Gift shopping for an insomniac? Not being able to sleep well is an healthcare issue of epidemic proportions. Almost a third of Americans battle with sleeping problems.
What’s a better gift than giving the gift of sound, restful, energizing sleep? Or perhaps you’re in need of sleep-promoting technology yourself.
The sleep gadgets on this list help you wind down before bed, relax in bed, ensure ideal bedroom conditions such as blocking out all light, wake you more gently, and more. There are some natural products too.
Latest innovation in sleep tech (2018)
Philips SmartSleep Headband
Philips’ SmartSleep wearable sleep tech system is world’s first and only clinically proven solution to enhance sleep quality for those who do not get sufficient sleep.
Deep sleep (aka slow-wave sleep) plays a crucial role in restful sleep as it resets our brain, thus making us more focused, energetic, productive, and alert.
Philips’ new SmartSleep system utilizes two small sensors that detect periods of slow-wave sleep and use clinically proven technology to stimulate deep sleep simultaneously.
A smartphone app registers how sleep improves over time, and offers tips and advice on how to optimize your sleep.
Seventy percent of users with chronic sleep deprivation report feeling less tired during the day after two weeks of SmartSleep use.
25 More Sleep Gadgets For Better ZZZ’s
1. BluBlocker Glasses
If you’re trying to go to sleep after staring at Pinterest for five hours, you’re doing it wrong. The light emitted from your electronic gadget screens suppresses melatonin release, so the longer you look, the less sleep you’re going to get. It actually tricks your brain in thinking it’s a new day, thus time to wake up. BluBlocker glasses use lenses that block insomnia-inducing blue light from reaching your eyes. That way, you can continue binge-watching your favorite episodes on Netflix without sacrificing restful hours of sleep.
2. Sleep Genius app
Pink Noise may sound like a terrible female pop group’s name, but it’s actually the softer, quieter cousin of white noise, which is commonly used to drown out sounds that would normally keep you awake. The Sleep Genius app, which is completely free, uses this pink noise to lull you into a restful slumber along with a very low volume of calming music. You’ll sleep like a baby; just don’t drool like one too. (we can’t promise you won’t drool like one too)
3. Sleep Infuser
We’ve all had those nights where we’ve been kept awake by the dull roar of traffic outside our window or the squawking of birds in the early morning hours. These sounds keep us from getting restful sleep, but the Sleep Infuser uses white noise, scientifically proven to be effective as a sleep aid, to cover sleep-robbing noises so you can snooze in peace without losing sleep over a leaky faucet or that mouse that’s crawling beneath your floorboards.
4. Lavender Eye Pillow
Have you ever succeeded in falling asleep while you have a migraine? Yeah, neither have we. Thankfully, there’s the Lavender Eye Pillow from AyaZen. The soothing scent of lavender is not only good for helping you sleep and tantalizing your nostrils, but it also helps remedy headaches and migraines (lavender is a science-backed sleep promoter). You can even heat it in the microwave or chill it in the freezer for added relief, or you can just lay it across your eyes as is. Either way, you’ll sleep like the dead.
5. Jawbone’s UP Wristband
Jawbone goes the extra mile when it comes to tracking your sleep patterns. With Jawbone’s UP wristband, you can sit back and relax (literally) as it records the different types of sleep you’re getting, what foods you ate compared to how well you slept, and even how much sleep you got in relation to how much you exercised that day. It’s sort of like your own personal Big Brother sleep pal, always watching, always recording. If you’re into that sort of thing. (it doesn’t share its .. with a .. governement [ see google for movie facts
6. Light Therapy Lamp
Sleep studies often have you hooked up to all sorts of machines, so much so that you look like you’re on some sort of life support system. How can they expect you to sleep with a bunch of wires wrapped around you? Aura by Withings lets you conduct your own sleep study with this discrete bedside monitor that tunes in to anything from noise levels to room temperature, and it doesn’t require you to wear any bulky headbands or wires.
7. Good Night LED Light Bulb
Although the idea of buying a $70 light bulb may not sit well with some people, just a glance at what this little miracle can do for you will make you think twice. Blue light, especially from electronics, suppresses the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing brain chemical, into our system. The Good Night LED light bulb emits only half the blue light normal bulbs do, so your pre-bedtime hours aren’t spent absorbing light rays that cause your sleepless nights.
8. Basis Science Smartwatch
Basis Science’s new smartwatch is the closest thing you’ll get to an in-home sleep study without the crippling bank account depletion from going to a laboratory. With Basis Science’s Health Tracker, you get all the features and data collection of a sleep study with comparable readings to the unpronounceable electroencephalogram (often used in sleep study laboratories). Try saying that three times fast. All you have to do is turn it on, wear it and sleep. Check your readings in the morning. It’s as simple as that.
9. Sleep Cycle iPhone App
If paying hundreds of dollars for sleep-friendly alarm clocks isn’t your thing, try the Sleep Cycle iPhone app. With a pleasantly spine-tingling price of just $1, it’s the cheapest, most effective sleep app short of being free. All it requires you to do is sleep with your phone tucked under your pillow. It’s suggested that you turn your phone on airplane mode while it’s working, lest the radiation through repeated uses turns you into something out of Fallout 3.
10. SleepRate app
For those of us who haven’t converted from Android to iPhone, SleepRate has developed an iOS app to help track your REM cycles to see where your sleep needs improvement. Using technology sanctioned by Stanford University, SleepRate records audio that catches any nighttime sleep disturbances that might be causing you to lose rest, such as sleep apnea. SleepRate is not responsible for any ghost noises recorded during sleeping sessions.
11. SleepShield
Ever get the feeling that your electronics are out to get you? Well, if by “out to get you” you mean “stealing precious hours of shut-eye,” then you’d be right. SleepShield is a protective layer that goes over your laptop, tablet or phone screen to block blue light rays from getting through. When it’s nighttime, your screen will display only warm colors that are good for inducing sleep. When it’s daytime, the screen will be so clear and illuminated you’ll find yourself singing “Blinded By The Light.”
12. Multicolor Sleep-Promoting and Relaxing Led Light Bulb
Light up your space with all the colors of the rainbow with this smartphone-controlled LED light bulb. This LIFX smart LED light bulb is so technologically advanced, it has it’s own WiFi. With your smartphone, you can adjust the color of the light emitted, anywhere from soothing pink to deep-sleeping red to early morning orange. Each color has its own function to help you get the best sleep while giving you Jedi-like powers to control it from afar.
13. Lark Smart Silent Alarm Clock
If you’re one of those sleepers that snores so loudly that you drown out your alarm clock, Lark in the Dark has the solution for you. This wristband/alarm clock wakes you up gently with a little buzz to your wrist and works even when you’re deep in Dreamland, rousing you without scaring the life out of you with blaring beeps. The Lark Pro Sleep Monitor Silent Alarm Clock even gives you a little report card on how you slept, how much you slept, and how much you tossed and turned, helping you figure out better sleeping habits for a better rest. Its silent alarm technology wakes the deepest sleepers gently and naturally.
14. Blackout Shades
Snuff out those annoying rays of sunshine peering through your window with these blackout shades from Redi Shade. Nothing is more aggravating than having your REM cycles rudely interrupted by the glare of sunshine, especially if you’re a night shift worker or, heaven forbid, a vampire. Redi Shade’s blackout shades can be simply stuck to your window, and you can customize its shape and size to fit your needs. They’ll keep the sun out, and you can sleep in for as many hours as you want.
15. NightWave
Are you having trouble falling asleep because your mind is racing and you can’t get it to just shut up? Try using the Nightwave Sleep Assistant to coax your mind to sleep. Simply breathe in rhythm with the pulsing blue light (this one’s too weak to keep you awake) and soon you’ll be sawing logs with the best of them. The creators of Nightwave believe that proper breathing is the key to a good night’s rest, and this device is an effective means to send you off to Dreamland. And they didn’t make this up, regulation of breath to promote sleep stems back from ancient Indian practice called pranayama. Must be .. nope, that it sounds similar to pajama is just a coincidence although the word does come from pai jamahs “loose trousers tied at the waist,” worn by Muslims in India Persian.
16. x12 Smart Bed
The x12 bed from Sleep Number is a completely hands-free, hassle-free way to monitor your sleeping patterns at night with the most comfortable mattress you’ll ever lay your aching spine on. At least, it had better be at the price of half a year’s mortgage payments. The x12 pretty much does everything except make you breakfast in bed; it monitors everything from what type of sleep you’re getting, how much TV you watch, and even the amount of caffeine you consume. All this gets sent to the Sleep Number app to be recorded so you can keep track of both bad sleeping habits and good ones.
17. Orange Sleep Promoting Light Bulb
Don’t judge a bulb by its color; although it looks like a bunch of macaroni noodles twisted up, the Feit Electric orange incandescent light bulb is actually an energy-saver’s dream. Not only does it consume a fourth of what normal incandescent light bulbs do, but it’s amber-orange color is better for helping you sleep. Brighter light bulbs that use yellow or blue light can suppress the release of melatonin, while reddish orange or straight red encourage deep sleep.
18. Essential Lavender Oil
Just as the scent of coffee (or whatever your preferred choice of caffeinated beverage is) springs you out of bed in the morning, you also need one to put you to sleep. Our brains have a curious reaction to certain smells and aromas, and this lavender oil is no different. The naturally relaxing scent of pure lavender tells your brain it’s time for some shut-eye. Use Nature’s Own Essence therapeutic grade essential oil in anything from your bath water to a DIY pillow spray for quality nighttime Zs.
19. Sleep Master Mask
If you want to avoid light altogether as you sleep the night away, the Sleep Master Mask will block light so well, you’ll think you forgot to pay the electricity bill. This mask obstructs any light from reaching your delicate eyelids so you can sleep in the comfort of total darkness. Just make sure to take it off if you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. The Sleep Master Mask does not prevent stubbed toes.
20. Yucatan Hammock
Remember your early years, when your mother would softly rock you to sleep in her arms or with the gentle motion of a rocking crib? Those were the best sleep years of your life. If you can’t get your mother to do that now that you’re grown up, the perfect solution is to get a hammock. The slow swinging back and forth of a hammock will put you to sleep quicker than most beds will. It’s also more beneficial for your spine, so tie one up and get your sleep on. Not all types of hammocks are suited for nighttime use, this handmade Yucatan hammock certainly is.
22. Sleep Promoting Bed Sheets
To get luxury sleep, you’re going to need a Mellanni luxury sheet set. No, it’s not made of silk, but it’s so luxurious and comfortable to sleep on that you’ll end up practically entombing yourself in your bed. The sheets materials, which are made out of 100% hypoallergenic microfiber, hold up better than cotton, and they’re really easy to wash, provided you can get out of bed long enough to do so. Prepare for the best sleep of your life; you’ve earned it.
23. Sunrise Simulating Wake-Up Light
No, it’s not the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the shining light of morning from your Philips HF3520 Wake-Up Light With Colored Sunrise Simulation. This bedside lamp and alarm clock mimics natural sunlight by slowly becoming brighter and brighter, waking you up as gently as daybreak peeking through your window. You can even set it to play your own playlist to rouse you from your slumber, although we don’t suggest using heavy metal. Perhaps a calming hip hop track instead? Go here for an overview of the best wake-up light alarm clocks available.
24. Yogi Bedtime Tea
If you’re not already a tea-drinker, you soon will be after you try this Yogi Bedtime Tea. It’s all-natural ingredients make up a delicious nightcap containing Valerian and chamomile tea (both known to be relaxing, sleep-inducing teas) with hints of licorice, cardamom and cinnamon. Though it won’t knock you out like a bottle of whiskey will, it’s a much safer and healthier way to get that much needed sleep you’ve been “dreaming” of.
25. Ultrasonic Humidifier
Some people can fall asleep to the sounds of electronic humming the way a cat can fall asleep to… well, they’re cats. They can fall asleep to anything. Having an ultrasonic humidifier in your home has all the health benefits that are important for your bedroom, including helping you fall asleep with a sound comparable to white noise.
Humidifiers also help those suffering from colds and allergies to breathe easier because let’s face it: if you can’t breathe, you can’t sleep. Take the easy road. Get this popular, well-reviewed Crane ultrasonic humidifier. Sleep better and breathe easier.
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Last Updated on July 11, 2022 by Tyler