Cool idea, poor execution and small selection
Perhaps my biggest complaint is simply that there is no rewind or fast-forward. If you swipe to a new story, you will have to re-hear all that you just heard of you return to the previous one. Same goes for if you change the narrator’s voice. It is absolutely brutal if you swipe away after already listening for 10+ minutes…
As it currently stands, only 2 of the current “worlds” hold my interest through a combination of narrator and subject. I wish there were more to choose from, and in varying genres. The two that I listen to are the ones that feel the most like I am exploring another world. One is about a strange archive and has a very pleasant female narrator, and the other is about a tree-based city (albeit with a less enjoyable narrator selection). I want to enjoy the world about islands in fog, but I just can’t quite click with the narrators. All the other options feel a bit… mundane. I don’t feel like I am learning about a world, so much as merely listening to an intentionally boring story.
The idea is great and I hope it continues and expands to include more actual worlds that are interesting, but as it currently stands I wouldn’t consider actually spending money on a subscription unfortunately.
As it currently stands, only 2 of the current “worlds” hold my interest through a combination of narrator and subject. I wish there were more to choose from, and in varying genres. The two that I listen to are the ones that feel the most like I am exploring another world. One is about a strange archive and has a very pleasant female narrator, and the other is about a tree-based city (albeit with a less enjoyable narrator selection). I want to enjoy the world about islands in fog, but I just can’t quite click with the narrators. All the other options feel a bit… mundane. I don’t feel like I am learning about a world, so much as merely listening to an intentionally boring story.
The idea is great and I hope it continues and expands to include more actual worlds that are interesting, but as it currently stands I wouldn’t consider actually spending money on a subscription unfortunately.
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great for sleep, need more stories faster
as others have said the quality of the stories, originality and the narrators are all wonderful and I rarely get to the end before I’m asleep. That being said after using this for seven months, I’ve heard everything there is to hear and they have been really slow to add new content. Just a few new vignettes here and there guys you don’t need to build a whole New World. If it gets boring, you will lose your listeners.
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Highlight of my evening
An absolute delight. The stories are charming, interesting and so deeply relaxing. Even after a year of using this app every night I get excited to listen and genuinely look forward to what story I’ll hear next. Somehow despite that I find myself relaxing deeply and falling asleep. Also a great listen to calm your nervous system even if you aren’t looking to fall alseep.
The best app I’ve ever used, please create more worlds and stories! 10/10
The best app I’ve ever used, please create more worlds and stories! 10/10
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Wonderfully Weird Wind Down
I love this, it really works. I used to go to sleep to audiobooks but had to rewind every night to go back to where I dozed off. These calming and somewhat eccentric tales are just perfect to send you off. Immerse yourself in these truly beautiful but strangely odd environments and drift away. Wonderful production, writing and narration. Very well done to all involved. Keep the Sleep Worlds stories coming please xx
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Magical
There is something magical about Sleep Worlds. With each one, k feel like I’m entering a physical space surrounded by comfortably ambient sound, not a story but a whole universe you can move around in and experience in different ways. Guaranteed to take me to sleep every time and I feel like I never hear the same thing twice.
I would love to see some new worlds added though!
I would love to see some new worlds added though!
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Bedtime stories as cozy as a lullaby
Narration is the perfect volume and tonal inflection makes me very sleepy. Simple and intuitive controls. Multiple themes/stories to choose from. Familiar yet slightly different stories each time. Snuggle in a blanket, or get cool and comfortable, and drift off to sleep. You can listen to the story, or if you are a doom scroller like me, keep the app open and watch the gradual animations for a double whammy of an audiovisual sleep-inducing experience. Highly recommend, this app works wonders for me.
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peaceful and helpful
The app does work. It’s calming and does work to get you drifting off to sleep. But, especially in the forest of rains, the stories repeat themselves quite a lot, and you end up hearing the same things over again, sometimes even in the same night. Otherwise, it’s a great app and I can’t complain, I use it a lot. Thanks!
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Best sleep stories ever
I’ve used a number of sleep story apps, some free, some subscription, and I’m here to say this is a horse of a different color.
I’ve had trouble sleeping for more than 20 years. The reasons don’t matter; the lack of sleep does. Most sleep stories are fairly formulaic; these, however, are like narrated dreams. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I don’t need to follow a plot- I just need to be present. The stories themselves are surreal, truly dream-like and as such they allow your racing brain a great jumping off point far away from whatever is keeping you awake. Absolutely the best sleep story curation I’ve ever discovered.
I’ve had trouble sleeping for more than 20 years. The reasons don’t matter; the lack of sleep does. Most sleep stories are fairly formulaic; these, however, are like narrated dreams. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I don’t need to follow a plot- I just need to be present. The stories themselves are surreal, truly dream-like and as such they allow your racing brain a great jumping off point far away from whatever is keeping you awake. Absolutely the best sleep story curation I’ve ever discovered.
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Infuriating
If you’re a side sleeper and have to use one ear bud, this app is beyond infuriating, especially half asleep in the middle of the night. When you switch ear buds out and go to resume, the music app starts playing g whatever you last had playing. Then you try to go back to the Sleep Worlds app and tell it to continue, it may the first time, it may not. But if you try to restart the app, it just won’t continue, it just hangs there doing nothing while it says it’s playing. That’s absolutely not something I want to deal with half asleep. Combine that with the fact that it’s the same things over and over, it gets repetitive to the point I know them all by heart.
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Response from developer
Thank you for this, it's a hard review to read, but the detail is exactly what we needed. A playback issue like this is likely our app failing to handle the audio route change when you swap earbuds, which would explain why your iPhone reverts to your last-played music. We're on it. On repetition: we add content regularly. New chapters in the Forest of Rains just launched, more material for existing worlds is coming, and several new worlds are planned this year.
Look forward to listening
A great way to wind down, even better to distract from racing thoughts on middle of the night waking. I’ve tried binaural sounds and didn’t really get on with them, but this is a helpful distraction that eventually brings me back to sleep. Combined with a sleepband I can listen without discomfort or disturbing my partner. So far, it’s working for me.
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Terrible
Horrible app. Didnt even get yo experience it. Everything behind a paywall. Just make it a paid app instead of free. 100% Terrible.
Highlight of my evening
I have used sleep meditations, ASMR, meditation etc to help me wind down and sleep. The first night I tried this app it wasn’t what I was expecting and unlike anything I’ve used before so I wasn’t sure if it was for me.
I am so glad I tried it again because it’s an absolute delight. The stories are charming, interesting and so deeply relaxing. I get excited to listen and genuinely look forward to what story I’ll hear next. Somehow despite that I find myself relaxing deeply and falling asleep. 10/10
I am so glad I tried it again because it’s an absolute delight. The stories are charming, interesting and so deeply relaxing. I get excited to listen and genuinely look forward to what story I’ll hear next. Somehow despite that I find myself relaxing deeply and falling asleep. 10/10
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Potential but definitely not there yet!
I really wanted to love this app because the concept is wonderful. The advertising suggests stories that are always changing and evolving, which sounded perfect for sleep and relaxation.
Unfortunately, after using it for a while, I started noticing the same story fragments, phrases, and transitions repeating. Once I recognized the patterns, I couldn’t stop hearing them. Instead of relaxing, I found myself anticipating the repeated sections and waiting for them to appear.
For people who are sensitive to repetition, have anxiety, OCD tendencies, or simply pay close attention to storytelling, this can actually make falling asleep harder rather than easier.
I don’t think this is a bad app, and I believe the developers have a creative idea worth pursuing. However, the marketing currently creates the impression that the stories are far more dynamic and varied than they actually are. If the repetition could be significantly reduced and the story generation expanded, I would happily try the app again.
Until then, I don’t feel the current experience justifies the subscription price. I hope the developers continue improving it because the underlying concept has a lot of potential.
Unfortunately, after using it for a while, I started noticing the same story fragments, phrases, and transitions repeating. Once I recognized the patterns, I couldn’t stop hearing them. Instead of relaxing, I found myself anticipating the repeated sections and waiting for them to appear.
For people who are sensitive to repetition, have anxiety, OCD tendencies, or simply pay close attention to storytelling, this can actually make falling asleep harder rather than easier.
I don’t think this is a bad app, and I believe the developers have a creative idea worth pursuing. However, the marketing currently creates the impression that the stories are far more dynamic and varied than they actually are. If the repetition could be significantly reduced and the story generation expanded, I would happily try the app again.
Until then, I don’t feel the current experience justifies the subscription price. I hope the developers continue improving it because the underlying concept has a lot of potential.
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I never hear the end of any of the stories
I guess that’s the whole idea. I’ve been using this app for nearly a year, after giving up on a lot of others. The worlds are richly immersive and endlessly fascinating. Drift off within less than 5 minutes from my frequent night time awakenings.. can’t imagine spending the night without it!
Amazing!!
I cannot express how much I appreciate the team that has made this app and how supportive they have been and how amazing the App is. I have severe chronic pain from numerous health conditions and also PTSD I have struggled for years to get to sleep and this is the first thing that has ever genuinely helped and relaxed me and made me feel happy and safe enough to be able to get to sleep and stay asleep. It is like being wrapped in a cosy blanket with the most gentle of hugs.
I cannot thank you enough!
I cannot thank you enough!
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Nice
Love this app
Nice
It’s nice and cozy, but I wish stories didn’t restart each time you listen to them.
Really Works
This app is perfect. I don’t know what they dialed in or how they did it , but it’s the right answer. I am someone who has long had trouble sleeping and I’ve tried so many forms of background noise- boring podcasts, podcasts I like, weird massage music, random frequencies, meditation app sleep features, you name it. This is the only app that I’m confident in. I hardly even remember much past the first 10 minutes because I go right to sleep. I really have had trouble sleeping my whole life, so if you’re anxious or restless as you go to sleep, give this a try.
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Still doing the job
Since my initial review, I’ve been using Sleep Worlds for a year and it still does the job. As a PTSD sufferer, I know insomnia, and this app is my go to. The superb writing and gentle soundscapes create a kind of calm, safe place. Even if I don’t nod off right away, it dials down the noise. Narrators are excellent. Actress Hayley Atwell voices two of the worlds. An extremely talented voice actor, she brings an extra tier to a stellar line up. I’ve tried sounds & other apps - this one stuck. Price is reasonable too. Definitely worth a try - you’ve nothing to lose and a night’s sleep to gain.
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Disappointed
For starters I’m writing this at 1am having woken up, finding another story and getting wound up. The choice of worlds/stories is incredibly limited. The concept is great but the sounds don’t cut it for me. I like rain and thunder but I’m not subscribing past the free trial because there’s only one rain story. There’s much better sleep apps out there. In fact this has made me want to pay the subscription on another one I’m trialling.
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Response from developer
Thanks for your feedback. In fact there are three worlds featuring rain, seven worlds in total and each one of them is longer than you will find in any other sleep app.
