These Products Will Help You Sleep Like a Baby
These Products Will Help You Sleep Like a Baby
Can't seem to get enough shut-eye? You're not alone. The Good Housekeeping Institute conducted a sleep survey that generated more than 4,000 responses and found that 56% of people feel that they sleep too little. On top of that, a whopping 76% of respondents said they do not sleep well.
So how can you get the sleep you need? In addition to making healthy lifestyle changes, there are products out there that can help you get more shut-eye. Here are the ones that are worth trying, according to the experts at The Good Housekeeping Institute.
Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Sound Machine
Marpac
amazon.com
$44.95
A sound machine can help drown out the sound of passing cars or chirping birds, which may help you drfit off. Our Media & Tech Lab experts like this one from Marpac’s updated lineup. The sleek gadget is simple to use - just plug it in and twist it to adjust its soothing, natural sounds to your preferred volume. The white noise is generated by an internal fan. Testers appreciated the simplicity of the product.
Fitbit Versa
Fitbit
amazon.com
$228.95
The FitBit Versa tracks your activity during the day and at night. It tracks your sleep stages to see if you're getting enough deep sleep each night. It can also record the duration of sleep and set a silent alarm to gently wake you up with vibration. You can create a sleep schedule to help optimize your sleep with reminders to stay on track.
Lunaguard Nighttime Dental Protector
Lunaguard
amazon.com
$24.13
LunaGuard's mouth guard reduces pressure from grinding. For a custom fit, soften it in hot (not boiling) water, wait until the plastic turns clear, then remove and bite for five minutes. To clean it, be sure to brush it with standard toothpaste, not a whitening one.
SmartNora Snoring Aid Pillow Insert
smartnora.com
$329.00
This pillow insert helps put a stop to snoring by inflating and deflating when snoring sounds are detected. The movement helps stimulate muscles in the throat to help resume normal breathing. No more bothering your sleeping partner in the middle of the night!
Garnier SkinActive Miracle Anti-Fatigue Night Cream
Garnier
amazon.com
$9.99
Set yourself up for relaxation with lavender-scented night cream (the scent is known to promote sleep). Hyaluronic acid in this top-tested GH Seal star's formula restores moisture to combat everything from wrinkles to dryness to dull-looking skin so you'll wake up looking refreshed.
Bose Noise Masking Sleepbuds
Bose
amazon.com
$249.00
These buds play sleep-promoting sounds in your ears all night (the company says it has a battery life of up to 16 hours). They're small enough to be comfortable even for side sleepers, and they charge right inside their compact case (making them great for travel). Testers liked the design of these buds, although some had trouble finding the right size for their ear shape.
Vicks ZzzQuil Nighttime Sleep Aid Liquid
Vicks
amazon.com
$8.00
Reach for non-habit-forming ZzzQuil on nights when you just can't fall asleep. The GH Seal star is proven to help with occasional sleeplessness - the active ingredients in the liquid and Liquicaps have been FDA-approved for nearly 30 years. Use as directed, and keep away from kids.
Frigidaire 70-Pint Dehumidifier
Frigidaire
amazon.com
$259.00
Quiet yet powerful, this Frigidaire dehumidifier actually exceeded its rated capacity in our tests. The controls are easy to use and the display shows when the reservoir is full, or if the air filter is dirty. It’s especially great if your home has mold or mildew from excess moisture, which may be making it difficult to breathe at night.
Honeywell Cool Mist Humidifier
Honeywell
amazon.com
$49.99
Ideal for humidifying a mid-size room all day (on its low setting), this cool mist humidifier can be operated on one of three speed settings, varying the moisture output along with the sound level. Compared to similar units, it’s pretty quiet. The large tank handle and opening make for easy transport and cleaning. This humidifier uses UV light to help avoid spreading germs that can accumulate in water tanks, but we haven’t tested its ability to actually kill bacteria and mold.
Casper Glow Light
$129
casper.com
This well-designed smart light helps ease you into sleep at night and gently awakens you in the morning. You can use the preset configurations or create your own by setting them in the app –schedule it to turn on and wake you up in the morning instead of using a typical alarm. It also functions as a nightlight; when you give it a wiggle it emits a subtle glow.
Best Meditation App: Headspace
The Headspace app has a section just for sleep. Users commented that it was easy to navigate, and some felt it could help clear their mind before bed. The app showcases a few different (and free!) “Sleepcasts” each night, lulling you to sleep with a calming voice and ambient sound. While there is a handful of free content, you’ll have to subscribe for $95/year to access the majority of meditations.
Best Sound App For iOS: Noisli
Scroll through a super simple interface to choose the right combo of sounds to help you fall asleep, ranging from calming waves to a thunderstorm. You can save and name your favorite combos, so you have them at the ready when you're going to bed or even when you need some background noise while you work. Users appreciated the simplicity of the interface. With a $2 cost, Noisli is an affordable investment in better sleep. Plus, it's also available for Android!
Best Sound App For Android: Sleepo
Only available on Android, the Sleepo app lets you choose and mix your own combo of up to 8 sounds to listen to while falling asleep, ranging from categories like Nature & Forest to City & Household. You can adjust how prominently you’d like to hear each type of sound (like chirping birds or a fan) and set a timer for as little as 5 minutes or up to 8 hours of sound. Users commented that they thought it was easy to use and appreciated the variety of options available.
Downy Ultra Infusions Liquid Fabric Conditioner
Downy
walmart.com
$3.97
Having a comfy bed only goes so far if your sheets don't feel and smell great (uncomfortable sheets may make you toss and turn). Wash sheets with Downy liquid fabric softener for the touch-activated scent of jasmine and vanilla. Our Cleaning Lab pros love that this GH Seal star softens fabrics and helps protect them from fading and fuzzing.
Lusome Ginger Cami
lusome.com
$64.00
Perfect for those who get hot at night, this moisture-wicking fabric was a top performer in our test. It quickly absorbed the liquid solution and the fabric dried fast. It was also a favorite among testers, who said it was soft, comfy, and helped keep them cool at night. The fabric did pill in lab tests, which can be expected for blended fabric like this (it’s modal, polyester, and spandex). Besides that, it washed well and didn’t shrink. Get the matching shorts here.
Bucky 40 Blinks Sleep Mask
Bucky
amazon.com
$11.40
The top pick in our sleep mask round-up, this mask is lightweight, comfortable, and actually keeps the light out. Our testers thought the fabric felt good, but especially liked the molded-cup design because there’s no pressure against the eye and you can actually blink while wearing it. The strap is adjustable so it's easy to find the right fit.
Coop Home Goods Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow
Coop Home Goods
amazon.com
$59.99
No matter what position you sleep in, your pillow should help keep your head, neck and spine aligned. It can be tricky to find your best fit, but this pillow comes with extra stuffing that you can add or remove to create your own personalized fill. Featured in our pillow-round up, it also has a blend of shredded memory foam and microfiber clusters inside, so it’s supportive yet not too hard.
Fishers Finery Silk Pillowcase
Fishers Finery
amazon.com
$43.99
A silk pillowcase is your beauty sleep secret weapon. Friction from tossing and turning causes creases in the skin, but sleeping on a silky smooth surface can reduce this in the long run. The Fishers Finery silk pillowcase was a winner in our silk pillowcase round-up and is a GH Seal holder: It was strong and moisture-wicking in lab tests, and our testers said it was comfortable and helped keep them cool. It’s pricey, but it’s still half the cost of other silk pillowcase options we evaluated.
Best Adjustable Mattress: Sleep Number 360 p6 Smart Bed
$2,399 and up
sleepnumber.com
SHOP NOW
This GH Seal star uses SleepIQ technology to detect when you switch positions during the night. The bed's inflation auto-adjusts to maintain your desired level of firmness. It can also track your sleep by providing data on how much you move and the duration of each sleep stage. Plus, this mattress has two adjustable air chambers so you and your sleeping partner can both have your dream mattress. All of this technology is easily accessible right from your smartphone!
AllerEase Maximum Allergy and Bed Bug Mattress Protector
Aller-Ease
amazon.com
$49.71
This GH Seal holder uses a tightly woven fabric to keep bed bugs, dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and other household allergens from accumulating in your mattress and pillows. They also help protect against spills and wear and tear, so you won’t have to clean your mattress as much. You may even not have to replace it as frequently! The protectors themselves washed well without shrinkage or damage in our lab tests.
Kirkland Signature Dried Cherries
Kirkland Signature
amazon.com
$13.48
Good Housekeeping Institute's Nutrition Director, Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, notes that "research has pointed toward treating insomnia with tart cherries/dried cherries to improve melatonin production." She recommends pairing tart cherries with a small amount of pistachios for added vitamin B6 and magnesium, which are linked to improved sleep.
Bigelow Cozy Chamomile Herbal Tea
Bigelow Tea
amazon.com
$15.54
When you feel frazzled and stressed at bedtime, sometimes a warm beverage can be calming. Used as a sleep aid for years, chamomile tea may help soothe nerves before bed. As a stomach soothing agent, chamomile tea can also ease an upset tummy at bedtime.
Cheerios Cereal
Cheerios
amazon.com
$4.04
The next time you're craving a snack before bed, reach for a bowl of cereal with milk. Good Housekeeping Institute's Nutrition Director, Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, recommends this combo because the cereal can satisfy your sweet tooth (look for less than 10g of sugar per serving!) and milk is known to be a sleep aid. Milk has calcium and magnesium, which aid in melatonin production, a hormone responsible for sleep regulation.
No more tossing and turning!