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When it comes to falling (and staying) asleep, there are endless sleep aids on the market, and plenty of hacks promising a restful night. But which ones actually work? As the days grow longer, lighter and warmer, making sleep more elusive, here at the Filter, we want answers.
We asked you for your best tried-and-tested sleep tips (and no, you don’t have any vested interest in any of these: we checked), and rounded up some of our own – from products we’ve tested to help you wind down to the most optimal bedding; from the most sleep-friendly mattresses, pillows and pyjamas to tricks involving almost everything from boring podcasts to mental maths. Here are the things you – and we – swear by for a peaceful slumber.
How to sleep better
Neck massager
Artuvate neck massager
I have got an Artuvate Fisiorest neck massager. It’s designed to work for 15 minutes and I am always asleep before it switches off. Also, if I wake up early for no good reason, it will help me go back to sleep for a couple of hours. Penny
Blackout eye mask
Blackout memory foam sleep mask
When Jane Hoskyn put popular sleep aids to the test, this eye mask successfully blocked out light, and allowed her to get a satisfying night’s sleep. “I woke up in joyous disbelief at the nine (yes, nine!) hours of shut-eye I’d achieved,” she wrote. “Once I’d grown used to wearing the mask in bed, it seemed to hasten my ability to nod off.”
White noise and under-pillow speakers
Avantree Slumber pillow speakers
You don’t need to spend money to get white noise. BBC Sounds has some free ones and I found one from TMSoft on Google Play – it has a free version and multiple sounds: white, brown and pink etc.
At home, I use the Avantree under-pillow speakers. Not cheap but good features: two speakers, in-built sounds, and you can connect via USB or Bluetooth so I can switch between my phone and my bedside radio. John Fallows
All-seasons duvet
Slumberland All Seasons duvet, double
Deluxe wool all-season duvet, double
Come spring, a heavy winter duvet will leave you sweaty and unrested. Jane Hoskyn, in her test of the best duvets, rated this three-in-one all-seasons duvet from Slumberland that can be unfastened into either a 4.5 tog or a 9-tog duvet when the nights get warmer. She also liked this wool duvet: its separating sections makes it perfect for all seasons.
Do the maths
Don’t count sheep. Too simple. Count down from 1,000 in 7s. 993, 986 etc. Don’t cheat. It occupies your mind, but with a tedious task rather than thinking through all those stressful issues keeping you awake. Andrew Campbell
Radio comedy
Roberts Revival Rest DAB+ FM clock radio
I listen to Radio 4 Extra comedy club (10pm til midnight), with the radio set to switch off after 30 minutes. Or if I don’t like what’s on, I search BBC Sounds for a comedy programme. I never get to hear more than five minutes anyway! It works for me and it’s free. Amanda
Switch to decaf
Yorkshire Tea bedtime brew
I’ve found drifting off a lot easier since I switched my evening cuppa to decaf. Yorkshire Tea’s Bedtime Brew is a decaf blend with hints of vanilla and nutmeg to make it extra soothing. Having a cup of this before bed is now engrained into my night-time routine. Lily Smith
Listen to sleep-inducing music
While composing Sleep, Max Richter consulted neuroscientist David Eagleman: the slow tempo is intended to have a lulling effect. In the opening movements, the music’s repetitive nature and recurring themes are subtly hypnotic, assisting listeners in clearing weary minds; as the piece goes on, instrumental and vocal outlines are worn away, leading to a quasi-ambient fog to accompany deep sleep. Nel Hargrave
Epsom salts
Soak epsom salts, 5kg
Magnesium “flakes” are basically epsom salts, which I use post-exercise (in a bath). I buy a 5kg pack at Home Bargains for £4.99!. It lasts for ages. And yes, it does seem to help with sleep. Penelope
Comfy and supportive pillow
Otty bamboo memory foam pillow
A lumpy, uncomfortable pillow is undoubtedly a hinderance when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. So if your pillows have seen better days, it may be time for an upgrade. This memory foam offering from Otty came out on top in Edward Munn’s test of the best pillows. He wrote: “It offers a superb balance of comfort and support, making it a great choice for a range of sleeping positions.”
Sleep headphones
Ozlo Sleepbuds
Ozlo Sleepbuds transformed my sleep … and they’re made by ex-Bose engineers, so you know they’re great pedigree. Patrick
Soothing candle
Lush Twilight candle
Burning a candle with a soothing smell before bed helps me to wind down. This one from Lush is scented with lavender and tonka bean, so the fragrance is sweet without being sickly. It lulls me into a relaxed state before going to sleep. Just remember to blow it out before you go to bed! Lily Smith
For more, check out how to get cosy: 42 small, snuggly updates for your home and routine
Knee pillow
Knee wedge memory foam knee pillow
“It’s probably the least sexy thing I own but my memory foam knee pillow has been a gamechanger,” wrote Simon Usborne in our piece on the everyday items that could improve your life. “If, like me, you’ve reached the age when back niggles and snoring confine you to sleeping on your side, and you have slightly spindly legs and knobbly knees, one could be for you too. Mine has a loose strap that means the pillow comes with me as I turn from side to side, all the while keeping my knees cosseted and comfortably separated.”
For more check out 14 everyday items that could improve your life
Short pyjamas
M&S Revere shortie set
“If there’s anything M&S does well, it’s reasonably priced nightwear,” wrote Kate McCusker in her roundup of the best women’s pyjamas. The shorties we linked to are no longer available; but this glorious pair have just arrived.
Pillow spray
This Works Deep Sleep pillow spray
When Jane Hoskyn put sleep aids to the test, two things worked particularly well for her: a blackout eye mask from MyHalos (see above), and lavender pillow spray. A few spritzes “didn’t knock me out, but the aroma helped calm my racing mind and turned my pillow into a place of peace rather than insomniac dread”.
Sunrise alarm clock
Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150 sunrise alarm clock
I bought a sunrise alarm clock in the hope that it would be a gentler wake-up than my usual siren-like phone alarm. But what I didn’t realise was how effective the sunset mode would be at signalling to my brain and body that it’s time to sleep. The light gradually becomes warmer and dimmer, mimicking sunset, as the sound of crickets plays over the 20-minute wind-down setting I chose (you can adjust the sound and time to suit you).
A busy mind means I used to struggle to switch off when I got into bed, and while the alarm won’t silence thoughts, it will get me drowsy in an astonishingly short time. I’m not only waking up better but also falling asleep faster than I used to before my sunrise alarm clock. Emily Goddard
For more, read the best sunrise alarm clocks
Podcast and audiobook recommendations
Specific sleep hypnosis podcasts can work really well, such as Sleep Magic by Jessica Porter. Make sure to skip the preamble and set the timer to “end of episode”. Ed
Have you tried the podcast Nothing Much Happens? The presenter has the most wonderfully soothing voice. She reads a story which is about nothing at all, so there’s no risk of being kept awake by anything riveting! Susan
I’ve had chronic insomnia for six years since breast cancer. What transformed my sleep was listening to Jane Austen. Persuasion is my favourite. Not because it’s boring but because it gives my brain a hug. And yes, I keep my phone by my bed for that purpose but in sleep mode. I’ve used SnoozeBands and lavender sprays and they’re OK, but they don’t soothe me like Persuasion. Janet Curran
I’ve had difficulty getting to sleep and staying that way since childhood. It became much worse over 10 years or so of caring for my terminally sick husband. To assist the onset of relaxing sleep, I’ve taken up the practice of listening to something equivalent to a bedtime story. It might be a soothing Radio 4 Extra Short History Of… narrated by John Hopkins or Paul McGann (delightfully boring if you choose something fairly inoffensive). Or a guided meditation from the (largely) free Insight Timer app. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of these all the way through and quite happily repeat the same “stories” many times.Lynne Collins
And when all else fails …
Dark Circle firming eye cream, 14g
… and you have a terrible sleep, you’ll need something to stop you looking exhausted. Beauty editor Anita Bhagwandas shared her tips and tricks: “Choose an eye cream with caffeine to boost circulation, brighten and depuff the area,” she wrote.
For more, read our guide to the best eye creams
