App and at ‘Em! Tech to Help Kickstart Your Day

Mondays, amirite? Getting out the door on time and with the least amount of stress possible is sometimes easier said than done. For busy parents and active kids, saving a few precious minutes in the morning can mean the difference between having a great day or having a blah day. Check out our roundup of some of the smartest and most convenient apps that’ll help take you from bleary-eyed to raring-to-go!

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

Everyone knows that the key to starting off the day right is getting a good night’s sleep. For many, though, it’s not the sleeping part that’s a problem, it’s the waking part that’s a chore. Dubbed as the “waking up made easy” app, Sleep Cycle is an intelligent alarm clock that analyzes your sleep and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase—the natural way to wake up feeling rested and relaxed.

The app uses a patented technology that monitors sleep movements using sound or vibration analysis, then finds the optimal time to sound the alarm during a 30-minute window that ends at your set alarm time. Since you move differently in bed during the different phases, Sleep Cycle can use the microphone or accelerometer in your mobile device to monitor your movements and determine which sleep phase you are in.

The free version of the app provides detailed sleep statistics and sleep graphs, which can be exported to Excel for more detailed analysis.

Free on iTunes and Google Play