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Better sleep toolkit: how to use your iPhone to get a restful night

Tired of tossing and turning? Your iPhone can do more than just keep you entertained during waking hours – it can improve your sleep quality too. From soothing soundscapes to smart accessories, this round-up explores the tips, apps and add-ons that can transform your iPhone into the ultimate sleep companion.

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Screen Time

Use Screen Time: Set up limits for distracting apps if you tend to procrastinate rather than heading to bed. Getting a nudge every 15 minutes might urge you away from the screen and toward blissful slumber.

Turn on Night Shift: Ensure a schedule is set up in Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. After sunset, this shifts your display to warmer colors, helping you avoid blue light, which is known to hinder sleep.

Create a sleep schedule: Open the Health app. Under Browse > Sleep, explore the full options section. Within, define a precise sleep schedule, a wind-down period, a sleep goal and alarm options. During the Sleep focus, alerts will be silenced.

Try StandBy: Connect your iPhone to a charger, place it in landscape orientation and lock it. StandBy mode will be activated. Swipe until you see the clock. Tap-hold to select a different design. Your screen should also automatically fade in dim light.

Don’t obsess over data: If you choose to use accessories or apps to monitor your sleep patterns, don’t get too caught up in the details. Sleep tracking isn’t always perfect. If you find it’s causing more stress than sleep, stop.

Remove your iPhone: If you can’t resist temptation when your iPhone is in the bedroom, charge it overnight in a different room. Then use an alarm clock, sunrise alarm lamp or Apple Watch to ensure you don’t oversleep.

Download these apps

White Noise+

White Noise+ (free or $11.99/£11.99): Block out distractions with custom soundscapes crafted on an intuitive yet playful mini mixing desk. Favorite combinations can be saved and there’s an alarm mode too.

Sleep Cycle (free + IAP): Go beyond Apple’s sleep tracking with this app’s combination of data and ‘smart alarm’, which attempts to gently wake you when you’re in the lightest phase of sleep.

The Clocks (free or $5.99/£5.99): Bring classic clock goodness to your iPhone with this app, which mimics digital and flip clocks of old, and lets you dim the display with a two-finger drag.

Alarmy (free + IAP): Never miss an early morning again by swapping your existing alarm for this app, which has you solve puzzles, perform exercises, or photograph a specific location to end the din.

Moodflow (free + IAP): Record how you feel about your sleep and view your history in this simple mood tracking app, which offers plenty of customization options and insights.

Connect this hardware

Snoozeband

SnoozeBand ($59.99/£49.99): When earplugs or noise apps won’t cut it, these comfy ‘headband’ Bluetooth headphones should do the job. They’re lightweight, thin, adjustable, and get through a night on a single charge.

AirPods Pro 2 ($249/£229): You won’t want AirPods Pro in your ears overnight, but twin them with your iPhone’s background sounds feature and you’ve got the perfect combination when you want to take a quick nap.

Apple Watch (from $399/£399): Apple’s wearable has long been able to track sleep, if you wear it overnight. The latest edition takes things further, providing sleep apnea notifications when it spots breathing issues while you snooze.

Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station ($109.99/£99.99): If you’re keen on using StandBy, you need a good MagSafe bedside charger. This Anker number is our favorite and also provides spots for topping up your Apple Watch and AirPods.

Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750 DAB ($249/£229): This lamp wakes you in a gentle manner by gradually lighting up your bedroom with a simulated sunrise. There’s Bluetooth connectivity for your iPhone – although if you don’t need that, cheaper yet equally effective Lumies exist.