With our always-on work culture and other everyday stressors, putting worry aside and relaxing into a good night’s sleep can be a challenge. That’s why we talked to experts in sleep and comfort to find helpful tips and tricks so you can rest easier every night.
“The most important thing for a good night’s sleep is to make sure that you set yourself up for success,” says Dr. Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona and Casper blog contributor. “That means removing barriers to sleep like caffeine, reducing distractions close to bedtime, giving yourself enough time to wind down and keeping your bedroom cool, quiet, dark and comfortable.”
Pillows
For side sleepers, this firm foam pillow is ideal for keeping the spine straight, Grandner says. One reviewer praised it for giving them a full week of “great, pain-free, comfortable and uninterrupted sleep.”
In our testing, we found that the Pluto Pillow is the best pillow for most people, in large part because it’s fully customizable. Side sleeper who sleeps hot? Using a questionnaire, Pluto will take that into account. One of the only downsides is the price, though the company gives you 110 nights to decide if you’re satisfied with its product.
Hot sleeper? This bestselling Casper pillow is an Underscored-editor favorite, with microfiber fill and cotton that we can vouch helps wick away moisture and keeps you cool all night. We’ve bought four at a time. You can take your pick between a low loft for a flatter pillow (great for back sleepers) or a high loft for a fuller one that’s ideal for side sleepers.
Physical therapist Dr. Karen Joubert strongly recommends this tiny pillow, saying, “It’s a tiny little pillow, and it goes in between your legs. When you sleep on your side and your knees are together, your knee is kind of pulling on your hip. You really want to lift that leg so that the knee is in line and level with the hip.”
Eye masks
Sleep masks are some of the most effective, inexpensive pieces of sleep technology out there, according to our experts. They are very effective at blocking out environmental light, helping to protect the “nighttime” signal in your body. This one is beloved on Amazon for its molded eye cups that relieve pressure on your eyelids.
Our pick for the best sleep mask of the year, this cotton eye mask features a nose wire that blocks out all the light, making it a great pick for light sleepers who need pitch black. It received top marks in our testing because of its comfortable fit, which works in all sleep positions.
Sound machines
“So many of us have gone to bed watching the news, or on our phone, and we can’t shut our brain down,” says Joubert, who recommends this white noise machine. “When you use something like white noise, it retrains the brain. You can focus on something else. It also helps to quiet and slow the brain and the mind down. I think they’re highly effective.”
Joyce Azzaline, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, also recommends white noise machines, like this one from Hatch,?to encourage better sleep. “The noise allows consistent humming so that you are not disturbed by any random noises in the environment like a siren or a horn,” she says. “It keeps your brain occupied with a dull sound that is soothing. Something like the Hatch Restore is good because it’s a sound machine that also has a mediation app and an alarm clock built in, so you can leave your phone on the other side of the room.”
Humidifiers and air purifiers
“Another trick I use is to get white noise from my air purifier or humidifier,” Azzaline says, pointing to this air purifier. “Cleaner, less dry air can help you breathe better, which in turn can lead to better sleep.”
Azzaline recommends this humidifier and diffuser too. “Some humidifiers, like this Canopy, also have a diffuser option for essential oils,” Azzaline explains. “You could use it with a lavender essential oil, which has sedative properties and has been found to promote better sleep.”
Curtains
“Blackout curtains are another great way to protect your sleep from environmental light that can disrupt it,” Grandner says. “They can help keep you asleep at night, even when the sun comes back up. Just make sure you open them in the morning!” This highly rated set also blocks out the cold.
These equally beloved blackout curtains with grommets at the top for easy sliding come at a bargain price and promise to block out light, cold and noise from the outside world, leading to a better night’s sleep.
Blankets
One of our favorite weighted blankets on the market, the blanket comes in six different colors and its luxurious-looking stitching ensures that the fine-grade beads get evenly distributed throughout the blanket. They even have a cooling weighted blanket that we love.
“There is something comforting about a weighted blanket,” Joubert says. “I think that’s a really smart product out on the market.” This weighted blanket is unique in that it comes with its own super-plush cover that’s machine-washable, and it even comes in weights up to 30 pounds.
Weighted blankets “work by providing a consistent, enveloping layer of pressure, not only giving you the weighted sensation but also restricting your movement,” Grandner explains. And this editor-approved one, among the most beloved on Amazon, is a real bargain for its quality.
Mattresses
You may want to look for a firmer mattress like this one if you’re a bigger person, or sleep on your back. “The heavier you are — let’s say you weigh 200 pounds or more, or you’re a back sleeper — you’re going to tend to maybe fall in the guidelines of the medium-firm to firm mattress,” Joubert says. This model from Casper, a popular mattress-in-a-box brand, is the firmest the company offers.
This medium-firm mattress is also one of the most popular on Amazon, not only because of its true bargain price tag but because its combination memory foam and innerspring construction helps align the spine and minimize pressure points to offer you your comfiest sleep yet. It’s available in heights from 8 inches to 12 inches.
Known as the most durable mattress on Amazon, this Zinus 12-inch mattress is made of foam infused with active charcoal and even green tea to offer pressure relief and form right to your body. It is particularly great for side sleepers, though it really seems to please just every reviewer. It even comes with a 10-year warranty.
