If there’s one thing I prioritize over everything else in my life, it’s sleep. That’s because if I don’t get seven to eight hours of sound sleep each night, I’m a nightmare to be around. And that’s also in line with science: in the long term, sleep deprivation can cause heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. But in the short term, it can cause everything from an increased stress response from your body that causes higher feelings of pain and anxiety and impacts our memory, cognition, and school and work performance, according to the National Institute of Health.
Also: These 7 tech products helped us find inner peace
Some elements of our sleep schedule we can control, like when we go to bed and how we prepare for our night’s rest. Then, there are the endless factors we can’t control, like the noises outside our bedroom window (or the snoring partner sleeping next to us), whether we wake up or sleep through the night, and how deep of sleep we’re getting.
I like to supplement the less controllable stuff with some handy tech that I’ve rounded up for others looking to get a better night’s sleep: earbuds for a silent night, a sleep mask to darken the bright lights outside your bedroom window, and sleep trackers that give you up-to-date information on your night’s rest.
A sleep tracker
The best sleep trackers can help pinpoint how and where your sleep is faltering if you’re seeking to improve it. With data on how long you slept, the quality of sleep, information on your heart rate, and more, you can learn the ins and outs of your sleep and set goals for a better night’s rest. Some trackers give you scores on your sleep, offer journaling features, and allows you to set goals that the tracker can supplement with reminders and suggestions on bedtimes.
The Oura Ring is a reliable sleep tracker that offers you essential data on your night’s rest. Each morning you get a sleep score, a recovery number, and in-depth data on sleep efficiency, restfulness, readiness, latency, and more. For anybody who wants a detailed report of their rest, this is the smart ring for you. Plus, given that Oura is a smart ring veteran, they’ve taken the time to improve their data and offer up reports that I’ve found to be ultra-reliable.
Review: Oura Ring 3 review: Unobtrusive 24/7 health tracking
The battery life is masterful–itt charges quickly and stays charged for days on end. The one downside that many users point out about the ring is the extra $72 you spend on the Oura subscription a year, on top of the $350 you just spent on the ring itself.
A sleep mask
I can’t go to bed without a sleep mask on. That’s because my bedroom overlooks a busy, well-lit road, and even with my curtains drawn the light still comes into my room. Whether you want a sleep mask that doubles as as sleep headphones or a plain Jane mask, here are the best ones for you.
For less than $20, you can get a sleep mask that doubles as a set of headphones. Even without the music turned on, the sleep mask blocks out any and all light, thanks to the eye cups that shield any light from peeking through.
As far as audio strength goes, it’s the exact level you’d need to gently go to bed but not feel as though you’re drowned out from your environment. The battery lasts around two nights, which isn’t too bad for a product that costs $20.
A pair of sleep earbuds/plugs
Whether you’re looking to dim down the noise of car horns and police sirens outside your bedroom window or the partner snoring on the other side of your bed, a pair of sleep earbuds can do the trick. Some earbuds are so small and discreet that they don’t disrupt your comfort as you sleep, nor do they make side sleeping impossible. The best sleep earbuds offer up soundscapes — or silence — for a transition into easy dreaming.
While these earbuds don’t have noise-cancelation technology, they use noise masking, which broadcasts a low-volume layer of audio to cover up ambient and environmental sounds. Soundcore’s app lets you choose between 31 different pre-set sounds to listen to as you drift to sleep, including audio that mimics your brain wave frequencies during periods of rest.
Review: Do sleeping earbuds actually work? I tested the latest pair on the market
Plus, the earbuds can wake you up in the morning with the in-ear alarm function, so roommates or sleeping partners aren’t disturbed by your wake-up call.
You might also need…
Aside from the tech above, there are a few other products you can add to your nighttime routine that will help you get some major Zzzs.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends improving your sleep by practicing certain habits throughout the day and before bed. One of these is following a consistent bed routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same times every day.
In addition, dimming the lights a few hours before bed, limiting screen time (including TVs), and creating a cozy, dark, and cold bedroom environment are all ways to improve your overall sleep. Health professionals say that regular exercise and limiting alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine consumption can also help your sleep health.
There are many reasons why sleeping by your smartphone is a bad idea. First off, research shows that the blue light that emits from your phone can suppress melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep cycles. Therefore, your late-night scrolling habit makes it harder for you to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up in the morning.
By keeping your smartphone in an entirely different room (or at the very least, across your bedroom) and using a physical alarm clock instead, you won’t be as tempted to scroll your phone before bed or check it in the middle of the night.