White noise, green noise, brown noise. Sound is a powerful way to help us wind-down, but how can you create a soundscape that fosters relaxation, meditation, and restorative sleep? Sleepless nights are more common than you might think. In fact, insomnia plagues many adults, especially those of us in middle age and beyond, and actually increases with age as up to 50% of older adults report symptoms (Brewster, Riegel, & Gehrman, 2018). The most commonly reported issues are difficulty maintaining sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and non-restorative sleep.
If only falling asleep was as easy as listening to a lullaby, counting sheep, or drinking warm milk. After all, it’s sleep—our bodies were made to sleep. Even if you don’t consider yourself an early adopter of new tech or new online offerings, using technology to get some much-needed relaxation throughout the day and shut-eye at night is simple. Gone are the days of staring at the ceiling, waiting for a sense of calm to settle over you, or counting sheep.
Tech to the Rescue: Apps to Help You Access a State of Calm
With the rise of meditation and sleep apps, many of us are finding relaxation in features like wind-down exercises, sleep tracking, and the soothing effects of green noise. Here are several highly-rated apps that we at AGEIST love. They offer a range of features, from guided meditations to sleepcasts, and can help improve your state of mind during the day and your sleep at night.
Breethe
Breethe is a comprehensive wellness app offering sleep stories, meditations, hypnotherapy, and more. Its extensive library covers over 1,700 tracks, all tailored to specific areas like sleep improvement, stress relief, or personal growth. Breethe’s personalized approach makes it a favorite for those looking to focus on overall wellness and mindfulness beyond just sleep. Our team found the hypnotherapy sessions both interesting and effective—and, collectively, we’ve tried just about everything to support a good night’s sleep.
Pricing options: Monthly: $12.99 | Yearly: $89.99 | Lifetime: $179.99 | Free 14-day trial available

Calm
Calm is known for its relaxing sleep sounds and meditation tools—and we are here for them! The app offers mindfulness exercises and soothing music to aid relaxation and sleep, with options like celebrity-narrated stories (including our very own David Stewart, who contributed his calming voice to the platform). It’s popular for overall well-being and stress reduction, perfect for those who need auditory distraction from their thoughts. You can choose from a variety of sounds and meditations designed to ease you into a restful state.
Pricing options: Monthly: $19.99 | Yearly: $69.99 | Lifetime: $399.99 | Free 7-day trial available
Headspace
We appreciate the simplicity and clear interface that Headspace offers. There is a strong focus on meditation and mindfulness. With hundreds of guided meditations aimed at sleep, relaxation, and stress reduction, this app offers sleep sounds, breathing exercises, and wind-down sessions to quiet your mind. Its bedtime stories, also known as Sleepcasts, are great for those who find their thoughts racing even more at night. Choosing a wind-down exercise to cap off your nightly routine is a great way to set yourself up for sleep success. Our personal favorite Sleepcast is “Rainday Antiques.” Also, if you wake up in the middle of the night, the green noise (or sleep music) can be a super helpful tool to drift back off to sleep.
Pricing options: Monthly: $12.99 | Yearly: $69.99 | Student discount and free trial available

Insight Timer
Meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting in silence with an empty mind. It can be a time to look within yourself, connect with yourself, and expand your perspective to cultivate a happier, healthier life. Whether you’re just beginning or have a long history of meditation, Insight Timer offers the world’s largest library of ad-free guided mediations to help people improve their well-being. With over 150,000 tracks from psychologists, spiritual leaders, and mindfulness teachers, listeners can sink into a state of zen to cultivate a wellness practice that can improve their mood and equanimity.
Pricing options: Monthly: $9.99 | Yearly: $59.99 | Free version available

Pzziz
Pzizz offers a mix of music, sound effects, and voiceovers to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. One of its standout features is the ability to customize sleep sessions. Whether it’s a quick “power nap” or a deep slumber you’re after, Pzizz has settings to tailor the experience to your needs. Its narrations, combined with calming soundscapes, make it a solid choice for those looking to optimize their relaxation and sleep routines. If you’ve often struggled with the timing of power naps, this feature will help you. (If you’ve never tried using technology for a power nap, we highly recommend it.)
Pricing options: Monthly: $4.99 | Yearly: $69.99 | Free version available
Sanctuary
One of the only comprehensive meditation and yoda nidra apps out there, Sanctuary was developed by renowned yoga and meditation teacher Rod Stryker. It offers a diverse and ever-expanding library of guided practices, including meditation, yoga nidra (also known as “Enlightened Sleep”), deep sleep sessions, and pranayama. To meet the needs of various levels of expertise and session durations, the app’s user-friendly interface categorizes content into sections (Peace, Heal, Empower, and Spirit), making it easy to find practices suited to your specific calming needs. With new tracks added monthly, Sanctuary helps support you in achieving greater inner peace and a sense of well-being through these time-tested techniques.
Pricing options: Monthly: $9.99 | Free 7-day trial available | Free content available
Spotify
If you’re a Spotify user, take advantage of all the soundscapes, curated radio stations, and playlists with listening-tracks and soundscapes to promote deep sleep. From classical music to sounds of nature, there’s a sound for everyone. Our founder David Stewart is a big fan of the yoga nidra songs, which can help you take a much-needed pause during the day with a spa-like soundscape that will calm your nervous system in no time.
Pricing options: Free for Spotify users

Relax, Meditate, and Sleep Better to Live Better
At AGEIST, we have a saying when it comes to sleep: “Don’t crash the plane.” In other words, it’s important to wind your brain down slowly at night. Many of us struggle with winding down and these apps have become an invaluable tool in our daily and nightly routines. So whether you’re looking for soothing sounds or relaxation techniques to take a pause during your day, make the most of your midday cat nap, or get into a deep sleep at night, these apps are a great tools to help you relax, meditate, and sleep better to live better.
Do you have a favorite meditation or sleep app? We’d love to hear your experiences and tips to catching those zzz’s in the comments below!
References
Brewster, G. S., Riegel, B., & Gehrman, P. R. (2018). Insomnia in the Older Adult. Sleep medicine clinics, 13(1), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2017.09.002.
After many years doing different forms of Meditation I finally found one . T.M. I have been doing T.M. regularly for the past 3 1/2 years Twice a day. Morning/ Afternoon. Average 7-8 hours of sleep.
That is awesome. I really struggled with sleep for years, and these meditation apps were very helpful for me. I am about 2 years in with the evening meditation and my personal goal is to add one in the morning – I really feel the benefits when I do, but it’s not yet a habit.