Mike's NBC-TV stories

Apps to help you sleep better

Sleep is something we all do, but chances are we could be doing it better – and feeling more rested as a result.

Believe it or not, there are apps that can help and here are three great options.

Sleep Better tracks your sleep duration, cycles, and efficiency with the simple tap of a button. Doing so helps develop a better understanding of your light sleep, deep sleep and even time spent tossing and turning. The app’s Smart Alarm feature helps you wake up at the ideal time.. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Sleep Time doubles as a sleep analysis app and alarm clock. It’s free and available for Android and Apple devices, and integrates with the Apple Health app. It analyzes sleep cycles and creates graphs based on the information. The app even features soundscapes and white noise to help you fall asleep easier.

Pillow uses advanced science and math to track sleep patterns. After using Pillow for a while, you can see trends over time – and make adjustments. This free app is for Apple devices only and integrates with Apple’s Health app and Apple Watch to determine how sleep is affected by variables like weight, heart rate, blood pressure, what you drink, and stress.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.