11 Sleeping Apps to Help Insomniacs Rest Up This Holiday Season

Although we LOVE the holiday season, finding time to do everything on our Christmas to-do list can be hella stressful. From planning the Christmas dinner menu to buying (and wrapping) gifts for him and her, there’s just too much to do… and not enough time to do it. But since stress can have seriously scary effects on your body, we’re avoiding holiday burnout syndrome by downloading these sleep apps to help us recharge for a busy and festive December.

1. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock: This cool-gal app is pretty much the standard when it comes to sleep-friendly alarm clocks, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s an intelligent alarm clock that analyzes your sleep and wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase, so you’ll be waaay less likely to hit the snooze button.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

2. Sleep Genius: Offering “sleep programs” that lull you into a deep sleep, this popular app is perfect for the gal with too many things on her mind at nighttime. Simply open the app, choose your program and you’ll be fast asleep before you can say nightlight.

DL It: Free on Android and $4.99 on iOS

3. White Noise: If you’re one of those people who need a little background noise to fully relax, this free-to-download white noise app is perfect. With over forty looped sounds — from crashing waves to a cat purring — it helps you block distractions and get some much-needed zzzs.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

4. Relax and Sleep Well: While meditation isn’t for everyone, this hypnosis and meditation app claims to help calm your mind and put you to sleep in thirty minutes or less. Heck, it’s worth a try!

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

5. Sleepbot: Restless sleepers and sleep talkers, this is the app for you. Along with the tools most commonly found in sleep trackers (an alarm, analytics and soothing background noises), Sleepbot actually tracks your movement and sound. Get ready to finally know all the crazy things you say to yourself at 3am, folks.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

6. Pzizz: Generously dubbed the sleeping app to the stars (JK Rowling tweeted about it once), this handy app uses the science of psychoacoustics and a combination of music, voiceover and sound effects to help you sleep like a baby.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

7. DreamZ: If you’ve always wanted to have a lucid dream (AKA be able to control what you do and see in dreamland), you have to download this app PRONTO. By stimulating the brain during REM sleep with lights and sounds from your iPhone, you greatly increase the odds of gaining awareness inside your dreams. Now if only we could decide where we would go first…

DL It: $2.99 on iOS

8. Sleep Better by Runtastic: Along with tracking sleeping patterns and being a handy dream journal, this cool app will also tell you how your daily habits are affecting your sleep. By entering in your daily data (caffeine and alcohol consumption, exercise info and stress level), you can finally determine the best tools to get your beauty sleep.

DL It: Free on Android and iOS

9. My Sleep Button: Although it might not be the prettiest app in the store, this critically acclaimed app is actually a genius tool for falling asleep. Using the power of visualization, users are prompted to imagine a series of scenes and places until they’re fast asleep. Yep, it’s really that simple.

DL It: $2.99 on Android and Free on iOS

10. Sleepasaurus: If your kiddo isn’t sleeping well, try checking out this kid-friendly nighttime app. Simply let your tot pick out their own dinosaur as a sleeping buddy and have them sprinkle magic dust on them to fall asleep and stay asleep… just maybe not on Christmas morning.

DL It: $1.99 on iOS

Do you use tech to fall asleep? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.

Prime Day continues to impress us! Apple products like iPads, iPhones, AirPods, and more are almost never on sale for prices this low. This Prime Day, we’re seeing hundreds of dollars worth of savings, which is especially satisfying if you’ve been thinking about upgrading your current desk set-upor revamping your super old headphones. Scroll on for the 7 best deals on Apple products we’ve found, available for historic sale prices now.

Amazon

Apple Watch Series 9

$280, was $399

This powerful little sidekick is now $119 off for Prime Day! You can do practically everything you do on your iPhone with the Apple Watch, like talking, texting, navigation, and workout and sleep support. It easily syncs up with the rest of your Apple devices for a seamless experience. Plus, all of your activity will be super visible and bright, thanks to the Series 9's clear interface.

Amazon

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)

$120, was $169

You can save nearly $50 on some brand-new AirPods this Prime Day. The 3rd generation model is snug-fitting, sweat and water resistant, and lightning fast when it comes to communicating with your devices. You get up to 6 hours of listening time with a single charge, which is ample time to listen to your new favorite album or audiobook on repeat!

Amazon

Apple iPad (10th Generation)

$450, was $499

If you like to get things done on the go, the iPad is a total lifesaver. It's way more compact than a laptop, but its small size is still perfectly suitable to see the screen clearly. You can snag it in storage sizes 64GB or 256GB and four different vibrant colors on Amazon right now! This pick is compatible with the Apple Pencil as well as the Magic Keyboard (both are $50 off for Prime Day) based on your usage needs.

Amazon

Apple AirTag

$24, was $29

The AirTag ensures you'll never lose track of your wallet, keys, or backpack ever again. It communicates with the Find My app on your Apple devices, so you can locate your items in a single press of a button! This model even has a built-in speaker than can ring out loud to help you track down what you've (seemingly) lost forever.

Amazon

Apple iPhone 12

$282, was $398

The classic iPhone really speaks for itself, but this $115 off Prime Day deal makes it even better. We all live on our phones, so whether it's for scrolling TikTok, messaging your long-distance pals, or playing games, this device does it all. You can shop from storage sizes 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB and 6 different colors on Amazon right now!

Amazon

Apple AirPods Max

$395, was $549

We're never far from a pair of headphones, and the AirPods Max are definitely the hottest style to rock right now. They deliver high-quality audio through the cushioned ear cups, and you can even toggle between several different noise-cancelling settings. These wear really light on the head and even offer some nice breathability, since the headband is made from a light mesh material. With a single charge, you get up to 20 hours of listening time – and at $154 off, that's a major score!

Amazon

Apple Magic Mouse

$80, was $99

If you've been searching for an excuse to upgrade your clunky computer mouse, this wireless Magic Mouse from Apple is gonna feel like a total treat. It's compatible with both Macs and iPads to help you get the job done. This mouse works silently, too, so you won't ever be distracted by noisy scrolling or clicking again. It even has an incredibly long battery life, operating at full power even if you haven't charged it in a couple weeks!

Amazon

Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation)

$380, was $499

A slightly smaller iPad model, the Mini ($119 off) is still as great as the OG. It features a super bright and impressively clear screen display, fast wifi capability, and tons of storage to handle all your notes, apps, and photos. This model is available in storage sizes 64GB and 256GB and 4 different colorways on Amazon now.

Shop our Amazon storefront to snag more amazing Prime Day deals on beauty, home, fashion, books, and more!

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No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

I am a very prepared person, which means I do my best to handle life's unexpected chaos with grace. A recent curveball that I did not prepare for was my phone dying in the middle of New York City. When you live in Manhattan, there's always a show to see, friends to grab margaritas with, and events to attend. That means you lose phone battery pretty quickly, which is exactly the one thing you don't want to go without in the middle of the city.

Ahead of my show at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, I was #influenced to buy this viral gadget to bring into the stadium with me — and it's the best portable phone charger I've ever used. I can't believe I've gone this long without it!

First Impressions

I grabbed the iWALK Small Portable Charger (which I got for $30), and the first thing I noticed was the size. The whole thing is smaller than my iPhone, meaning that it'll fit in just about any size bag and works with a lot of stadium concert rules!

It comes in multiple colors like pink and teal, but I got it in white.

The Timeline

I left for the concert at 2pm with a fully charged phone. I had to use Spotify, Google Maps, Uber, and my camera all before Taylor even came out, which means that by the time Gracie Abrams and Phoebe Bridgers had finished their opening acts (around 8 pm), my phone was on death's door.

The portable phone charger went right into the port and kept my phone alive for the rest of the night! It also didn't interfere with the audio in any of my recordings, which was super important to me.

Final Thoughts On This Portable Phone Charger

Image via Chloe Williams/B+C

This product really surpassed my expectations because of how much power you get from such a small device. I've used it multiple times, and every time I do, my phone ends up fully charged, meaning I have enough battery for another round of adventures and antics.

I'll definitely have it in my bag all summer long. You can search on the internet for some other portable phone chargers for your summer, but this is definitely my favorite.

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Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.

2017's The Beguiled gave us one of the best groups of people of all time: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, and Kirsten Dunst just to name a few. And we're finally getting an Elle and Nicole reunion thanks to Apple TV+! "THRILLED to bring @rufithorpe genius hysterical heart-wrenching heartwarming book to your TV screens alongside a dream group of people!" Elle says on Instagram. Rather than having to test the success of its pilot, the series has already been ordered — even though the book it's based on isn't even out yet! Here's everything you need to know about the series.

  • Dakota and Elle Fanning will produce the upcoming Apple TV+ show Margo's Got Money Troubles.
  • The series follows Margo, who signs up for OnlyFans after learning she's pregnant.
  • The cast includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

Who's in the Margo's Got Money Troubles cast?

Amy Sussman/Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Margo's Got Money Troubles Cast

We couldn't contain our excitement when we learned Margo's Got Money Troubles will star Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, but knowing Michelle Pfeiffer is also joining the cast is too much to bear! This is the first time the actress will collaborate with her husband, TV creator David E. Kelley, so we can't wait to see the magic they'll create (via Deadline).

Nick Offerman from The Last of Us and Parks and Rec will also star.

When is Margo's Got Money Troubles coming out?

Ron Lach/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles Release Date

We don't have an official release date for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV show yet. I'm thinking if the TV show is in the early stages of planning, we could see it in 2025! Check out all of this year's best New TV Shows to hold you over until then.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles about?

Amazon

Margo's Got Money Troubles Plot

Margo Millet is the daughter of a Hooter's waitress named Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-wrestler (via Deadline). She's always had to make it on her own, even though she's not sure how. When she enrolls in her local junior college, she's totally unprepared to get swept up into a torrid love affair with her English professor — or to get pregnant.

Now at 20 years old, Margo needs an income and fast. She decides to experiment with OnlyFans and ends up taking some of her estranged father's advice from the world of wrestling to create a character users will fall in love with. You can order the book now!

What is Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's new TV show?

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles is coming soon to Apple TV+ thanks to a bunch of different producers. A24 is backing the film, as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company Lewellen Pictures and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, to name a few.

What else has Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in?

Focus Features

Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in 2017's The Beguiled. The movie follows John McBurney, an injured Union soldier, who winds up at a female Southern boarding school after deserting the Civil War. But soon, as the women help him, tensions turn to rivalries and friends turn to enemies.

Are you excited for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV reunion? Let us know what other New TV Shows you're watching in the comments.

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This post has been updated.