iPhone sees launch of new sleep application

A company has claimed it has invented an iPhone application that is more effective than sleeping pills.

A new application for the iPhone designed to help people sleep better has been developed.

The Sleep Better and Conquer Insomnia application takes users through a five-week course designed to improve their sleep patterns.

Dr Gregg Jacobs, who helped develop the application for the company Mental Workout, said: "I see this as a wonderful opportunity to help people sleep better, which has been my primary motivation since I began researching insomnia more than 20 years ago."

The company said that sleeping well was vital to a person's health as emotional wellbeing, productivity and mental agility were all affected by not getting a good night's sleep.

According to Mental Workout, the treatment has been proven to be more effective than sleeping pills.

In conjunction with Virgin Atlantic, it has also recently developed an application designed to help people conquer a fear of flying.

Actress Whoopi Goldberg, who tested a prototype, said it had helped her get on an aeroplane for the first time in a decade.