Comparison

Sleep Restore vs EMDR

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sleep Restore

This app uses bilateral stimulation, inspired by EMDR therapy, to help reduce stress and anxiety-related insomnia. It offers guided sessions and personalized recommendations to promote natural sleep. Ideal for those struggling with sleep due to PTSD, medical issues, or general worry.

Highlights
  • Bilateral stimulation for stress reduction
  • Guided meditations, music, and natural sounds
  • Sessions for falling asleep and returning to sleep
  • Overcoming worry and tension
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Customizable playlists
  • Indefinite session looping
Features
Read full description

Uniquely designed for sufferers of stress-related insomnia, this app harnesses the power of bilateral stimulation (bls) to turn off tension and worry and restore normal sleep functioning. Bilateral stimulation is a treatment element of EMDR therapy, a psychological treatment method which harnesses your brains ability to process sensory information to de-activate the physical and mental distress which inhibits sleep. The resulting normalization of brain activity creates the conditions for sleep to happen, naturally and effortlessly. If you suffer from insomnia related to PTSD, medical problems or just general stress and anxiety this app is for you. This app works best with a good internet connection and headphones. Key Features - 6 sessions of guided meditations, music, natural sounds and bls, + 10 = 16 sessions, over 5 hours listening (premium version only) - Different sessions for ‘getting to sleep’ and ‘getting back to sleep’ - Different sessions for overcoming worry and tension, the 2 main causes of insomnia - Individualized recommendations based on sleep assessment questionnaire results - Ability to create individualized playlist - Ability to loop sessions indefinitely Plus: - 6 x unique sleep hacks for stressed people (premium version only) - Selected inspiration quotes to counteract negative attitudes and beliefs that might be contributing to your insomnia - Assessment Questionnaire indicates whether you might be suffering from a more serious sleep disorder

About

EMDR

This app provides customizable bilateral stimulation across Apple devices, offering control over visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. It supports various use cases like research, education, focus enhancement, and relaxation, with accessibility features and online broadcasting capabilities.

Highlights
  • Customizable pace and auto-stop
  • Stereo sounds, animations, and vibrations
  • Cross-device connectivity (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
  • Game controller support
  • Online broadcasting via EMDR Connect
  • Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support
Features
Read full description

The EMDR app puts you in full control of visual, audio, and haptic bilateral stimulation. Turn game controllers and Joy-Cons into tappers, position sound precisely in stereo, and fine-tune vibration intensity. Sync across your Apple devices or broadcast to any browser with EMDR Connect. Full VoiceOver and Assistive Access support is built in. STIMULATION YOUR WAY Tailor every session to your needs: • Set your pace with presets or fine-tune it with a slider. • Use auto-stop so you never have to count along. • Choose from a wide range of sounds, animations, and vibrations. • Hear the count spoken aloud in 21 languages. • Position stereo sound to the left, right, or center. • Fine-tune vibration intensity, automatically adapted to each device. • Personalize colors, patterns, and more. WORKS ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Connect iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Joy-Cons, and game controllers. Alternate flashes or vibrations between devices, or use one as a remote control for another. No specialized tapper hardware is needed. The devices you already own do the work. BROADCAST WITH EMDR CONNECT Send your stimulation to a protected webpage on any computer, tablet, or phone, whether it's your own device or someone else's. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account is needed. Shared names are encrypted, and EMDR Connect session data is removed from the server when the session ends. START FROM ANYWHERE • Start stimulation from Control Center, the Lock Screen, or the Action button. • Ask Siri, or automate your setup with Shortcuts. • Control playback from your headphones or a widget, even in the background. BUILT FOR ACCESSIBILITY Full support for Assistive Access and VoiceOver makes the app usable for people with diverse needs, with specialized interfaces that don't compromise on capability. TRY ONE MONTH FREE Explore everything the EMDR app offers with a free one-month trial for new subscribers. EMDR+ unlocks the full feature set across your Apple devices. EMDR Connect adds broadcasting to any browser. Download today and see how it fits your routine. APP PURPOSE This app is a general-purpose tool for generating bilateral and other types of stimulation. It supports a wide range of applications, including: • Research, e.g. testing the effects of bilateral stimulation. • Education, e.g. illustrating bilateral stimulation principles. • Focus and attention, e.g. pacing tasks with timed signals. • Relaxation and wellness, e.g. promoting physical relaxation through bilateral vibration. This app is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Sleep Restore4 screens
EMDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

Sleep Restore and EMDR both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Sleep Restore's written reviews are positive against 46% of EMDR's. Sleep Restore also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15). EMDR's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (172 vs 32). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sleep Restore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and EMDR sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Sleep Restore against 4.4 for EMDR. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EMDR has 172 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Sleep Restore's written reviews are positive against 46% of EMDR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sleep Restore ships an update every 2 months, EMDR weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Sleep Restore versus EMDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSleep RestoreEMDR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (32 ratings)4.4 (172 ratings)
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews — better45.8% of reviews
Number of ratings32172 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developertrauma and pain management services pty ltdBas Oppenheim

Customer experience

Sleep Restore

All ratings32 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive80.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative12.9%

EMDR

All ratings172 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive45.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Sleep Restore

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

EMDR

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Apple Watch app won't launch after update
  • Sound issues (thudding noise, stereo problems)
  • Apple TV app doesn't work
  • Session disrupted by upsell window
  • App crashes when selecting features
Show 5 more
  • Sound doesn't work after purchasing
  • App doesn't work without internet
  • Trial starts without warning
  • Trial period doesn't work
  • App doesn't play in background or when screen is locked

Requested features

13 requests
  • Gradient effect for circle
  • More customization for circle
  • Alternating controller vibration
  • Timer feature
  • Slower BPM options (down to 30)
Show 8 more
  • More frame rates per second
  • Additional movements (Achten, Kreise)
  • Slower option for Slow EMDR
  • Use two Nintendo controllers for each hand
  • Pitch control for tone option
  • Option for 48 repeats
  • Ability to run with screen locked or in background
  • Manual input for repetitions and speed

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sleep Restore

One-time1
  • Premium Access$7.99
6 purchases

EMDR

Subscriptions5
  • EMDR+1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Monthly)1 Month trial$39.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • EMDR+ (Yearly)1 Month trial$49.991 Year
  • EMDR+ with Connect (Yearly)1 Month trial2 variants$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • EMDR+ for Research$9.99

Questions

Is Sleep Restore free?
Sleep Restore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is EMDR free?
EMDR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sleep Restore or EMDR?
Sleep Restore and EMDR are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 32 and 172 ratings respectively.
Do Sleep Restore or EMDR have ads?
Neither Sleep Restore nor EMDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sleep Restore or EMDR?
Sleep Restore ships an update every 2 months, and EMDR weekly. Most recently, Sleep Restore was updated on September 3, 2026 and EMDR on September 23, 2026.

Other comparisons