Sleep like a baby!

App Review

In a country with thousands of years of civilisation, one is never short of stories. So on nights when you find it difficult to fall asleep, a good idea would be to become a kid once again and be lulled to bed with stories in a language that feels more at home. We tried the Neend sleep app - with kids - which has sleep stories in Hindi and relaxing sleep sounds that claim to improve sleep or make short naps more effective. The interface is simple and the idea is to feel relaxed, fall asleep quickly, and have better quality sleep. There is no guided sleep meditation as yet, but there are sounds of winds, waterfall, rain, chirping birds, campfire, streams, forests and those of a barber's scissors as well. The curated sounds are grouped under categories like nostalgia, stillness, floating in space, spa vibes and calming ombre, among others, that help focus, breathe and stay calm.

Verified by sleep experts, most of the stories on the app don't have a hero or villain - they are experience-based and need to be felt. From walking down the streets of Hazratganj in Lucknow to exploring the Chittorgarh fort to discussing Barielly ka Jhumka and the Ashes Series, they bring peace to the mind and take away from the stresses of daily life. There is mythology too and also translated versions of fairytales like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. What's interesting is that in many ways, these stories with their soothing narration, white noise and relaxing musical guide act like an induction into a Yoga Nidra or hypnosis session, or like autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) for the mind to go to bed.

The first time we heard Gaon Ki Sair, this writer's hyper active six-year-old fell asleep in 10 minutes and the second time around, the eight-year-old was knocked down in under 15 - usually both take about an hour to be persuaded to sleep. Besides, we felt it was a great way to introduce children to local authors and classic Hindi literature.

Tonight, we'll go to bed, listening to Munshi Premchand's Eidgah. As for the app, think of it as the desi version of the internationally acclaimed Calm. But here, content isn't just reserved for paid members - at least for now.

What: Neend app