8 Tools For Better Sleep
“Happiness is waking up, looking at the clock and finding that you still have two hours left to sleep.”
— Charles M. Schulz
The importance of sleep is undeniable It improves everything from our thinking to our physical function to our longevity. Still, 35.2% of adults in the U.S. get less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night and nearly 40% of adults unintentionally fall asleep during the day each month.
In the last decade, I’ve put a lot of focus into my sleep optimization and learned a lot in the process. Combining my experiences and the research, I’ve written about behavioral tactics—such as the importance of grounding, early morning sun, and when to stop caffeine intake during the day—and I wrote an article on daytime strategies for improved sleep quality.
Today I’ll tackle the best tools to use to enhance your sleep.
Let’s dive in.
Best Tools For Better Sleep
1. A Sleep Mask
This is first on the list for a reason. A sleep mask was my first foray into sleep optimization and success immediately followed. Not only am I able to fall asleep fast with a sleep mask but I’ve found that I also wake up less.
When researchers wanted to find out how effective sleep masks are, they went to arguably the toughest place to sleep: the hospital. A systematic review of 19 sleep studies on patients in the ICU and non-ICU environments found that both sleep masks and earplugs showed significant improvement in reported sleep. Based on data by those who wear the wearable, Whoop, they found significant improvements as well. People who used a sleep mask improved their time asleep by 27 minutes, their REM sleep by 2%, and their recovery by 9%!
I used cheap ones for years, which rarely stayed on throughout the night, never blocked out the light, and needed to be replaced in mere months. I bit the bullet for a more expensive one and I’m never going back. My wife and I have now been using this cotton one by FRESHME for years. It’s light, durable, and comfortable. We bring it everywhere we travel.
2. Mouth Tape
I got this now-poplar idea from the book Breath by James Nestor.
Mouth breathing and snoring are associated with plenty of adverse effects including cavities, bad breath, hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, and even ADHD. Mouth breathing limits our ability to get into deep sleep which negatively impacts the ability of the pituitary gland to secrete hormones like vasopressin to tell the cells to store more water. As a result, these cells want to release water from the body signaling the body to both urinate and drink more water which leads to a vicious cycle.
Furthermore, mouth breathing stimulates the sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) nervous system which increases the heart rate, stimulates sweat glands, and limits the ability to activate the state we really want at night: the parasympathetic (rest, digest, repair) state.
SomniFix is a great brand that’s easy to apply and stays on all night. Use the promo code MINDBODYDAD for 10% off.
3. Blackout Curtains
Yes, black-out curtains can shield your eyes from that early morning sun that wakes you up before you’re ready but the curtains may play a more important role.
A global study found that simply living near street lights significantly increases your risk of cancer. I was skeptical at first too but many studies have been conducted on this phenomenon and the results are consistent, even after adjusting for other confounders. The thought is that the lights from the street lights expose the person sleeping to blue light which disrupts the quantity and quality of sleep.
Even if you’re not destined for a diagnosis of cancer, being exposed to light as you sleep can still wreak havoc on your health, whether you’re aware of it or not. Use blackout curtains to prevent this light from coming in and disrupting your natural melatonin production.
Blackout shades are good too but light sneaks in through the areas between the shades and the window border. If you do use blackout shades then consider a track to put on this border and block the light.
4. Nasal Strips
This was another trick I learned from Breath. I started to use nasal strips in the winter months. Going into it I thought it sounded a bit gimmicky but then I put one on and noticed that it felt easier to breathe, like I was doing less effort to inhale, even without falling asleep. That first night I was surprised to notice an immediate improvement in my breathing and my sleep.
Through plenty of experimentation, I’ve found that I don’t need these nasal strips during warmer and more humid months where I tend to just stick to the mouth tape. They can also help during months when allergies flare up (a game changer according to my mom).
So between the sleep mask, the mouth tape, and the nasal strips, I look like a monster from a cheap movie made in the 70’s. It’s a good thing I met my wife before I went all in with this stuff.
Breathe Right makes a variety of nasal strips including “original,” extra strength,” and “clear".
5. Meditation
The mind of a typical modern-day adult is constantly on overdrive, with thoughts ruminating in either the past or the future. With lots of anticipation, anxiety, and planning on one end and regret and dread about what happened on the other end, this leads to perpetuating cycles that are anything but mindful.
Through these thought cycles, we create habits and feedback loops that literally train our thoughts to be anything but present and still. And then, as soon as our heads hit the pillow, we expect our minds to shut off so that we can sleep. This leads to plenty of difficulties getting to sleep and then more difficulty falling back to sleep when we wake up.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be an effective way to mitigate these thought patterns and improve sleep. In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 trials and 1,654 participants, researchers found “mindfulness meditation significantly improved sleep quality".
If you’ve never practiced meditation then I would recommend starting with breathwork techniques. From there, consider using an app like Headspace (which I’ve been a fan of for years). Even sitting up in bed for 10 focused breaths before hitting the hay can allow your brain to be “centered” and transition from the “fight or flight” state (sympathetic) to the “rest and digest” state (parasympathetic) for improved sleep.
6. Air Purifier
When we had our first child we lived in Philly and I was concerned about the pollution so I did a little digging and found out way more than I bargained for. I’ll save the full scope of the findings for another post but as for the sleep component, there is a reason we use an air filter in our house (even in the suburbs now).
Pollutants in the home can be 2-5 times more concentrated than outside the home. Research shows that this can decrease sleep by 30 minutes or more and one study found an association between indoor air pollutants and reduced sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and blood saturation levels, especially in the summertime.
The first step is to find out where your neighborhood stands when it comes to air pollution (Airnow.gov is a quick and easy way to do this). Then, assuming you air quality is good, open the windows occassionally to naturally ventilate the house. Other strategies to limit in home air pollution is to use cooking vents, change the AC filters, and buy house plants.
The next level is air purification. Find a HEPA filter air purifier designed to cover the space it is used in. We use the Alen FIT50 Air Purifier because it is quiet, looks nice, and it’s one of the most affordable HEPA filters on the market. Update: we now have the Alen BreatheSmart 75i version as well. This one is larger (and pricier) but it’s perfect for our first floor in the hotter and colder months when we have to keep the windows closed.
7. Weighted Blanket
I learned about the positive effects of weighted blankets for kids with autism, sensory processing disorders, or behavioral disorders back in OT school. Since then they have become more mainstream.
Weighted blankets work in a similar way to swaddling a baby, by providing proprioceptive input, or deep pressure, to the body. This induces a sense of comfort and security and can increase levels of oxytocin. Research on the benefits of weighted blankets is scarce, however, one study had those with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder trial a blanket for four weeks. The study “reported significantly reduced insomnia severity, better sleep maintenance, a higher daytime activity level, and reduced symptoms of fatigue, depression and anxiety”.
When purchasing a weighted blanket, the rule of thumb is to choose one that is about 10% of your body weight.
While I’ve heard many stories of people who can’t live without their weighted blanket, I’m not one of them. I like it but it doesn’t play a role in the quantity or quality of my sleep. I tend to use my weighted blanket occasionally for naps and my wife uses hers only in the winter time. We prefer the heavier 30-pound ones (note: we’re not 300 pounds). If you get one, go for an organic cotton one that JOLLYVOGUE makes.
8. White Noise
The WHO estimates that a whopping 25% of people have disturbed sleep due to environmental noise. The long-term impact of this kind of noise includes hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.
Aside from soundproofing your home or moving, there aren’t many options to avoid this. Fortunately, there’s white nose. But isn’t this just more noise? A study on New Yorkers who had difficulty sleeping in noisy environments found that white noise improved both objective and subjective measures of sleep. Another study on healthy subjects found that white noise helped participants fall asleep 38% faster.
It’s thought that the constant and predictable hum of a noise machine soothes the brain compared to unpredictable and varying sounds (in addition to white noise overpowering the environmental sounds). We occasionally use the White Noise Lite app which can be used when the phone is in airplane mode. And we also have this more basic and portable Yogasleep noise machine which is low-EMF, durable, surprisingly loud (85dB), and great for kids too.
Bonus: A Grounding Mat
Earthing, also known as grounding, is a practice that involves physically connecting with the Earth's surface to absorb its electrical energy. The concept is based on the belief that direct contact with the Earth's electrons can have various health benefits.
One study recruited 60 participants with sleep issues and joint or muscle pain. Researchers had them sleep on earthing mats (ground to the earth with a copper wire) or sham mats for one month. In the experimental group that grounded:
74% had improvements in pain (0% for the control group)
78% reported improved general well-being (13% for the control)
82% had less muscle stiffness and pain (0% for the control)
85% improved their time to fall asleep (13% for the control)
93% had improved quality of sleep (13% for the control)
100% woke up feeling rested (13% for the control)
The grounding mat that I use is simple and affordable. There’s a version for a standing mat (which I use when blogging) and one for sleeping.
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of grounding, and how to do it, read my article here.
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