I am very serious about my sleep routine. As a lifelong insomniac, I’ve found that having a thoughtful nighttime setup is key to a good night's sleep. What’s helped most, unsurprisingly, is going to sleep and waking at consistent hours, avoiding caffeine after noon, keeping the room dark and quiet with the help of white noise, and, yes, a few unique sleep (and sleep-adjacent) products. These are some of the best products to help you sleep better (at least in my opinion) and I've tested and vetted each and every one of them, so I think they may help you out too.
The Pregame
This affordable e-reader features a built-in adjustable light, which allows you to read comfortably night or day. Plus, it reduces eye strain.
Before bed, it’s important to limit your exposure to artificial lights that might disrupt the production of melatonin. But when the sun goes down so early, what to do? Besides installing a filter on the computer (I use f.lux), the Sunlight Inside Lamp is a key tool in my arsenal. It emits a natural light that mimics sunlight, which is great for both seasonal affective disorder during the day, and a mellow light at night that won’t wake you up. It feels like natural candlelight, only it helps you see better, without the smoke.
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Perhaps the biggest game-changer for me, when it came to sleep, was finally giving in and getting an e-reader. The Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader lets me mellow out by reading in the dark before bed, without any alert-inducing light.
Sensually Sleepy
This oral sex-imitating vibrator is great for solo play or with your partner.
Personally, I sleep in the nude—it’s the best for regulating body temperature and not waking up in sweats. But, when I am winding down for bed, a great pair of pajamas can help signal it’s time for sleep. I love these comfy Carve Designs pajamas, while my boyfriend enjoys his ridiculously soft sleep shirt by Bedfellows.
Also helpful for a good night’s sleep is having an orgasm. Okay, maybe not right before bed, unless that tends to work for you, but a few hours before. My go-tos are The Womanizer—that oral-sex-mimicking vibrator that lives up to its somewhat-ridiculous name, and LELO’s Nea 2 for use during penetrative sex, or alone. Sweet dreams, indeed.
To CBD Or Not-To-CBD
If you're going to use a CBD oil to help you sleep, this one actually works.
I used to be a CBD skeptic, but so long as it is paired with a slight amount of THC to “activate” it, these products can really work for sleep. If oral CBD solutions are your jam, my favorites are Sunday Scaries CBD Sleep Oil, which does the trick most nights I struggle with insomnia and leaves little in the way of a hangover.
A bit stronger is Kin Slips Shut Eye Strips, which I often use when traveling —or if I have a migraine. So far, they are the only product that’s worked on those nights a migraine hits and help put me to sleep to recover.
In the Bedroom
Just pop this soothing wrap in the microwave and it'll be ready to use in just minutes.
The human body usually responds calmly to gentle, constant pressure. This is why hugs feel good, and why babies experience relief while swaddled. While weighted blankets make me claustrophobic, I do like Hugaroo’s weighted Neck Wrap to soothe muscle aches and tension in the neck and shoulders with relaxing aromatherapy and heat. (And if you really have neck tension, consider trying the HeadFloater, a small device that stretches out your tech neck in a satisfying way, before you get in bed.)
The NodPod sleep mask is my go-to for meditating a few minutes in bed as I drift off. You can use it all night, but I generally switch to the Manta Sleep Mask for side-sleeping, which is comfortable and blacks out all light.
Make your room even more impenetrable with the Dyson Pure Cool Tower Fan, which creates a nice white noise, a cool breeze you can adjust with minimal light and purifies the air around you. The smart fan monitors the indoor pollution you can’t see in real-time with an LCD display and then reacts automatically using a unique Dyson algorithm, with a fully sealed filter system that captures 99.97 percent of microscopic allergens and pollutants.
As someone who was recently diagnosed with asthma and who has allergies, that the fan is asthma & allergy friendly certified is key -- which is why I also like these National Allergy BedCare All Cotton Mite-Proof Pillows. You can add even more allergy protection with Protect a Bed AllerZip Smooth Pillow Protectors. Wash them at least once a month and your sheets once a week in hot water for the best sleep experience and allergy protection.
That said, few sheets can hold up to that much washing in hot water — cheaper ones I’ve bought tend to cave after a few months. But Pact’s Organic Favorite Tee Sheets, I can attest, have remained soft and bright for me after six months of weekly hot water machine washing, and show no signs of pilling or otherwise wearing yet. And if you want something even more luxurious, try Nollapelli’s sheets, which are made of a new fabric scientifically designed to restore and protect your skin and hair. Well worth the investment.
And speaking of investments, the Avocado vegan mattress is also worth the upfront cost, if you can swing it. It’s organic, non-toxic, “climate-neutral,” and totally vegan. I am very picky about my mattresses but can attest that ever since I started sleeping on this one, my back and neck have been much happier, and my sleep solid.
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