Nicola Appleton
Nicola is the Sleep Editor at Tom’s Guide, where she helps steer the mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide, including our Best Mattress for Back Pain buying guide. With a career in journalism spanning the best part of two decades, Nicola brings experience to the team and the knowledge of what makes a great article, whether that’s a how-to mattress cleaning feature, a deep dive into melatonin gummies, or an in-depth mattress review. As a sleep editor, few better understand how important a decent mattress is to the overall quality of our sleep, and precisely how our sleep impacts our physical and mental health. As well as tackling the vast topic of sleep, Nicola joins the raft of expert mattress specialists at Tom’s Guide, who test and compare a wide range of mattresses in order to guide readers towards the very best options on the market.
Latest articles by Nicola Appleton
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Are soft mattresses supportive or are they bad news for your back?
By Nicola Appleton published
A mattress can be both soft and supportive, provided that it contains enough supportive layers.
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5 things to avoid right before bed if you want to sleep through the night
By Nicola Appleton published
Avoid these five things right before bed if you want to fall asleep fast and sleep through the night.
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Five signs you need a firm mattress for your back pain
By Nicola Appleton published
A firm mattress isn’t the only suitable sleep solution for back pain, but it could be — here’s how to tell.
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This is the worst type of mattress to buy if you have back pain
By Nicola Appleton published
There are so many myths around mattress for back pain – here's what to avoid and what to buy instead.
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Neuroscientist explains why we binge eat and doom scroll more after a bad night’s sleep
By Nicola Appleton published
A neuroscientist explains how to break the cycle of bad decision making and get better sleep tonight.
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Why you should sleep with the windows open — even in winter
By Nicola Appleton published
‘‘Lüften’ is a simple but effective sleep hack that can immediately improve your sleep quality. Here’s how…
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If you see or smell this on your mattress, it has gone moldy — here’s what to do next
By Nicola Appleton published
A moldy mattress impacts your health and sleep quality, but it isn’t always easy to detect. We’ll walk you through how to spot mold on your mattress, plus what to do if you find it.
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How to remove mattress stains — get rid of pee, vomit, yellow stains and more
By Nicola Appleton published
Accidents happen, so here's how to remove pee, vomit and yellow mattress stains in seven easy steps.
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Sleep expert shares biggest mistake people make when waking up in the middle of the night
By Nicola Appleton published
Staying asleep all night is hard — here are three things you should do if you keep waking up in the middle of the night, and one thing to avoid at all costs.
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How to make a memory foam mattress sleep cooler
By Nicola Appleton published
Memory foam mattresses can trap heat and cause you to overheat — here are five ways to help your memory foam mattress sleep cooler.
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7 signs that you have dust mites in your mattress — and why that's bad for your sleep
By Nicola Appleton published
You can’t see dust mites, but these are the seven tell-tale signs they're lurking in your mattress. Plus, we reveal how to get ride of dust mites quickly.
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Loved the Scandinavian Sleep Method? Try these 7 hacks for cleaner, better sleep
By Nicola Appleton published
From airing your duvet in freezing temperatures to hot baths before bed, there's more to Scandi sleep hacks than separate blankets.
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There’s only one real benefit of sleeping naked — but it’s a big one, even in winter
By Nicola Appleton published
It might go against your natural instinct to stay warm, but sleeping naked in winter can benefit your sleep in a big way — here’s how.
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Can an apple really wake you up faster than a cup of coffee? A nutritionist responds
By Nicola Appleton published
Some say an apple is better at waking you up than a cup of coffee, but is that true? Here’s what the nutritionists say...
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What is a nighttime routine for adults and how do they help you fall asleep faster?
By Nicola Appleton published
A nighttime routine can help you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling energized — here's what you need to do.
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This is why doctors drink coffee before taking a power nap
By Nicola Appleton published
A doctor on TikTok explains how combining your coffee with a daytime power nap maximises your energy levels post-sleep.
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7 things in your bedroom that are keeping you awake at night — and how to fix them
By Nicola Appleton published
Longing to stay asleep all night? A certified sleep coach reveals the common bedroom mistakes that could be behind why you keep waking up.
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Five mistakes people make when buying a mattress topper for back pain
By Nicola Appleton published
Avoid these five common mistakes people make when buying a mattress topper for back pain.
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7 tips for sleeping better in 2024 — get the best sleep of your life this year
By Nicola Appleton published
I'm a sleep writer and these are the seven tips I'm following to get the best sleep of my life in 2024.
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Expert reveals the best position to help you stay asleep all night if you keep waking up
By Nicola Appleton published
A sleep posture expert reveals the two ideal sleep positions to help you stay asleep all night – and it's bad news for stomach sleepers.
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Cold shower vs warm bath: Which is best for sleep?
By Nicola Appleton published
Let’s take a closer look at whether a warm bath or a cold shower is best for promoting quality sleep.
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Dakota Johnson sleeps 14 hours a night — what is oversleeping and is it bad for you?
By Nicola Appleton published
Sleep is important to our overall health, but oversleeping can make you feel more tired and increase you risk of disease – here's why...
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I'm a sleep writer — this is how I help my kids to sleep well on Christmas Eve and not wake up super-early
By Nicola Appleton published
My failsafe guide to getting excited kids to sleep on Christmas Eve and to avoid them waking up at the crack of dawn.
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