With so much unrest and stress in the world, it’s so easy to turn to a glass of wine to unwind and fall asleep. But New York City-based sleep and health psychologist Dr. Joshua Tal says that’s the wrong approach.
“Alcohol can be a big problem for people with sleep apnea,” Tal says. “A lot of people have apnea and don’t know that they have it, and when you add drinking to the mix, it makes it much worse.
If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, there are healthier ways to address it than to reach for a bottle of vino. Tal offers his relaxation and sleep advice, along with a few products that can help you deal with any sort of restlessness.
Get comfortable
If you’re struggling to fall asleep, an assessment of your sleep hygiene is a good start, according to Tal.
“A good assessment to understand what your issues are can go such a long way for the treatment,” he says. “Take a minute to really think about what’s going on and think, for example, about the different areas of sleep hygiene. Like, ‘Am I really that comfortable in my bed?’”
This is particularly important with mattresses. Sleeping on a bad one can seriously harm your quality of sleep as well as your spine alignment, which can then cause back pain.
During our testing, the Nolah Natural stood out as a supportive yet pressure-relieving medium-firm mattress. The direct-to-consumer bed will also appeal to shoppers looking for an eco-friendly, hypoallergenic sleep experience, as it’s made of odor-free latex and natural materials.
This well-priced memory foam mattress has more than 34,000 5-star reviews, with thousands of reviewers noting its comfort. With an added gel, reviewers note how cool it is to sleep on as well.
Not quite ready to invest in a new mattress? Try this highly rated knit topper that plops right onto your old mattress to give you extra cushion. The open-cell foam also makes sure you don’t get too hot while you sleep.
Want to infuse a bit of luxury into your bedroom? These linen sheets from Parachute were named the best linen sheets of 2024 for good reason. They seriously get softer with each wash and make you feel like you’re always sleeping in a luxe hotel.
Hate wrinkles? These sateen sheets are for you. In our testing, they came out of the dryer looking freshly ironed and in bed they felt silky and smooth. The only drawback is that sateen sheets can run hot, making them unsuitable for sweaty sleepers.
With a fair price, hundreds of 5-star reviews and a breathable blend of bamboo and microfiber, these sheets can help soothe you to sleep and keep you cool.
After testing more than a dozen linen sheets, we found that this set from Simple & Opulence offered the best value. They feel expensive — weighty and soft, with satin-stitched piping — and yet they start at only $100.
Find ways to wind down
“It’s good to develop a bedtime routine with some relaxing things,” Tal says. “Bath, a shower, meditation, reading fiction, music, nice candles melting … anything. Anything that would signal to your bod [that it’s], time to relax, time to wind down.”
There’s also something to be said about white noise machines as well as other soothing sounds.
Wind down with these all-natural therapeutic blends that you can pour right into the bath to help with everything from relaxing before bed to muscle aches. There have been lots of studies on how aromatherapy and nice-smelling products can help you ease into sleep much easier, especially with smells like lavender.
Magnolia, rose and musk fragrances blend perfectly to capture the essence of a spring bouquet, which probably account for the 5-star ratings on this elegant candle.
Filling your bedroom or bath with natural scents and diffused light, this top-rated diffuser and humidifier can make any room in the house feel (and smell) like a restful space.
Give yourself the gift of relaxation and a good night’s sleep with this reviewer-loved and editor-approved pillow spray, which uses a combination of calming essential oils to help you fall asleep faster.
“If you have a lot of background noise where you live, if you live in the city and there’s a lot of traffic noises outside that are sporadic, it’s great to use white noise or an ambient nature sound to block out the other outside noise,” Tal says. The Hatch Restore 2 not only comes with white noise, sleep stories and guided meditation but it doubles as a sunrise alarm clock.
Don't have the dough for a best-in-class white noise machine? Pick up this affordable bluetooth speaker, which you can pair with your phone to play white noise, guided meditations and more. In our testing, it had way better sound than a smartphone and boasts 12 hours of battery life.
Tune out the world by blocking out light with our favorite sleep mask, which blocks all the light, thanks to a well-placed nose wire. It was also extremely comfortable, no matter our sleep position.
With this top-rated white noise machine that’s got more than 45,000 5-star reviews, you can choose from six natural sounds — ocean, summer night, rain, white noise, thunder and a trickling brook — and have the option to set a timer to turn the machine off just as you’re drifting to sleep.
Getting comfy not only means making sure your mattress and sheets are up to par but your pajamas as well. While we’re often in loungewear these days, a great way to tell your body it’s time for sleep is to slip into some ultra-comfy PJs, like this editor-favorite set we’ve worn and loved.
It’s hard to argue with an Underscored-favorite silk PJ set that will not only make you feel like a celebrity but will having you sleeping soundly.
