So you’ve paid for an expensive sleeping app subscription (or you were automatically charged) and now you have no choice but to use it. It might be a good thing as it might encourage you to use it and start a positive snow-ball effect in your life or expand on the one you’re already on.
While these apps are not specifically designed to be 'apps for sleep’, Calm App’s research shows that 80% of the time, Calm is used to aid in falling asleep.
The most common types of audio content consumed is rain sounds, followed by bedtime stories. Who wouldn’t like falling asleep to Matthew McConaughey. I am a married man and still find his voice sleep-worthy.
Listening to audio requires nothing more than a speaker. Whether it is big or small, compact, or not, it just needs to play the sounds from the app on your phone. Listening the audio content comfortably in bed is a different thing altogether. If you’ve tried this before, you probably found the process a little challenging. There is a disconnect between the audio content and how it is consumed.
There are essentially 4 ways to consume sleeping sounds at bedtime.
1. Phone speaker on bedside table
There is nothing like playing rain sounds on a hot summer day. Just plug in your phone’s charger, play a heavy rain sound and let it wash over you. It’s perfect if your beside table sits higher than your bed and it is close to a window. It will feel more natural. But what if you have a sleeping partner next to you and your blissful sounds distract them? To demonstrate your love, you will most likely turn it off. Unless…. You resort to Option 2
2. Phone speaker under the pillow
Yes, this works! You’re not disturbing your sleeping partner, and you can have your good night sleep. Just plug in and play. Nothing else matters. Or can you? Whenever I do this, I need to keep my head just above the phone speaker. As soon as I move my head slight on the pillow, I lose the sound. The sound comes only from one speaker, therefore one small area on your pillow. If your ear and this area don’t align, that’s it. You’ll have to keep your head stuck to only one spot when you are trying to relax at the same time. That leaves us with Option 3
3. Using earphones or headphones
Nowadays, everyone has Bluetooth earphones or headphones. You’ll find that the proximity of the actual speaker to your ear drum, and the fact that some earphones are noise-cancelling, makes the sleeping sounds clear and crisp. This could help greatly as there are less distractions around you. Plus you’ll block out your snoring partner.
This comes at a cost though. Earphones or headphones tend to be quite uncomfortable when you move your head around, especially when you sleep on your sides or stomach. They push against your ear and no matter how soft they are, unless they are Bose Sleep buds, you can feel them and that is the exact opposite of what you want when you are falling asleep – calm and relaxation.
4. Under pillow speakers
One of the least known, yet most effective way to listen to sleeping sounds at bedtime is to use under pillow speakers. These babies let you have all the fun, privately, and without disturbing your sleeping partner. They work in the same fashion as Bluetooth earphones, except, they are designed for sleeping circumstances. Just place it under your pillow, press play and enjoy listening to your sleeping sounds comfortably in your bed. Drowsie has been specifically design to provide the most blissful falling-asleep experience.
Conclusion
Whether it's your phone or some kind of a speaker, you need something to play the sleeping sounds at night. There are many ways to do this, each with it's own advantages and disadvantages. If you are someone who takes sleep seriously, we encourage you to check out under pillow speakers.