Calm
Meditation and sleep app with guided sessions, sleep stories and soundscapes
Guided meditations, breathing exercises, bedtime stories and all-night soundscapes such as rain, sold as a subscription. Most people open it for one of two reasons: a ten-minute daily sit, or a steady sound to fall asleep to in a hotel room. Its Train Your Mind series has an NBA player talking through emotions, sleep and pressure in ten-minute pieces. The free tier is thin; the annual plan is the real price.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
Basketball player · NBA all-time leading scorer
The sleep app he named on the Ferriss show, where he picks the rain on leaves soundscape to play on his phone through the night. In December 2019 Calm announced a multi-year partnership with him that includes original audio content from him, which is the disclosed sponsorship flagged here.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #349 transcript: LeBron James and Mike Mancias“It’s an app called Calm actually, that I use. Yeah. And I’m the guy who picks rain on leaves. That’s what goes on on my phone throughout the night.”
The Tim Ferriss Show #349 transcript: LeBron James and Mike Mancias (opens in a new tab) · 30 Nov 2018 - Matthew WalkerDoes it
Sleep scientist · author of Why We Sleep
A meditation skeptic until roughly seven years ago, when he tried Calm and stayed with it. His show notes say he now meditates for ten minutes before bed every night. The same notes disclose that Calm sponsors the podcast and gives listeners a discount.
Source: The Matt Walker Podcast #83 show notes
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under sleep or stress.
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Headspace
Guided meditation app built around ten-minute sessions, voiced by Andy Puddicombe
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - App$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Centr
Chris Hemsworth's training, nutrition and meditation app, built with his own team
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Hallow
Catholic prayer and meditation app with guided sessions, Lent challenges and sleep prayers
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Othership
Guided breathwork app with sessions sorted by the state you want to reach
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Reveri
Self-hypnosis sessions for sleep, stress and pain
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Sauna
Regular heat exposure, often 4 sessions a week at 20 minutes
On record from 17 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 3 recommend it, 3 have discussed it
App entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.