Quality sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing. And while there's plenty you can do to improve your sleep without spending a cent, I've found some really cool gadgets that can help you fall asleep faster, sleep better, and stay asleep through the night.
Over the past six months my fellow writers and I have been on the hunt for good sleep tech, which includes the best mattresses with the latest cutting-edge cooling tech, to noise-masking sleep earbuds.
While there were many gadgets we didn't like (looking at you, mouth tape), there's some sleep tech that I now swear by for a better night's rest. Here are my picks from the gadgets I've tried and love so far...
Better sleep Tech: Gadgets I recommend
Whether you’re struggling to snooze due to stress, a snoring partner, light pollution or an out-of-whack sleep schedule, here are the products that can help put your restless nights to bed...
1. Sleep tracking smart rings
From in-bed sensors to smart rings, I've tried a lot of sleep tracking methods and one of my favorites is the Oura Ring 3 (read our Oura Ring 3 review for more), which you can get for $249 (was $299) on sale at Oura now.
This silver ring, worn by A-list wellness fans including Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow, is designed to sit comfortably on your finger throughout the day and night, and as such, its less prominent (and therefore potentially less distracting to your sleep) than wrist-worn sleep trackers.
It collates sleep metrics including your sleep efficiency, overnight heart rate and heart rate variability to give you a sleep score, as well as amount of REM sleep and deep sleep and your sleep latency.
While testing the Oura Ring 3 I have found it keeps me accountable when I'm aiming for a consistent sleep schedule.
2. Smart eye masks
Eye masks are great if light pollution is keeping you up at night, but if you're experiencing eye strain or want some extra help falling asleep, smart eye masks have additional technology to help you. We've tested both the Bob and Brad Eye Massager and Aura Smart Sleep Mask, and think they're worth considering for any nighttime routine.
If you're staring at a computer most of the day or having to focus during regular long drives, you may be putting strain on your eyes. This is where the Bob and Brad heated eye mask (which you can buy for the reduced price of $69.99 (was $74.97) at Amazon now) can help.
This gadget effectively blocks out light, while providing a combination of heat, pressure and acupressure (you can choose from two heat settings and three compression levels) to help ease symptoms of puffiness and dry eyes (an effect of eye strain).
Similarly, the Aura Sleep Mask (available for $229 at Aura) is a breathable, cushioned mask packed with tech to block out light and provide personalized light and sound therapy.
The mask has Bluetooth-enabled speakers and you can customize audio-visual dreamscapes in the compatible app, picking from nature sounds, guided meditations, ASMR, and much more. There's even a sunrise alarm feature, giving you the option to be woken up gradually using light.
3. Sleep headphones
If you need complete silence to lull you to sleep, a quality pair of sound-reducing ear plugs will be your favorite thing to take to bed.
We love the Loop Quiet 2 Ear Plugs, which you can buy for $29.95 at Amazon now. Our main tester noted that these soft silicone ear plugs remained comfortable all night long and credited them for drowning out enough noise to help her sleep next to a nightclub and her snoring other half.
On the flip side, recent research from Talker Research, commissioned by Newsweek, shows that the sound of silence keeps 38% of Americans awake at night.
So, if you'd rather drift off to calming sounds, a pair of sleep headphones, like the Philips Sleep Headphones currently available for $216 (was $270) at Kokoon, can help.
With super thin earbuds, these headphones are connected to a small control panel that sits at the nape of your neck. They connect to your phone, so you can turn on a guided meditation, binaural beats or a soothing symphony as you fall sleep.
4. Smart beds
If you're really looking to invest in your sleep and learn more about what happens to your body overnight, a smart bed is a great investment. Built with world-leading sleep technology, the best smart beds and mattresses are engineered to help you tackle your sleep woes, be they night sweats, back pain or a restless partner.
Sleep Number mattresses for example all come with dual adjustable firmness, making them a great choice for couples with different firmness preferences, sleep styles or body weight as you can customize the pressure relief on each side of the bed.
Although they're the most expensive sleep tech in this round-up, typically requiring a budget upwards of $1,000, smart beds give you a personalized sleep experience night after night, along with sleep tracking analysis.
Some even offer additional features like snore detection, zero gravity positions, massage and silent alarms.
5. Sunrise alarm clocks
Obviously alarm clock are meant to wake you up rather than send you to sleep, but smart versions of this product are now incorporating wind down features too.
Take the best sunrise alarm clocks for example, including the newer Hatch Restore 3 ($169.99 at Hatch), Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake Up Light ($219.99 at Phillips) and Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 ($159 at Lumie). These sunrise simulating lights also have sunset simulation and relaxing audio features to help you drift off.
Plus, waking up to the simulated sunlight (rather than darkness and the sound of an alarm) will help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, which can lead to falling asleep faster in the evening, waking up more easily in the mornings and sleeping deeper through the night.
3 top tips to help you sleep better at night
The products above can help improve your sleep quality, but there are other ways to sleep better that won’t cost you anything...
1. Clean up your sleep hygiene
One part of good sleep hygiene is literally cleaning your sleep space. Regularly cleaning your mattress will make sure dead skin cells, dust mites, sweat and body oils don't build up, which can cause skin irritations, allergies and respiratory issues that will disturb your sleep.
Practising good sleep hygiene also means optimizing your sleep environment by keeping it dark, cool, quiet and comfortable, and practicing healthy habits like limiting stimulants such as caffeine late in the day, getting regular exercise and exposing yourself to ample daylight.
2. Maintain a regular sleep routine
Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, where you go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time, can help you sleep more efficiently and improve your sleep quality.
This is because it will help regulate your circadian rhythm (that's your natural body clock) and help you to release melatonin (the sleepy hormone) at the right time in the evening so you can doze off more easily, and prompt your body to release cortisol in the morning so you can feel alert and awake.
3. Limit screens before bed
Nearly all sleep advice, including that from the CDC, advises against screen use in the lead up to bedtime.
This is because the blue light that is typically emitted from a screen suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep onset. Instead of nighttime smartphone scrolling, add a calming activity like reading, meditation or stretching to your bedtime routine for better sleep quality.
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