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NSDR and yoga nidra apps for Android (2026): an honest guide

Where to do NSDR (non-sleep deep rest) or yoga nidra on an Android phone, from free recordings and Insight Timer's library to apps built only for it, and the free 10-minute NSDR session in Everdust's Calm section. What each offers and costs, each described from its own Google Play listing, by the maker of one of them.

The short answer as a video (2:38) · Watch on YouTube

The best free NSDR option needs no app: Andrew Huberman's 10-minute NSDR recording on YouTube. On Android, Insight Timer has the most yoga nidra and NSDR sessions free to start; Som, Yoga Nidra (NSDR) - Deep Rest, Nidra by Habuild, Yoga Nidra: Relax & Meditate and I AM Yoga Nidra are built only for it; and Everdust's Calm section has a free 10-minute NSDR session.

I make Everdust, one of the apps below, so read this with that in mind. Everdust is mostly a space app; NSDR is one part of its Calm section, and the apps built only for deep rest go much further. I've described every other app by what its own Google Play listing says, as checked on October 29, 2026. Listings change, so check before you pay.

NSDR is for rest and relaxation. It isn't a treatment for any condition; if you're dealing with insomnia, anxiety or anything medical, talk to a doctor.

The short answer

  • Free, no app at all: Andrew Huberman's 10-minute NSDR recording on YouTube.
  • The most choice of teachers and lengths, free to start: Insight Timer, which has a large library of yoga nidra and NSDR sessions.
  • An app built only for NSDR or yoga nidra: Som, Yoga Nidra (NSDR) - Deep Rest, Nidra by Habuild, Yoga Nidra: Relax & Meditate, or I AM Yoga Nidra.
  • NSDR inside an app you might use for other things: Everdust's Calm section has a free 10-minute NSDR session, with longer ones in Everdust Plus.

What NSDR is

NSDR stands for non-sleep deep rest. The term was coined by Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, as an umbrella for practices that guide you into deep relaxation while you stay awake. The best known of them is yoga nidra, an old guided practice in which you lie still and move your attention through the body, usually with slow breathing. Most NSDR recordings follow that pattern: lie down, breathe slowly, follow a voice through a body scan, for ten to thirty minutes.

So when you look for an NSDR app, a yoga nidra app does the same job. The difference is mostly the framing: NSDR sessions tend to be plain and secular, yoga nidra sessions often keep the traditional language.

Free, without an app: Huberman's recording

Andrew Huberman's 10 Minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) is free on YouTube, on the Huberman Lab Clips channel. It's a short, plain body scan with slow breathing, and the reason many people know the term at all.

Pick it if you want to try NSDR once before installing anything.

Insight Timer

Insight Timer - Meditation App by Insight Network Inc is a very large library of guided meditations and sleep tracks from many teachers; its listing names yoga nidra among the kinds of practice it offers, and Insight Timer's site has NSDR sessions too. It's free, with in-app purchases for a paid tier and no ads shown. Google Play shows 10M+ downloads.

Pick it if you want to try many voices and session lengths for free.

Apps built for NSDR or yoga nidra

  • Som by Fountainhead Software: a guided ten-minute audio reset, which its listing says is rooted in NSDR. Free, with in-app purchases.
  • Yoga Nidra (NSDR) - Deep Rest: a three-day guided program that teaches a yoga nidra / NSDR routine of 10 to 15 minutes. Free, with no in-app purchases or ads shown.
  • Nidra : Sleep, Meditate, Relax by Habuild: guided yoga nidra sessions, recommended from how you say you've slept and felt. Free, with no in-app purchases or ads shown. Google Play shows 50K+ downloads.
  • Yoga Nidra: Relax & Meditate by Do Yoga: a guided yoga nidra practice whose script changes as you keep practicing. Free, with in-app purchases.
  • IAM Yoga Nidra 4 Deep Rest by Kamini Desai: curated I AM Yoga Nidra sessions, from short breaks to 20 to 45 minutes. It costs $3.99; the listing was last updated in September 2023.

Pick one if NSDR is what you want an app for. These go deeper than a single session ever can.

Everdust's Calm section

Everdust is the one I make. It's a space app first: games, narrated science stories and a universe simulator. Its Calm section has a sleep timer, a focus timer, guided breathing and NSDR, each over a slow, dark particle scene. River, Everdust's narrator, guides a yoga-nidra-style rest of 10, 20 or 30 minutes.

The 10-minute NSDR session is free, along with the sleep timer, box breathing and the standard focus timer. The 20- and 30-minute sessions come with Everdust Plus, an optional in-app purchase. There are no ads and no account. Calm and NSDR are in Everdust on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest too; for iPhone, see NSDR and yoga nidra apps for iPhone.

Pick it if you already use Everdust, or you'd like something calm to watch while you rest. If deep rest is the main thing you want, the dedicated apps above offer far more sessions.

How to choose

  • Try Huberman's free recording first. If you like the format, you know what to look for.
  • For variety at no cost, use Insight Timer.
  • For one routine done well, pick a dedicated app such as Som or Yoga Nidra (NSDR) - Deep Rest.
  • For a short rest inside an app you also use for space and music, use Everdust's Calm section.

Questions people ask

Is there a free NSDR app for Android? Yes. Insight Timer is free and has NSDR and yoga nidra sessions. Yoga Nidra (NSDR) - Deep Rest and Nidra by Habuild are free with no in-app purchases shown. Everdust's 10-minute NSDR session is free. Andrew Huberman's 10-minute NSDR recording is free on YouTube, with no app at all.

What is the difference between NSDR and yoga nidra? NSDR is a newer umbrella term for guided deep rest while awake; yoga nidra is the traditional practice it most often draws on. In practice, both guide you through slow breathing and a body scan while you lie still.

How long should an NSDR session be? Most are 10 to 30 minutes. Ten minutes is a common place to start; Huberman's best-known recording and Everdust's free session are both ten minutes.

Is NSDR the same as sleeping? No. The point is to rest deeply while staying awake. If you fall asleep, that's fine, but it isn't the aim.

Is NSDR a medical treatment? No. It's a relaxation practice. For sleep problems, anxiety or other health concerns, talk to a doctor.

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