11 top-rated Amazon accessories that'll give you the best sleep of your life
Getting seven hours or more of consistent, uninterrupted sleep every night can improve your mood, health and brain performance, according to experts.
4.6-star average rating from over 500 Amazon reviews
The right pillowcase can make a big difference, according to Dr. Winter, who says that luxurious options like silk can help you sink into a comfortable sleep. This one from Slip, a Select Wellness Awards winner, is made of 100% mulberry silk, which means the fibers are longer and more uniform than regular silk, so the fabric is smoother, more durable and less irritating to your skin, according to the brand. These pillowcases come in two sizes and 16 colors.
4.1-star average rating from over 7,800 Amazon reviews
Surrounding light has a huge impact on your sleep-wake cycle, says Dr. Winter, explaining that too much light can suppress the flow of melatonin, a hormone that increases when it’s dark and decreases when it’s light, according to the Mayo Clinic. Turning down lights an hour before bedtime so you are embraced by a soft and peaceful glow is an ideal way to cue your brain that it's time to sleep, says Winter. The Hatch Restore has been recommended by experts in our guide on best sunrise alarm clocks. Besides customizable music, rest exercises and sleep stories designed to transition you into sleep, it offers a range of lighting options, including warm white and peach, that you can set via an app or by tapping the Hatch’s dome. A gradual sunrise light and selection of sounds like morning birds or meditative flutes will help wake you up gradually, according to the brand.
4.5-star average rating from over 244,000 Amazon reviews
Comfortable bedding is a top priority when it comes to promoting a good night’s sleep, says Dr. Winter. These sheets, which we included in our guide on top-rated Amazon sheets, are knitted with double-brushed microfiber yarns so they are breathable, cool and extra soft, according to the brand. They fit mattresses up to 16 inches deep and are shrink- and wrinkle-resistant. The set comes in 19 colors and seven sheet sizes and includes two pillow cases, a flat sheet and a fitted sheet.
4.5-star average rating from over 54,000 Amazon reviews
The right pillow helps promote proper posture while you sleep, according to experts in our guide on the best pillows. This Coop option is made of memory foam, so it contours to the head and neck and promotes even alignment, according to the brand. A 0.5-pound bag of memory foam is included with each purchase, so you can unzip the outer case and add or remove fill as needed. Coop also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4.6-star average rating from over 10,000 Amazon reviews
Dr. Winter is a fan of weighted blankets to promote better sleep. “Many people respond to persistent pressure on the body,” he says, adding that it especially helps those with restless leg syndrome because it can help calm the nerves and thereby the pain of RLS. This machine washable option from Luna, featured in our guide on best weighted blankets, comes in four weight options — 10-, 15-, 20- and 25 pounds — and is available in more than a dozen colors.
4.6-star average rating from over 19,000 Amazon reviews
Some scents promote relaxation and may make it easier to fall asleep, according to the Sleep Foundation. “I have a pillow spray next to my bed, and it definitely gives an olfactory cue to my brain to sleep,” says Dr. Winter, who also recommends pillow sprays when traveling. “It gives you the feeling of being at home. I love rituals before bed, and this is a good one,” he says. According to research conducted by the National Library of Medicine, lavender has calming effects on heart rate and blood pressure as well as mood. This Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is a blend of lavender, chamomile and vetivert, which calms both the mind and body, soothing you to sleep, according to the brand.
4.5-star average rating from over 55,000 Amazon reviews
Sleep masks are designed to create a pitch-black environment, which stimulates melatonin production, according to the Sleep Foundation. This Select editor-favorite has a 3D contoured design so you can blink freely without adding pressure to your eyes, according to the brand. It’s washable, made of a breathable soft foam and has an adjustable strap to accommodate different head sizes too, as detailed on the brand's website. It comes in a pack of three with multiple color options.
4.6-star average rating from over 2,300 Amazon reviews
Whether from natural sources, like daylight, or from light-emitting electronic devices, like your cellphone, blue light suppresses the melatonin levels in our body, says Dr. Winter. To filter out stimulating blue light, he suggests wearing glasses like these Spectra479 ones at least 30 minutes before bedtime. These have a wraparound fit so no blue light can sneak in around the sides or above, and they block 99.9% of light in the critical 450-510nm range, the most disruptive wavelength of light at night, according to the brand.
4.7-star average rating from over 106,000 Amazon reviews
These soundproof, polyester curtains, which were recommended by experts in our guide to the best blackout curtains, block out 85-99% of outside light, according to the brand. Thermal insulated to keep the warmth in, these curtains are machine-washable and come in 24 fade-resistant colors in various sizes.
It’s all about your performance during the day, says Dr. Winter. “If you’re falling asleep during meetings, at stop lights or dinner parties, you are obviously sleep deprived,” he says. “Seventy percent of people need the recommended seven hours of sleep a night, but some people need more and some people less,” says Winter. To better understand if you are getting enough quality sleep, he suggests wearing a fitness tracker that has built-in sleep monitoring, such as the Whoop 4.0, Apple Watch or Fitbit, or logging your hours of sleep in a diary each night. “Then pick a number — go to bed at 11, wake up at 7. Or go to bed at 10 and wake up at 6. Figure out which hours work best for you and keep it consistent.”
Bedtime routines vary according to personal preferences, but some calming activities include taking a warm bath, reading, journaling and meditation, says Dr. Winter. Other steps you can take: setting a timer an hour before bedtime so you can start winding down, prepping your bedroom, reducing any background noise and ditching the electronic devices.
Our bodies thrive on routine, and for those who have trouble falling asleep, implementing a regular bedtime routine where you perform the same set of activities every night 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime, can help relax the mind and body and cue your brain that it’s time to wind down, says Dr. Winter.
No, says Dr. Winter. “I fight this [notion] all the time. I worry more about people getting inadequate sleep than people not falling asleep immediately,” he says. “We always focus on falling asleep fast, and we need to get away from that. We just need to be relatively consistent in our sleep.”
If you find yourself having an issue, talk with a professional as soon as you can, says Dr. Winter: “Anytime you start feeling frustrated, seeing someone immediately is always best.”
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Barbara Booth has written a number of guides on bestselling and highly rated products you can buy on Amazon that simplify your life including the best organizational products for your home, best car accessories and the best travel accessories. For this piece, Barbara interviewed a sleep specialist and researched dozens of top-rated items on Amazon that aim to promote better sleep.
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