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Here’s how to hack your sleep for your best night’s rest

Better sleep quality, not quantity, is crucial for overall health. Here's what you need

A man sleeping peacefully in his bed getting a good night's sleep.
Ollyy / Shutterstock

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By now, everyone knows just how crucial of a role sleep plays in our overall wellness. Just getting more sleep is not the answer for most. With the hustle and bustle of the modern world following us into the bedroom, it’s no wonder so many of us have trouble sleeping.

We all know the proper steps to get a good night’s sleep: No caffeine after 2 p.m., no staring at screens in bed as blue light is horrible for sleep, no drinking excessively before bed, and most importantly, having a bedtime routine. Other helpful actions can include sleeping in a totally dark room, keeping the ambient room temperature around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day (yes, even on weekends), and getting outside in sunlight first thing in the morning (window sun does not count).

Yet even when we do all of this, we sometimes still have trouble getting a great night’s sleep. When that happens, it’s time to upgrade your bedding, tech, and a few other accessories to help you fall asleep faster, get more out of your sleep hours and higher quality (so, not just sleeping longer), and wake up feeling more refreshed. After all, better sleep means a better you.

Baratta Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set
Baratta Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set
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Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set
Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set
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Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier Vaporizer
Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier Vaporizer
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Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Face Oil
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Face Oil
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Morus Studio Organic Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask
Morus Studio Organic Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask
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ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies
ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies
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Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link HP02 Wi-Fi Enabled Air Purifier,White/Silver
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link HP02 Wi-Fi Enabled Air Purifier,White/Silver
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An Avocado Green mattress on a wooden bed frame in a bedroom.
Avocado / Avocado Green Mattresses

Avocado Mattress

To start out, the first thing you need to focus on when trying to upgrade your sleeping routine is by having a good hard look at your mattress. This is one of the areas in your life where investing in a high-quality product is worth its weight in gold.

Allow Avocado Green Mattress be that investment. Made with certified organic materials, it avoids all the toxic chemicals and materials that some other mattresses are made out of that can slowly negatively affect your health. With thousands of 5-star customer reviews and a limited warranty of 25 years, this is the mattress to get.

Avocado Mattress
Avocado Mattress
Four avocado pillows on a mattress.
Avocado

Avocado Green Pillow

If you’re gonna get the Avocado mattress, you might as well double down and grab the amazing pillows, too!

Avocado Green Pillow
Avocado Green Pillow
The Buffy Cloud Comforter.
Buffy

Buffy Cloud Comforter

It’s shocking to think that a comforter made from recycled plastic bottles and eucalyptus fabric could be so soft, so fluffy, and so cool — even during summer— but the Buffy comforter accomplishes all this and more. Don’t believe us? The brand will let you try it for free and return it if it doesn’t work for you, no questions asked. Please trust us when we say that you probably won’t want to return it.

The Riley Baratta percale duvet cover.
Riley Home

Baratta Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set

Now that you have a luxe comforter, let’s work to keep it that way. Enter the Riley Home Baratta duvet cover and matching pillow shams. All-white with neutral-colored trim around the edges, the Baratta provides a sateen finish and a side envelope enclosure for easy maneuvering.

Baratta Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set
Baratta Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set
Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set.
Brooklinen / Broklinen

Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set

We love Brooklinen. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. With that out of the way, we suggest the Classic Core Sheet Set, which comes in a variety of solid colors and stylish patterns. These sheets offer supreme softness and comfort, while also adding a pop of color and contemporary design to your bedroom.

Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set
Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set
A Dekala sunrise alarm clock.
Amazon

Dekala Sunrise Alarm Clock

Whether you have more trouble falling asleep or waking up (or both), we suggest this sunrise alarm clock. This particular clock from Dekala simulates sunrise and sunset, priming you to wake up and fall asleep naturally, instead of disrupting your REM cycle. It also offers 7 colors, 20 level brightness adjustments, 7 natural sounds, an FM radio, a two-alarm setting, and even USB charging for your smartphone.

Dekala Sunrise Alarm Clock
Dekala Sunrise Alarm Clock
A close-up of an Asakuki essential oil diffuser.
Amazon

Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier Vaporizer

Aromatherapy oil diffusers are hot ticket items in the home goods world. Add a few drops of lavender oil into the water in your diffuser, and inhale the relaxing scent as you get ready for bed.

The diffuser not only acts as a way to effectively disperse a relaxing smell throughout your bedroom, but it also humidifies the air. Even better, this diffuser from Asakuki features a 500 ml water tank that’s easy to clean, seven LED light colors, multiple mist nebulizer modes, and a safety auto-switch to prevent overheating.

Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier Vaporizer
Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier Vaporizer
A bottle of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery face serum.
Kiehl’s

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Face Oil

Multitasking isn’t really a thing most humans can do. With Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, you truly can multitask by sleeping and revitalizing your skin at the same time. Packed with powerful botanicals and oils, the serum is designed to absorb deeply into the skin overnight, leaving your face looking hydrated and handsome in the morning — a main reason we had it a winner of The Manual grooming awards of past.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Face Oil
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Face Oil
A Morus Studio organic mulberry silk sleep mask.
Amazon

Morus Studio Organic Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask

If you work a night shift, can’t put up block-out curtains, or otherwise need to sleep where there’s a lot of ambient light, this silk sleep mask will gently cradle your eyes and sit on your nose while blocking out nearly 100% of that pesky sleep-preventing light. It’s also great for travel.

Morus Studio Organic Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask
Morus Studio Organic Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask
A bottle of ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs melatonin sleep aid gummies.
Amazon

ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies

When all else fails, you can always seek medicinal help with sleep. We’re not your doctor, so we can’t write you a prescription for a pharmaceutical sleep aid. If you prefer to try something over the counter first, melatonin is a safe and naturally occurring substance that gently signals to the body that it’s time for sleep. We like Vicks’ Zzzquil supplement, as it comes in gummies that are easy to swallow and digest.

ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies
ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies
Man holding a Mendi cbd gummies in a tin.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mendi CBD Gummies

These all-natural, real-fruit CBD gummies are the perfect addition as part of a bedtime supplement routine. Each gummy contains 25 mg of hemp-derived CBD, without any THC. Made with organic fruit extracts and vegan-friendly ingredients, these CBD gummies are not only effective but tasty.

You can take them as part of your evening routine to help calm your mind and body as you wind down for bed. Or take them as a post-workout recovery tool, too.

Mendi CBD Gummies 
Mendi CBD Gummies
Dyson TP02 Tower Air Purifier all ready to clean the air.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link HP02 Wi-Fi Enabled Air Purifier,White/Silver

It’s probably not something you think about often, but when you’re asleep, you’re basically inhaling the same stale air over and over again for at least eight hours. Freshen up your sleep zone with the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool combination fan/heater/cooler/air purifier. Allergy sufferers swear by this thing. And since it’s Wifi enabled and Amazon Alexa ready, your smartphone can function as the remote control.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link HP02 Wi-Fi Enabled Air Purifier,White/Silver
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link HP02 Wi-Fi Enabled Air Purifier,White/Silver

Sleeping for more hours will not always equate to better overall sleep health. When this happens, you need to bring in reinforcements to maximize the hours that you are sleeping. This list will help you hack your sleep for your best night’s sleep.

Andrew Davey is a writer who has spent a long time in “hard news” journalism, but who has also pursued interests in food and drinks, travel, entertainment, and wellness. Andrew particularly enjoys long walks along the beach, discovering new hiking trails, trying new restaurants, and getting a good night’s sleep. Send all editorial inquiries HERE. Read Full Bio
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