I don’t know about you, but if I don’t get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night I feel awful. We’re talking a total waste of space, a zombie, a huge grouch, and basically hungover. I wasn’t always like this. When my kids were babies and I was young, I lived for basically over a decade on a few hours a night with no problem. How did I manage that? I have no idea. Youth is totally wasted on the young.
I’m now in my 40’s, and sleep is seriously the most precious commodity. I hoard it like Gollum hoards his ring…it’s “my precious” that no one and nothing will take it from me.
So then, when I’m finally cozy in my favorite pajamas, laying on clean, freshly pressed sheets under my weighted blanket, lights off, head on the pillow…why is it that sometimes my brain just won’t shut up? I will be SO exhausted, craving sleep, and in perfect sleep mode, yet my mind is still racing. Did I email that person back? Did I mail that check? Oh my gosh, is it so-and-so’s birthday this week? Are the dogs due for their shots? I wonder how long hippos live? Do you think my chickens are happy with their lives? I wonder if I’m doing enough? Like for everyone in my life? I could be doing better, right? And on and on…
I’m so done spending hours of precious sleep time just trying to fall asleep, and you should be, too. So I did my research to give you this ultra-comprehensive list of the best sleep products on the market. Here are some of the products I swear by and some of the products I would like to try:
OTC Sleep Aids
We’ve all heard of Unisom and Melatonin, and if those work for you, that’s awesome! But sometimes you’ll be in the market for something a little different. At one point in my life when I was really having trouble sleeping I used Unisom almost every night and I built up a tolerance to it. I didn’t like the idea that I was flooding my system with enough OTC meds to build up a tolerance, so I decided to switch it up a little bit. Here’s what I found after doing some research:
Stress-Relax Tranquil Sleep Chewables
These chewable tablets have over 1,000 5-star ratings on Amazon! They contain a combination of SunTheanine, 5-HTP, and Melatonin, all of which help calm your body and mind so you can fall asleep faster.
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Secrets of Tea Valerian Root Tea
We honestly love this tea! Valerian is an herb often used to help insomnia. Tea is an amazing way to calm down before bed anyway, so infusing tea with Valerian root? Yes.
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ShutEye Natural SleepAid
L-Theanine and GABA are the miracle ingredients in this sleep aid! They target anxiety and stress which often keep us awake at night. These will help keep your mind from racing so there’s less standing between you and a good night’s sleep!
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Sugar Bear Sleep
These sleep gummies are seriously an all-in-one miracle product. They have melatonin, 5-HTP, magnesium, L-Theanine, Valerian root, and lemon balm. If nothing else you’ve tried has worked, you have to check these out!
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Neuro SLEEP
The secret ingredient of this concoction is L-Theanine! Don’t worry – it’s still super tasty. Melatonin adds to this drink’s calming power — you’ll be out before you know it!
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Bath Soaks
Nothing gets me more ready for bed than a calming bath. I honestly take baths every day, and I am absolutely obsessed with them. I definitely go through way too much epsom salt. If part of your sleeping troubles stem from just an inability to wind down in the evenings, you should seriously try some baths with bath soaks. Here are our top picks:
This Works Deep Sleep Bath Oil
This stuff works like none other. Seriously. We sometimes buy it for friends as gifts and they can’t get enough. We honestly struggled to find a retailer that wasn’t sold out! Snatch this up while you can.
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This Works Deep Sleep Bath Soak
If you can’t find the bath oil we’ve just mentioned, this is the best possible substitute! It’s also a good way to get a sense of what the bath oil offers without shelling out all that cash. It smells divine and is seriously luxurious.
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SaltWorks Ultra Empsom
Like I said, I’m obsessed with epsom salts, and these lavender epsom salts from SaltWorks really take the cake. They smell amazing and I emerge from a bath dying to crawl under my sheets.
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Sleep/Meditation Apps
Calming apps are on the rise since we’ve started becoming more aware of the importance of self-care! And let me tell you, there is no shortage of apps out there to help calm your mind and body. Sometimes we need a little guidance to get into a calm headspace. The Apple Watch is an especially handy sleep-app tool as you can wear it to bed! Here are all of our app and equipment recommendations:
Apple Watch
If you don’t already own an Apple Watch, you should definitely consider making the investment. This is one of our favorite sleep tools, largely because of its built-in sleep tracking capabilities and the variety of sleep apps it offers.
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Sleep Pillow
I use a white noise machine at home, but I can’t always take it on vacation. That’s why I love this app — it has tons of sounds you can choose from even just on the free version, that will help you fall asleep quickly!
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Pillow App
The Pillow App is a great alternative if your Apple Watch doesn’t have the built-in sleep tracker. It functions as a sleep tracker and a smart alarm clock that wakes you at just the right time.
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Calm App
Calm is an app of guided meditations that aim to help relieve stress and anxiety. To get the most out of this app you’ll have to upgrade to the paid version, but look into it — it could seriously be worth it!
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Apple Sleep App
Apple’s sleep tracker is a new addition to their devices. This build-in app tracks your sleep, allows you to set a sleep schedule, and creates sleep trends so you can view your sleep history.
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CBD
CBD’s pain management properties and anti-inflammatory features have been discussed a lot lately, but did you know that it also has calming effects? I take some in the morning and the evening, and I’ve noticed it’s really helped with my anxiety. I did have to let it build up in my system (I use a tincture) before I noticed it really working, so don’t be deterred if it doesn’t seem to work right away. And don’t worry, CBD isn’t exactly weed — there’s no THC in it, so you don’t run any risk of getting high. We’d recommend the following:
CBDMD Relax Bath Bomb
Again, I love baths! And if you thought lavender epsom salts did a good job of relaxing you before bed, just wait until you try a lavender CBD bath bomb! This is an instant body relaxer and brain soother. Try it, you won’t regret it!
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CBDMD 1500mg Tincture
I love this tincture in particular and recommend it to everybody! This brand has tinctures of varying strengths and they come in different favors (I like mint). They also have one specifically for sleep aid that includes melatonin.
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CBDMD Gummies
If tinctures aren’t your thing, try these gummies! These also come in different concentrations and flavors. Gummies are also easier to dose than tinctures, which you typically administer with a dropper.
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Pillow Spray
Pillow spray is a little bit of luxury that you need to add to your sleep routine arsenal! It’s basically what it sounds like — you spray it on your pillow! I admit, when I first heard about this stuff I thought it sounded a little silly, but then I tried it. Let me tell you, I was relaxed instantly. Check these out and consider giving a few a try!
ThisWorks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
Yes, another product from ThisWorks! That’s because we seriously can’t get enough. This combination of lavender, vetivert, and chamomile is everything you need to instantly relax and fall asleep!
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Positive Essence Lavender Linen and Room Spray
This linen spray comes in different scents, but we recommend lavender (of course!) for the most calming effect. It has thousands of 5-star reviews on Amazon, so you really can’t go wrong with this one!
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Marpac Fake It Til You Make It Spray
This is another linen spray that comes in so many refreshing scents, including lavender, but the ocean spray one is ultra luxurious. And it’s so inexpensive you could honestly try all the scents you want!
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Sleep Tech
We’re in the digital age, people! Why shouldn’t all the fancy new tech we’ve seen over the past decade or so be used at night as well as during the day? Sleep tech can be a valuable tool not only in helping you fall asleep, but also in giving you insight into your sleep patterns.
Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
This is a seriously awesome all-in-one product. The light simulates a sunrise to help your body wake up naturally, and this cool little machine also functions as a sound machine, alarm clock, FM Radio, and reading lamp.
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Hatch Restore Light/Alarm Clock/Sound Machine
This is another alarm clock with a sunrise wakeup light, but we especially like this one because it comes with a variety of soothing sound and light combos to fit whatever mood helps you calm down!
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Dodow Sleep Aid Metronome
This product is crazy cool. It’s a metronome that uses lights to actually train you to fall asleep faster, in as little as 8 minutes!
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Douni Sleep Sound Machine
I love the nature vibes this sound machine gives off! It comes loaded with a whopping 24 different sounds, and includes a sleep timer in case you don’t want the sounds on all night.
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Pillows
Last but certainly not least, this product may do more than you know for your sleep quality — the pillow! I’m so picky about my pillows, and pillows are definitely not a one-size-fits-all deal. You should probably be putting way more thought into your pillow selection, especially if you’re a side/stomach sleeper or if you have neck or back problems. These are a few of our picks:
Zeeq Smart Pillow
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to add this pillow to your smart gadgets collection! It has so many crazy cool features, including gentle vibrations to stop snoring, music playing capabilities, sleep tracking and even an alarm.
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Milemont Memory Foam Cervical Pillow
I’ve been sleeping with a cervical pillow for years and I don’t know how I ever lived without one, especially with all the neck and back problems I have. These pillows help your spine stay aligned while you sleep, and this memory foam one is ultra luxurious!
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Mkicesky Side Sleeper Memory Foam Pillow
This is another type of cervical pillow that does more to cradle your head than just the standard cervical pillow. This one in particular is designed with side sleepers in mind, so you can be sure your spine stays aligned no matter what sleeping position you end up in.
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Hopefully these sleep products will have you on your way to restful nights before you know it! Do you have any of these already, or are there others you’d recommend? Tell us in the comments!
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