Like most people, I enjoy lying on a comfortable bed with fluffy pillows, wrapped up a cozy blanket. Unfortunately, that’s about it for me, most of the time. I just lie there. Either that or I roll around until fatigue finally strikes me down at four-ish in the morning. It’s unbelievably tough, especially when I have to be up by 6:30 a.m.

I’ve tried everything from soothing music to warm milk. Once in a while, they work but more often than not, I’m up until the sun rises. Insomnia is a terrible thing to suffer from and luckily, I don’t really have it that badly.

In the past, I’ve reviewed a couple of web apps that help with sleep. Among all of them, I listed Pzizz first. Their desktop application really helped me fall asleep and it was quite different from the rest of the apps I reviewed. Pzizz uses a combination of soothing sounds, binaural beats and the power of suggestion to help their users with sleep issues.

Unfortunately though, Pzizz is a paid app that will always remain that way. And rightly so — it’s a quality product! You don’t expect Louis Vuitton bags to be cheap or you’ll think there’s a defect somewhere, right? The closest you’ll get to “free” is a 5-minute demo of their desktop app for Windows or Mac.

Their new iPhone applications — Pzizz Sleep and Pzizz Relax are also paid applications albeit much cheaper than the desktop versions. At $9.99, that’s considered pretty costly for an iPhone app although you have to remember, we’re dealing with quality product here.

Luckily, MakeUseOf writers have always been known to go that extra mile. I managed to hook up with Edward Laing from Pzizz Technology Ltd and convinced him that MakeUseOf readers would enjoy Pzizz immensely. He graciously agreed to provide us with a considerable amount of promo codes for their iPhone apps. In turn, we are giving them out to you!

But first, let’s take a look at Pzizz Sleep and Pzizz Relax for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Pzizz Sleep

Let’s start with Pzizz Sleep. I had a really hard time reviewing this app. After ten minutes of listening to Michael Breen and I’d be snoozing. In short, I can testify that it works!

Upon launching Pzizz Sleep, you’ll be shown a warning that certain people should not use this application. It also shouldn’t be used when driving or during other activities which require complete alertness. If you’re not sure if you should be using Pzizz, consult with your medical physician.

Once I was past that, I explored the app a bit and tweaked the settings to suit my needs — track length (between 15-60 minutes), audio levels, etc. Then I tapped on Start and the Pzizz experience began. The concoction of soothing sounds, binaural beats and the power of Michael’s suggestions calmed me down. Like I said, ten minutes later, I was asleep.

Every time you use Pzizz Sleep, a new unique track is played. It’s nothing like other one-track “hypnotic” apps which you can remember what the next line is going to be. That’s what makes Pzizz Sleep such a pleasant experience — it’s different each time.

Pzizz Relax

On the other hand, Pzizz Relax is a totally different application. It’s not designed to help you fall deeply into sleep. Actually, its goal is to help you sneak that 20-30 minute power nap in the middle of your busy day. By blocking the thoughts running through your head and relaxing your body, it essentially re-energizes you immensely to tackle the rest of the day. It’s best used when you’re feeling exceptionally tired or saturated from work. Spend that 20 minutes with Pzizz Relax and you’re refreshed and ready for more. Here’s a personal suggestion: enable Airplane mode before starting your power nap so you won’t be bothered.

Pzizz Relax allows you to set the duration of your nap — anywhere between 10 to 90 minutes. What’s new here is the addition of alarm choices. You’ll need this if you ever want to wake up after the power nap! The soundtrack in Pzizz Relax also differs from Pzizz Sleep since its goal isn’t to help put you to sleep. Rather, Michael suggests a couple of relaxation techniques accompanied by a different soothing background tune, with a hint of the same winding sound that’s found in Coffee Replacement.

Pzizz Sleep and Pzizz Relax are both available from the iTunes Store [iTunes link] and priced at $9.99 each.

Giveaway: We’ve convinced Edward Laing from Pzizz that MakeUseOf readers will appreciate Pzizz for the iPhone and he’s given us a generous amount of promo codes! Valid for US iTunes Store accounts only. To get your hands on an absolutely free copy of Pzizz, either:

1. Share this post on Facebook by clicking on the Share button below or;
2. Click on the retweet button to share on Twitter or;
3. Do both!

Then tell us where you’ve shared it and which app you would prefer: Pzizz Sleep or Relax. Don’t forget to enter your email so that we can get in touch with you. Winners will be chosen randomly. Enjoy!

[Update: The promo codes have been given away. Congratulations to Ame, Doug, Chris, Dan, Diana, Chris, Jay, Lawrence, Jessica and LaShawnda!]

Tagged: giveaway • iPhone Apps • relax • sleep • sounds