The Best Products For A Sound Snooze, According To A Sleep Doctor

Yawn! Welcome to Sleep Week, a seven-day stretch where we source you the best buys in the Zzz-catching business—from editor-vetted bedtime rituals to exclusive mattress deals and more of the internet’s most slumber-worthy scores. Go ahead, hit snooze with us.

Sleep is a tricky binch. It's an activity that virtually all animals on Earth engage in, and yet, millions of us humans struggle with achieving a great quality snooze. (According to State of Sleep in America 2022, a recent report conducted by Gallup and Casper, approximately 84 million American adults struggle to get high-quality sleep.) With the sleep industry in the U.S. valued at an estimated 30 billion dollars as of 2020, we're certainly not hurting for brands promising us more relaxing winks via supplements in the form of gummies and tinctures, plush bedding, weighted blankets, and more. "I believe a good sleep accessory can be a great addition to any sleep routine," physician and certified sleep specialist (and Hatch's very own sleep expert) Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, MD tells Refinery29. "Just as bedtimes should be kept consistent, the bedtime routine should be consistent as well. [It] helps your mind to connect the routine with sleep, making it easier to fall asleep."

But aside from trial-and-error, how's one to suss out the real-deal sleep saviors from the snoozy snake oil? It's a question — among others — that I posed to Holliday-Bell and Dr. Michael Grandner, Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona and Casper's in-house sleep advisor. Reap the fruits of their wisdom (in other words, the goods that will actually get you a better night's sleep) below.

"Taking a nice warm shower or bath is also a great addition to a good sleep routine. Not only because it is generally soothing and relaxing, but because your body temperature has to drop to cool you off after a warm bath or shower and a one-to-two-degree decrease in body temp is needed to transition from wakefulness to sleep," explains Holliday-Bell. "So by causing a temperature decrease after your bath or shower, you help to facilitate this transition." Enhance your nighttime shower or bath with aromatherapy oil to create tranquil, spa-like vibes for total R&R. ("For little ones, I love using a soothing product to add to bath time such as the Hello Bello x Hatch Sugar Plum Lullaby Nighttime set," says Holliday-Bell. "The sleepy scent is also great because using a consistent smell helps to connect the scent with bedtime and sleep.")

Personally, the biggest sleep routine upgrade I've made is adjusting my room lighting when it's time for bed. In addition to outfitting my lamps with Philips Hue smart bulbs that I can adjust with my phone, I love creating pre-sleep mood lighting with these Casper Glow Lights. "The three best sleep tips I have are to give yourself enough time to wind down at night so that you are ready for sleep when you want to be, to get out of bed if you can't sleep so that the bed does not become associated with waking feelings, and get up to start your day at a regular time, paired with light and plenty of physical activity," says Grandner.

On the theme of lighting, blocking out excess light while you sleep is key for not only falling asleep, but staying asleep. "I also love a good blackout sleep mask," says Holliday-Bell. "Just as ambient sounds can disrupt sleep, so can ambient light. So using a blackout sleep mask helps to block light either from the bedroom environment or outside light that may interfere with sleep." This ergonomic one by OstrichPillow (aka the makers of the viral travel sleep pillow of the same name) is designed to contour to your face to block out light for an undisturbed slumber.

"I love a good weighted blanket as well, especially if you have anxiety or stress that interferes with sleep," says Holliday-Bell. "Weighted blankets work via the deep pressure touch stimulation therapeutic principle. This therapeutic technique works by applying even gentle pressure to the entire body, helping it to become more aware of its position in space, thus calming the nervous system and relieving stress and anxiety."

"Ambient sounds can be very disruptive and lead to difficulty falling and staying asleep," says Holliday-Bell. "Because of this, I typically recommend a sound machine that can be used to drown out ambient noises and make it easier to fall and stay asleep at night."

"For those without sleep disorders but who still have mild or occasional sleep problems, there are many things that can help," advises Grandner. "For some, it's the mattress, bedding, or pillows that need refreshing. These strategies can help support your body's natural ability to sleep." Enter: Super-soft sheets infused with cashmere for your coziest snooze ever.