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Runtastic's Sleep Better app is more of the same

Runtastic's Sleep Better app is more of the same

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Mobile fitness company Runtastic is launching a new app called Sleep Better, which is intended to assist users in obtaining a good night's rest. Available for both iOS and Android devices, the program includes features like dream analysis, a personalized smart alarm, and tools for monitoring sleep patterns. It is also fully integrated with iOS 8's HealthKit, Apple's platform for consolidating health-related data.

There's nothing here to support the claim of "sleeping better"

We gave the preview version of Sleep Better a quick test last night. The app is simple enough to use: activate the smart alarm before bed, and leave it under your pillow. Sleep Better will then attempt to determine the optimal time to wake you, so that you feel properly rested. Inexplicably, testing an iPhone 6 plus running the latest version of iOS forced us to unlock the device before being able to interact with the Sleep Better alarm unlike the iPhone's default alarm. We were, however, able to simply swipe right to turn off the alarm when we tested the app on an iPhone 4 running iOS 7.

Once you're awake, Sleep Better will prompt you with questions about how you feel and what kind of dreams you had, as well as the option to write a note about your nocturnal adventures. It will also provide data on things like the estimated amount of time you spent in deep sleep, and how efficient your slumber was. For maximum efficiency, you will need to input variables like caffeine consumption and stress levels so that Sleep Better can create a more accurate overview of your night. Unfortunately, this can potentially be an obtuse process as the app's interface doesn't clearly delineate whether an option has been selected or not.

Sleep Better joins an an increasingly saturated marketplace, filled with software and and fitness bands that claim to be able to divine the perfect moment to enter consciousness. While Sleep Better seems perfectly capable of tracking our sleep, there's nothing really here to support the claim of "sleeping better." The app should be available in the iTunes store sometime today.