body in order to be more present. During the first few meditations it is not unusual to fall asleep as you become completely relaxed.
There are four stages of meditation for you to experience, each designed to make you feel more calm and relaxed. The main option people will use the app for is to get a better night’s sleep. With a variety of guided meditations to choose from, you are not stuck with the same process each night which may become monotonous. If you cannot fall asleep then there is another option to try and rest your mind when you are having a bad night. After a presumably relaxing nights sleep there are more meditations designed to help you wake up and feel more refreshed, with the final option being just to make you feel more relaxed during the day.
You are initially presented with ten free tracks, all designed to help you relax your mind. There are then additional packs which you can purchase for specific needs such as Anxiety, Stress or Brightness. Alongside the mindfulness tracks, the app also gives you additional sleep insights as well as helpful tips and tricks when it comes to getting the most out of mindfulness, although we have not fully explored these features.
If you are hoping to get a foot in the mindfulness movement then this app may be for you, although recently people have had issues with the signup process.