I’ve never been very good at managing my productivity. Between getting things done at work and around the house, and attempting to have a social life, there are things that just fall through the cracks. I thought that there was nothing I could really do about it until a friend of mine recommended I try an alarm clock and timer app to make it easier to make getting up in the morning easier so I could get more done around the house.
I thought that was a brilliant idea, so I started Googling and discovered a website called AppGrooves that has a list of the best clock and timer apps – linked below for your convenience.
Best Apps for Clocks & Timers
I decided to try a few of them out and, sure enough, I wasn’t coming home to a giant pile of laundry or a full sink of dirty dishes at the end of the week because, finally, I was getting things done efficiently. Since I started using these apps, my days have been so much longer (thanks to waking up at a good time) and more organized so I can finally relax when I get home. I’ve loved them so much, I knew right away I needed to share them with you too!
Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock – Rating: 4.6, Downloads: 1M
Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock is really unique because it uses sound analysis to keep track of your sleep cycles, the quality of your sleep, and sleep disrupters like snoring. After the app learns your sleep patterns, the alarm will sound during the lightest period of your sleep phase sometime during the time range you’ve chosen. You also have the ability to add notes to your daily sleep logs in order to remember the exact circumstances surrounding a good or bad night of sleep. Sleep Cycle also creates reports and graphs of your sleep patterns to show you your average amount of sleep per night as well as sleep quality readings that can help you determine what you need to do to sleep better.
With Sleep Cycle, you are able to track every night of sleep for free but you do have to pay a fee if you want access to premium features like long-term analysis, sleep aids (tools to help you fall asleep), and sleep notes.
Pros: Free to use, analyzes sleep cycle & quality, wakes you up at the most opportune time
Cons: You have to pay for many bonus features.
Overall: You can make sure you’re getting a good night’s sleep every night, just make sure you’re not selecting any premium features or you may make an unintended purchase
Alarm Clock for Me free – Rating: 4.4, Downloads: 10M
Alarm Clock for Me free lets you choose whatever song you want to make your alarm tone, which is really nice because it means you can start your day with something you enjoy. You can also use features like fade-in and vibrate that will help you to wake up in a way that is gentler and than a startling alarm sound; something I like a lot about this app. Plus, you can choose a type of alarmt to wake you up, like the math alarm clock or the shake alarm clock, which both help to get your brain and body active right from the start.
I won’t lie to you, there are quite a few ads that pop up while using the app. I do find this to be a bit annoying – pretty much the feeling I get when I see any type of ad, regardless – but, on the other hand, the app is free. I guess it just depends what matters more to you: no money or no ads.
Pros: Choose your alarm tone, gentle wake-up, choose the type of alarm you need
Cons: Frequent ads
Overall: There are a lot of customization options to make this the perfect alarm clock for you, just know there will be ads
Also Read: Top 5 Money Management Apps
Runtastic Sleep Better – Rating: 4.1, Downloads: 5M
Runtastic’s sleep tracking timer records exactly how much sleep you get between the moment you fall asleep and the scheduled time it wakes you up, while the sound and movement tracker record how well you sleep. What’s really nice is that you have the option to choose from an extensive library of alarm sounds to find a pleasant tone to start the day or – if you find it more difficult to wake up in the morning – a more aggressive alert sound. At the end of every night’s sleep, each night’s details are saved in your history.
Runtastic does not have any sort of snooze feature, so if you’re someone who likes to hit the snooze button in the morning, you may be disappointed. That being said, I was 100% a “snooze button person,” but my days have become so much more productive now that I don’t waste time like that in the morning. It’s just up to you and what you value in the morning.
Pros: Keep track of how well you sleep, select your alarm sound, keep a record of your sleep history
Cons: No snooze option
Overall: Easily monitor how well you sleep and start your day off right, just be aware there’s no option to snooze
Conclusion
I’m so glad I’ve found a way to wake up and start my day with gumption. Now I have the time, energy, and organization to get done the things I needed to accomplish. I know this never would have been possible without these apps, so if you’re someone who struggles with productivity in your day-to-day life, you should really try out these apps and make your life so much easier.
