If you own an iPhone or a phone powered by Android, you might have heard of the “Sleep Cycle” app, which is supposed to work by monitoring your sleep and making sure it wakes you up when you are at your lightest point of sleep – which will leave you feeling much more awake than you would if you were awoken from a deep sleep.

Of course, the first question is: Does the Sleep Cycle app work?

The answer to this question is simple: It absolutely works, as the way in which your body moves will differ depending on the sleep cycle you are in, and by tracking your movements as you sleep the app knows if you are in deep sleep or light sleep.

The app costs only 99 cents, and if you ever feel more tired than you should after a full night of sleep, you should certainly consider using this app – after all, as long as you use it correctly, it just might be the trick you needed to keep you feeling more awake!

You will have to use this app with your phone plugged in, as the screen cannot be shut off during the night in order for the app to work (which is an inconvenience, of course - but this inconvenience is easy enough to deal with if it helps you wake up feeling more refreshed!).

You will set the alarm for a certain time, and the Sleep Cycle app will wake you up within a 30 minute window of that time - waiting until it registers you as being in a light state of sleep. Once you have set the alarm and plugged your phone in, you will need to simply set the phone face-down near your head, with the top of the phone facing you (you can slip it under a corner of your sheet if you want, to keep yourself from knocking the phone off during the night), and you will be all set to sleep!

In the morning, the Sleep Cycle app will wake you up when you are in your lightest state of sleep, and you can go into the day feeling much more rested because of this!

If you have ever experienced severe difficulties sleeping, you certainly understand how taxing it can be to lie in bed each night for hours, tossing and turning. And even though there are sleeping pills you can try that will help you fall asleep, these sleeping pills also mess with your body in other ways. Many people feel depressed when they take sleeping pills, or they wake up feeling groggy and hungover, unable to function properly the next day. Rather than putting your body through this, a better approach is to indulge in natural sleep aids that will enable you to rest without packing your body full of that negative stuff.

Valerian is one of the most effective herbs to help you sleep, and unlike sleeping pills, valerian is not addictive. And while valerian does not work for some people – which, of course, means that valerian is not for everyone – you will find, if it does work for you, that it does not leave you feeling groggy the next day. You should also avoid valerian if you are simply looking for a quick fix; this is because valerian takes a couple weeks to start working!

Another element that can be purchased at any pharmacy, and is great for aiding in sleep, is melatonin. The human body naturally produces melatonin, but with the addition of extra melatonin, the amount of melatonin in your body will increase, and you will be better able to sleep. If you have never taken melatonin, make sure you test it out on a night when you have nothing important the next day; some people find that melatonin causes drowsiness.

Probably the best way of all to help yourself get better sleep – and certainly the most natural way – is by relaxation techniques. Whether you take up a practice such as yoga or meditation, or just simply stretch and drink a cup of tea before bed, relaxation can help ease you into sleep. And of course, there are no negative side effects to this approach like there can be with medicines and herbs.

If you have trouble sleeping, you may be tempted to get a prescription for sleeping pills; think twice before you go this route, however, and try these natural sleep aids first!