For many people, sleep isn’t a high-tech endeavor. It is something that comes naturally as our bodies rest after a long day of hard work. But for those living in the middle of the busy city, sleep doesn’t come as easy as that, especially if you are looking for good quality sleep. You have to deal with factors you can’t control, like noisy neighbors, heavy traffic, or electrical interference. Sometimes, you are simply cursed by bad genes or a predisposition to insomnia.
Regardless of what it is, you can take control of your sleep and get a well-deserved rest during the night. Thanks to technological advancements, sleep technology has come a long way since good old earplugs. From gadgets that address tinnitus to an overly-hot room, here are the top 10 sleep gadgets that can help you sleep better.
Top 10 Sleep Gadgets For Better Sleep
1. Alarm Clocks For Heavy Sleepers
It is awesome to sleep in, but sleeping through your alarm can disrupt your biological sleep pattern. This can cause long term health problems, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
Besides that, your boss might not be happy that you are late for work all the time, which is one of the main problems heavy sleepers face.
The best alarm clocks for heavy sleepers are designed to wake you up no matter what. Some simply amp up the volume to shock you into waking up. But if that doesn’t work for you, you can get a specialized alarm clock that pair sound with a second stimulus like pressure or light to help get you out of bed.
In addition, but some alarm clocks deploy more creative and tactile methods, like attaching a bed shaker to your bed to shake you up or run away to force you to get out of bed. Some even take out the snooze button so that you won’t get trapped in the snooze-sleep cycle. With the help of alarm clocks for heavy sleepers, you will find it easier to wake up in the morning and get on with your day.
2. White Noise Machine
Most people need a peaceful environment to fall asleep, which can be difficult if you live in the middle of a metropolitan area. White noise machines create a restful cocoon that masks most offending noises to give you the deep and relaxing sleep you deserve.
It works by electronically generating sounds that shut off or distract your brain. You can pick sounds from a whirring fan, soft static, or even the gentle swoosh of the ocean you hear when you cover your ears with a seashell. White noise machines are especially helpful for people with tinnitus since it helps distract you from the loud ringing in your ears.
3. Headphones For Sleeping
If your insomnia is caused by your partner’s snoring, you need a pair of good headphones for sleeping.
There is no problem using your Apple AirPods to go to sleep, however, the best headphones for sleeping are specifically designed for comfort at night and sound blocking. Some sleep headphones even come equipped with sensors to help detect sleep abnormality and adjust the sound in your headphones accordingly.
If you like to sleep on your side, wireless sleep headbands are your best bet since they provide comfort without putting pressure on your ears. Clip-on headphones and on-ear headphones are also excellent choices for you if you like to be immersed in your music or podcast to help you sleep. No matter what your sleeping needs are, sleep headphones are one of the best sleep gadgets to give you silence and peace during the night.
4. Sleep Mask
Your brain is hard-wired into falling asleep when it is dark, but it can be difficult if you can’t afford blackout curtains. So why not trick your brain into sleeping by using sleep masks?
For one, your body produces more melatonin in total darkness, which helps you fall asleep faster and gives you better sleep quality. Using a sleep mask can help you do that and deter you from checking your notifications before you sleep. They may also help improve dry eyes and your skin condition around your eyes as they keep your eye area hydrated throughout the night.
Sleep masks also come in a variety of styles. From lingerie-type masks to heavy-duty velcro-strapped ones, they are the ideal gadgets to help you block out the light and get a good night’s rest.
5. Wearable Sleep Tracker
Problems with sleeping can be very hard to diagnose if you don’t have the right tools for it. This is where wearable sleep trackers come in.
Wearable sleep trackers allow you to take a data-driven approach to sleep. From your sleep-wake cycle to the duration of your REM sleep, these gadgets provide valuable insight and data that can help you identify potential issues with your sleep.
The ability to monitor your sleep data gives you extra security as you can intervene early if it doesn’t look right. Your doctor would appreciate the extra help as the data can help get you a more accurate diagnosis for your sleep issues, which allows your doctor to come up with a better and more precise treatment plan.
6. Smart Pillow Device
Ever woken yourself up with your snoring? Smart pillow devices are the best sleep gadgets to combat that.
When you sleep, the muscles on the roof of your mouth, tongue, and throat relaxes. This can partially block your airway and increase your tissue vibration, which is why you snore. Smart pillow devices are useful gadgets designed to track your sleeping habits with embedded sleep sensors. These sleep sensors detect your heart rate and snoring pattern. If they detect heavy snoring, it gently inflates or deflates to reposition your head and open up your airways to stop your snoring.
Because of this, you can fall asleep faster and rest better since your pillow takes care of your snoring. You might get some brownie points from your partner for not disturbing them during the night too!
7. Smart Mattress
If plain old mattresses aren’t regulating your temperature enough, you might need an upgrade.
Smart mattresses are the way to go since they have dual climate control. They have sleep sensors that can detect your body temperature and adjust accordingly to ensure the optimal temperature for sleeping. Because of this, you will be kept at the perfect temperature each night, which is conducive to great sleep.
Besides, some smart mattresses with cutting-edge sleep technology also provide temperature control on both sides of the bed, which is useful if your partner and you feel most comfortable in different temperatures. Some can even connect to smart home assistants like Alexa or Google Home.
8. Smart Mattress Pad
If you are not ready to make a hefty investment in smart mattresses, smart mattress pads are a great alternative.
This sleep gadget is typically hydro-powered. It heats up or cools down your bed with tubes in the padding, keeping your bed at an ideal temperature throughout the night. It can be a bit firm to sleep on since it needs comfortable padding to prevent you from feeling the tubes. Although it makes some sounds during the night when it is cooling down or heating your bed, the noise is similar to a white noise machine, which can help you fall asleep faster.
9. Air Purifier
Falling asleep with allergies or congestion in your nose is hell. Even if you don’t have allergies, the pollutants in a city can decrease the quality of your sleep and increase the risk of sleep disorders like sleep apnea or snoring.
This is where air purifiers come in handy as they remove allergens, dust particles, and mold from the air to give you a good night. Besides that, they emit pink noise that helps you fall asleep if you are not used to the complete silence. Air purifiers can also remove odors – if you choose the right filters.
There is a vast range of air purifiers on the market. For example, some air purifiers come with a UV light, which kills off bacteria in the air while you sleep. Some use ionizers, while others use filters. If you don’t keep in mind what you need from these air purifiers, these fancy bells and whistles will quickly rack up, leaving you with an expensive bill.
10. Weighted blanket
A weighted blanket is just the thing you need if you like to be cuddled in bed.
They have been originally designed for kids with sensory processing disorders that have later proven as one of the best sleep gadgets since it comforts and prevents you from moving around. They help you fall asleep by using deep touch pressure, a tactile sensation that calms and organizes your sensory nervous system – perfect for people with anxiety or are stressed out by life.
