Sigmund Review

Sleep monitoring apps surely aren’t new, but they have become increasingly popular in the App Store. From apps that help users rest better to ones that use the accelerometer to determine exact sleep phases, they all promise positive results.

Sigmund is the newest sleep related app to land on iOS devices. What makes it stand out from others is that it allows users to program their dreams. Yes, you read that correctly. If users have ever wanted to eat strawberries with a caveman on a speedboat, then Sigmund is the perfect app.

Created by graduate students at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sigmund influences how users dream via during-sleep verbal stimuli. The content of the dream is influenced by verbal stimuli that is whispered to users as they sleep during the REM (rapid eye movement) cycle.

When users first open Sigmund, they must select up to five verbal stimuli from a list of over 1,000 words. The words are divided into categories that range from places to sports. Each selected word is added to the dream bubble at the top of the screen.

After selecting their five words, the alarm must be set to the exact time users plan to fall asleep and the time they wish to rise. The stimuli plays once the alarm is set and does not play again until REM sleep. The developers highly recommend that users turn their device’s volume level to full. I was surprised at how quiet the stimuli sounded.

Sigmund is able to gauge when an individual reaches the deepest sleep cycle based on mathematics. The developers do point out that it is important to get a good night’s sleep and avoid stimulants and depressants when possible in order for the app to work properly.

I am an extremely light sleeper. I’m pretty sure I could hear a feather drop on the floor. I only found myself waking up once during the night, but I’m not sure if it was the voice stimuli or something else. I turned the ringer down to half the volume, as the app suggests, and went back to sleep.

Honestly, I’m not sure if the app truly worked. I don’t often remember my dreams, but I do vaguely recall one of my dream words. The developers suggest trying the app for as long as a week with the same verbal stimuli. I am going to give Sigmund a try for a few more nights to see if my results change.

With the wide range of words available and the easy-to-use interface, Sigmund is a a simple and fun app that many users will be eager to try.