A “nap app” designed by Cardiff-born IT expert Matthew Nifield to ensure his twin daughters enjoyed a goodnight’s sleep has been downloaded more than 250,000 times worldwide since it was launched last year.
Matthew, 33, who now lives in Silicon Valley, California, put together a range of 50 sounds on the colourfully designed White Noise Ambience app for users of the Apple iPhone and iPad.
Sounds range from ocean waves to a rain forest, steam train, frogs, a cat purring and even the sounds of a sprinkler, tumble drier and lawnmower.
Now Matthew is working on another Apple app, due to be launched later this year, which he hopes will prove just as popular.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response from Apple users. The greatest number of downloads have been in the United States and United Kingdom but it has also proved very popular in countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea.
“I’m also delighted that people that have reviewed it have given it a five-star rating and it even reached No 2 in Apple’s health and fitness app section in the UK,” added the former University of Glamorgan graduate, whose company is called logicworks (CORR).
Among the reviews from White Noise Ambience from users are:
I don’t know how I would have got through the last few months without this app.
Great for baby and me.
Got me through my daughter’s first few weeks.
Really good app at helping you relax and drop off to sleep.
Matthew has twin daughters who are now 18 months old and he still uses the app to help them sleep. “Listening to familiar sounds can help people get those much needed 40 winks. The sounds which help my daughters’ sleep are ocean waves and rain on a car. There’s also picture of Maddie on the app sleeping soundly.”
There is both a White Noise Ambience paid-for app and a free one which comes with advertisements.
It was not the first app Matthew has developed – he created online calculators for those using the ebay, ebid and Amazon auction sites. The free version even reached the top 20 of UK free apps in the finance section.
