If you have a kid who just won’t sleep, this is the article for you! First things first: you’re not alone! Ask any parent out there, we have ALL struggled with sleep (either for ourselves or our little ones) at some point or another. Luckily, we live in an era of smartness, which means – you guessed it – “there’s an app for that!” Here, you’ll find some of the best sleep and meditation apps available today, geared specifically towards kids. These apps do everything from whispering stories to whooshing waterfall sounds to whisking your kiddo (or baby!) off to a dreamy state so you all can get better sleep.
The 5 Best Sleep Apps to Help Your Kids Get Better Sleep
1. Headspace For Kids
This is by far my favorite app of the bunch, and the one I always use as my “go-to”. In this app, you’ll choose from five areas: calm, focus, kindness, sleep, and wake up. Click on the category of your choice, and sit back as Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe walks your child through exercises to become more mentally mindful and calm. This app is particularly good for kids up to age 12, and the meditations change based on individual customization. (Pro tip: they have a headspace for grownups, too!)
2. Nature Sound
If your child prefers sound to meditation, put this app at the top of your list. This app provides hundreds of unique sounds, including different types of rain, jungle noise, city life, white noise, and instruments. Take things one step further and mix and match your favorites; for example, try pairing “rain on the window” with “piano”.
3. Sleep Baby Sleep
This app is easy to use and about as straightforward as it gets! Simply click on the image of your choice – fan, hairdryer, vacuum cleaner, clothes dryer, running water, or womb sounds – to help your baby fall asleep and stay asleep longer. There’s also a timer feature so you can preset the amount of time you want the app to play sound (just an hour? All night? Your choice!).
4. Sleep Hero
This app is super cool, boasting a slew of features that set it apart from others. For starters, it’s noise-activated, meaning it listens for your baby or child to make a sound and responds accordingly with music, sounds, or nursery rhymes. You can choose from a number of preloaded sounds or record your own. This app was created by the father of a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, and is intended to help everyone get a good night’s sleep!
5. Baby Shush
Most babies LOVE to be “shushed”. The problem is that most parents cannot “shush” as long as their kiddos need them too! Save your breath and download this app instead (your lungs will thank you). Record yourself “shushing” and set an adjustable timer, and watch your little one get sleepier and sleepier.
Sweet Dreams!
