Sleep Tools: Essentials & Luxuries
Products for sleep enhancement.
I'm not ready for bed without my sleep essentials, which I’ll share with you below. These tools are an integral part of my daily routine and habits, ensuring I have the best chance of a great night's sleep!
I'll also be listing a few sleep products that I’d class as luxuries or ‘nice to haves.’, largely due to their price tags, not their functionalities.
Before I begin, I’d like to add that there are many ways to improve your sleep quality aside from products, some of which I noted in my previous newsletter, Swing Those Odds in Your Favour. I would also like to clarify that I have absolutely no affiliation or financial agreement with any of the products listed below!
Essentials.
Ear Plugs. (Stating the obvious here, I know…) They are a great way to block out external noise, such as a snoring partner or passing vehicles (We have single glazed sash windows, but if you're not crazy like us, you probably have double glazing and the latter isn’t an issue).
My ear plugs of choice are from Amazon. They are cheap, easy to clean, durable and effective. They arrive in a small portable container, which makes them easy to store away and keep safe/clean whilst travelling.
Reusable Sleep Mask. I wear my sleep mask every night, even though my room is pretty dark, mainly through habit. Its particularly useful if I am travelling; perhaps visiting a friend for the weekend or on holiday. The sleep mask I currently use is from Amazon, but it is currently unavailable. Here’s the link anyway, so you can find one similar. I love this mask as it has a 12mm gap between the eye pads and my eyes, making it super comfortable.
Blackout blinds/curtains. Your levels of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone, rise in the evening and exposure to light delays the release of that hormone. So, when your head hits the pillow, make sure your blackout blinds are shut and your artificial lights are off.
Books. I realise with this one I am preaching to the choir… but little else helps me drift off into a deep sleep like a book does. Reading really is a form of meditation for me. When I read before bed, my heart slows and my muscles release tension, allowing my body to relax. I’d probably advise a story book, rather than a self help/educational book, as the latter tends to keep me alert.
Magnesium Glycinate. Whilst there are many reasons to take a magnesium glycinate supplement for general health, I use it for sleep specifically. According to the www.sleepfoundation.org, experts recommend sticking to 350mg of magnesium supplements per day or less in order to avoid negative effects. The tablets I currently have are 500mg, I snap one in half, take it with some water and then chuck the other back in the pot for the next night, simple!
When I first started taking it, I was consuming 500mg each time, this seemed to exacerbate the issue. Since taking half, I have noticed a slight improvement in my sleep.
Magnesium and Improved Sleep: Magnesium deficiency is linked to insomnia and increasing magnesium intake has been shown to result in longer sleep times, improved sleep efficiency, and reduced instances of early morning awakenings. Magnesium supplementation has been found to positively impact sleep disorders, stress, anxiety, and even conditions like restless leg syndrome.
Make sure you go for glycinate form for sleep! You can read more about
magnesium glycinate, its benefits and a comparison to magnesium citrate here.
Vitamin D3. Melatonin Production Relies on Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the body produce melatonin, a hormone that supports sleep. Low levels of vitamin D could result in low levels of melatonin, leading to sleep problems. According to Forthwithlife, a massive 57% of adults in the UK are deficient in vitamin D3 as of their study conducted in 2024, and in the US, nearly 42%. Dr. John Campbell discusses the subject of Vitamind D3 deficiency via his popular Youtube channel, for anyone who is interested in learning more, this link will take you to his content.
Personally, I take 10,000IU’s per day of vitamin D3. Please consult with your health professional before taking any additional supplements!
Luxuries (Nice to haves).
Eight Sleep. I first heard about Eight Sleep on the Joe Rogan podcast, and then again on the Modern Wisdom podcast hosted by Chris Williamson. These are two of my favorite podcasts right now—check them out if you haven’t already!
Eight Sleep claims that their system can give you an extra hour of sleep per night. Bold statement, right?
Essentially, Eight Sleep offers a high-tech mattress cover that fits onto any bed. It uses three types of sensors—biometric, presence, and environmental—to automatically regulate your temperature, mitigate snoring, and gently wake you up feeling refreshed. This innovative sleep solution is currently trending among the rich and famous, with endorsements from Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Joe Rogan, Andrew Huberman, and Lewis Hamilton. However, its TrustPilot rating of 2.9 out of 5 leaves a lot to be desired.
This high-tech mattress cover starts at a whopping £2,345 for their 'previous generation' model, and goes up to £3,599 for their top-of-the-range version. The premium model includes features such as sleep tracking, reading and custom positioning modes, snoring detection, and snoring mitigation. But it doesn’t stop there. To access all of your sleep data generated by the cover as it 'learns' more about you, you need to sign up for a monthly subscription starting at £14,00 per month.
Do I have an Eight Sleep? No. Do I want one? Hell yeah. Can I afford one? Hell no. But you might be able to! You may already have one! Please share your review below if you do—I’d love to read about your experience. Or become a paid subscriber and I will make sure your pledge goes towards an Eight Sleep, one day… I jest of course! Restful Resilience is FOC.
Lumie Lamp. The Lumie lamp is a multifunctional light designed to improve your sleep and wake cycles. At night, it gradually dims to create a calming, ambient atmosphere, helping you drift off to sleep. In the morning, it simulates a sunrise by slowly brightening, allowing you to wake up naturally and feel more energised for the day ahead.
Do I have a Lumie lamp? No. Do I want one? I’m not sure... I have a simple dimming light in the bedroom that serves a similar purpose, but I do like how the Lumie dims and brightens automatically. There's no need to stretch over the bed to turn it off when you're half asleep and practically drooling on the pillow.
Lumie offers multiple ranges with various functionalities, starting from £49,98 and going up to £229,00.
Soundcore Sleep A20. The Soundcore Sleep Airbuds are sophisticated earplugs designed specifically for side sleepers. They boast features like adjustable noise cancellation, an extensive white noise library, the ability to play audiobooks and music like any other earbuds on the market, ultra-long battery life, and, most impressively, sleep analytics that can be viewed through the app. You can read a more detailed review of the Soundcore Sleep A20’s here.
The Soundcore Sleep A20’s come in at £119,00.
Do I have them? No. Do I want them? I wouldn’t say no… I can't help but think that they are overkill and can't imagine them being comfortable. However, the reviews do state that they are very soft to the touch and you barely notice them in your ears.
If you own the Soundcore Sleep’s, I’d love to read your verdict in the comments!
Vispring Signatory Mattress. OK, so this one’s just for fun… In the UK, we have Harrods, a famous high-end department store in London. I thought it would be interesting to check out their bedroom furniture offering, one piece truly caught my eye: the Vispring Signatory Mattress. Crafted from 100% viscose, it features luxurious natural fillings, including hand-needled British fleece wool and hand-teased Shetland wool. This could be yours! All for a modest… £18,315…
HUH!? I don’t really have anything else to say on that… wow?
Remember, while quality sleep products can enhance your sleep, it's healthy habits and lifestyle that make the real difference. I hope this exploration has been insightful. If you’d like, please share your thoughts below, and here's to cultivating a lifestyle that prioritises restorative sleep!
Nice list. I go with sleep mask and book (but not in that order!) I am always keen to learn more on sleep so just subscribed.