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Post Disclaimer
The information on this website is designed to offer self-care tips and recommendations based on evidence-based research and literature from professionals in each field. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any specific medical condition. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
In today’s fast-paced world, taking care of oneself has become more crucial. Fortunately, technology has made integrating self-care into our daily routines easier. Mobile applications and wearable devices offer a range of features that can support and enhance our self-care efforts, from tracking physical activity to managing mental health.
This library lists the top mobile applications and devices for sleep, mental, and cognitive health.
Sleep Mobile Applications
The Sleep Cycle mobile application is a sophisticated tool designed to help users understand and improve their sleep patterns through intelligent tracking and personalized insights. It includes sleep tracking, smart alarms, sleep analysis, snore detection, trends, heart rate monitoring, sleep notes, and more.
The CBT-i (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) Mobile Coach application is a digital tool designed to help individuals manage and improve their sleep through evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.
The Insomnia Coach app was created for everyone, including Veterans and Service members, to help manage insomnia. The app is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).
The ShutEye mobile application is a comprehensive tool designed to help users improve their sleep quality through various features and functionalities, such as sleep tracking, sleep sounds and music, a smart alarm, a sleep diary, sleep coaching, and more.
The SleepScore mobile application is a scientifically-backed tool designed to help users improve their sleep quality by providing personalized insights and recommendations. Its features include sleep tracking, score, goals, personalized recommendations, sleep environment analysis, and more.
The Pillow mobile application is a comprehensive sleep tracking and analysis tool designed to help users understand and improve their sleep quality. It provides sleep tracking, analysis, intelligent alarms, audio recordings, heart rate monitoring, and more. It is only available on iOS.
The Slumber mobile application is designed to help users improve their sleep quality through various relaxing and soothing audio content.
Mental Health Mobile Applications
Mindfulness Coach 2.0 was developed to help Veterans, Service members, and others learn how to practice mindfulness. The app provides a gradual, self-guided training program to help you understand and adopt a simple mindfulness practice.
The STAIR Coach mobile application is designed to provide support and resources for individuals undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Its primary purpose is to facilitate the learning and application of CBT techniques, particularly those related to managing stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) mobile application is designed to help individuals manage stress and cope with emotional difficulties. It provides distraction tools such as games and activities. Several relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation, are also included. You will find various coping tools, inspiration, problem-solving, and several crisis support resources.
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool that provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body, instructions, and practice exercises to help users learn diaphragmatic breathing, a stress management skill.
The Headspace mobile application is a comprehensive wellness tool designed to help users improve their mental health and well-being through mindfulness and meditation. It also helps with sleep. The application offers a free two-week trial to allow users to test it out.
Calm is the #1 mental health app designed to be a user-friendly app that helps people develop healthy sleep habits, manage stress, and cultivate a sense of calm in their daily lives.
PTSD Family Coach can help you learn about PTSD, how to take care of yourself, and how to manage your relationship with your loved one or children. PTSD Family Coach also has information on how to help your loved one get the treatment they deserve.
The PTSD Coach app can help you learn about and manage symptoms that often occur after trauma. Features include tools for tracking symptoms, managing stress, and providing education on dealing with PTSD.
The Couples Coach app was created for partners who want to improve their relationships and explore new ways to connect. It also includes relationship information specific to couples living with PTSD.
AIMS is a Department of Veterans Affairs mobile app designed to help users manage anger and irritability.
Cognitive Health
Train your brain with BrainHQ from Posit Science—the most rigorous program available for better brain health and the only one backed by more than 100 scientific papers showing benefits such as treating mental health conditions, improving memory, focus, executive function, and more.
Elevate is a brain training program designed to improve your mind’s focus, memory, speaking abilities, processing speed, math skills, and more. Each person is provided with a personalized training program that adjusts over time to maximize results.
CogniFit is an interactive game and brain exercise training app designed to sharpen cognitive ability. It boosts short-term memory and improves up to 22 other abilities, such as focus, concentration, processing speed, reaction time, and more.
Lumosity’s cognitive training program is a fun, interactive way to train your brain and learn how your mind works. Over 100 million people use Lumosity’s program, which consists of games designed to exercise memory, speed, flexibility, and problem-solving.
Impulse—Brain Training is a mobile app designed to improve cognitive function and mental health through various brain training exercises and games. It offers a great way to test and train your brain through quick brain challenges.
Wearable Technology
Wearable devices have advanced significantly in recent years, offering a wide range of biofeedback features that provide valuable insights into one’s overall health and how it interacts with the environment. Below are some wearables I found to be the most valid and reliable based on the most recent clinical trials. You can review one of the most recent studies at this link to inform your device selection.
Fitbit watches are equipped with advanced features for tracking stress and sleep. For stress management, they utilize heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors to monitor physical responses to stress, offering real-time stress detection, guided breathing exercises, and mindfulness sessions. The Fitbit app provides detailed stress management scores and trends over time. Regarding sleep tracking, Fitbit watches automatically monitor sleep stages (light, deep, and REM), sleep duration, and sleep quality. They provide users with comprehensive sleep scores, personalized insights, and recommendations to improve sleep habits. Additionally, users can access in-depth sleep analytics and trends via the Fitbit app, helping them achieve better overall sleep health and well-being.
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers advanced stress and sleep-tracking capabilities, leveraging its sophisticated sensors and algorithms. For stress management, it utilizes heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring to gauge stress levels, providing users with real-time insights and guided mindfulness exercises via the Mindfulness app to help reduce stress. The Apple Watch Series 9 monitors sleep stages for sleep tracking, including light, deep, and REM sleep, along with sleep duration and quality. It provides detailed sleep analysis and personalized recommendations through the Sleep app, helping users improve their sleep habits and overall health. Integration with the Health app allows users to view comprehensive health data and trends, supporting a well-rounded approach to managing stress and sleep.
The Oura Ring Gen 3 excels in tracking both stress and sleep with advanced precision. Stress tracking measures heart rate variability (HRV), continuous heart rate, and body temperature to assess the body’s stress response. It provides insights and readiness scores to help users understand their daily stress levels and recovery. For sleep tracking, the Oura Ring Gen 3 offers comprehensive analysis by monitoring sleep stages (light, deep, and REM), sleep duration, restfulness, nocturnal heart rate, and respiratory rate. Its detailed sleep reports and personalized recommendations help users optimize their sleep patterns and overall health. The data is seamlessly synced to the Oura app, providing an in-depth look at trends and helping users make informed decisions about their well-being.
The Garmin Venu 3S excels in tracking stress and sleep, offering comprehensive features to help users manage their overall well-being. For stress tracking, it utilizes heart rate variability (HRV) to gauge stress levels throughout the day, providing real-time stress scores and relaxation reminders, along with guided breathing exercises to help users reduce stress. Regarding sleep tracking, the Venu 3S monitors sleep stages (light, deep, and REM), sleep duration, and overall sleep quality. It provides detailed sleep reports and personalized insights to help users understand their sleep patterns and make improvements. Additionally, features like Pulse Ox monitoring and advanced sleep analytics give users a thorough understanding of their nightly rest, all accessible via the Garmin Connect app for in-depth analysis and trend tracking.
The Whoop 4.0 is a sophisticated wearable device that excels in tracking stress and sleep. Stress tracking utilizes heart rate variability (HRV) and continuous heart rate monitoring to gauge the body’s response to stressors, offering insights into recovery and readiness for physical activity. The device provides users with strain levels and daily exertion data, helping them balance stress and recovery. Regarding sleep tracking, the Whoop 4.0 monitors sleep stages (light, deep, and REM), sleep duration, disturbances, and overall sleep efficiency. It delivers detailed sleep reports and personalized recommendations for optimizing sleep quality and recovery, empowering users to make informed decisions about their rest and overall well-being.
The Muse EEG headband excels in tracking stress and sleep by using advanced EEG sensors to monitor brainwave activity in real time. For stress tracking, Muse measures brainwave patterns to identify periods of calm, focus, and stress, providing immediate feedback through audio cues that help users manage their mental state. The Muse S model extends its capabilities for sleep tracking by monitoring brain activity, heart rate, and body movements throughout the night. This data is then analyzed to offer insights into sleep stages (light, deep, REM), sleep duration, and overall sleep quality. The Muse app provides detailed reports and personalized recommendations, empowering users to effectively improve their stress management and sleep hygiene.
