What's Appening: A better alarm clock

Sleep Cycle is an app that takes the concept behind a 200 dollar bio alarm clock and repackages it as a 99 cent iPhone app.

The app is one of a cutting edge new breed of “smart” alarm clocks. It is scientifically engineered to monitor your sleep patterns and wake you up at the best possible time.  

The concept behind it is based off of a normal human sleep pattern, which varies from deep, dreaming slumber to light sleep bordering on wakefulness.  You simply place your iPhone on your mattress while you sleep, and it will monitor your movements using the phone’s built in accelerometer and use the data to determine which stage of sleep you are in.

You then set yourself a period, usually around half an hour, in which your phone should wake you up, which it will do using light vibrations and gentle sounds at your most wakeful point, leading to a more refreshed feel upon waking.

The app will also track and graph your sleep data, giving you an idea of your time spent in bed and overall sleep quality over a period of time.

The app contains several other useful features, including the option to have an ambient noise, such as rain falling, play until it senses that you are asleep.

Overall it is a good quality alarm clock with the potential to greatly improve your mornings for a simple investment of 99 cents.