7 Gifts for Better Z’s — Sleep-Doctor Approved

Looking for a way to give a friend or loved one some calm and relaxation? Consider a gift that will up their nighttime sleep routine.

While no sleep product is a replacement for sleep itself, some items encourage good bedtime routines and sleep hygiene, and that can have a big effect on sleep, says Nishi Bhopal, MD, a psychiatrist, sleep medicine physician, and integrative holistic medicine physician in San Francisco.

“Sleep hygiene refers to daily habits that promote good sleep,” Dr. Bhopal says. “It includes things like going to bed and waking up at a consistent time and keeping your bedroom dark and cool. It sounds simple, but these basic things can really have a positive impact on your sleep quality.”

And that’s important given how many people struggle with sleep. More than one-third of adults reported not getting the recommended amount of sleep and experiencing sleepiness during the day for at least half the week in the National Sleep Foundation’s 2022 Sleep in America Poll, which surveyed 1,082 adults across the United States.

And remember, sleep isn’t only important for keeping energy, focus, alertness, and mood up during the day; over the long term, adequate high-quality sleep lowers the risk of several chronic health issues, like mood disorders, heart problems, cognitive problems, and more.

So out of all the products marketed for better slumber, which ones do sleep doctors vouch for?

1. Eye Masks and Earplugs

Start with the basics. “An eye mask can help you get the rejuvenating, deep sleep you need to feel rested in the morning by blocking out light that can keep you awake,” says Michael J. Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Manhattan Beach, California, who specializes in sleep disorders.

A review published in November 2021 in the Journal of Advanced Nursing looked at research that included 797 people from 13 studies and concluded that sleep masks and earplugs improved the sleep of patients admitted to hospital intensive care units (ICUs). Researchers study sleep in ICUs because these settings are known to have environmental factors like ambient noise, noise from alarms, and artificial light that are highly disruptive to sleep (and that many doctors say get in the way of patients’ recovery).

When shopping for an eye mask, consider blackout capability, fabric, shape, and fit, Dr. Breus says. The best eye mask is the one you don’t fuss with during sleep. Comfort and fit are different for everyone, but it is important to find a mask that fits comfortably around your head while also blocking ambient light. Gentle fabrics, such as silk, are a common material for eye masks.

2. Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets have garnered a lot of attention for their purported anxiety-reducing and sleep-bolstering effects. And if you’re thinking it might make a good gift for someone in your life, there’s some research to support this decision.

One relatively small study published in 2020 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine looked at whether weighted blankets improved insomnia symptoms in people with psychiatric disorders (participants had clinically diagnosed depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or ADHD) and found that sleep did indeed improve for those who used the blankets.

Whitney Roban, PhD, a therapist who specializes in helping people with sleep and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) treatment, explains that for those who struggle with anxiety- and stress-related sleep problems, weighted blankets may offer a soothing feeling of calmness and security. “The resulting relaxation can lead to lowered levels of physiological and psychological stress and anxiety,” she says.

“Weighted blankets provide deep-touch pressure to the body, which slows down the nervous system and makes a person feel more grounded and secure,” says Sarah Silverman, PsyD, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist in Florida and New York. “When the body is calm, it is easier to focus on relaxing the mind, which will facilitate the process of falling asleep and staying asleep.”

Not everyone likes sleeping with such a heavy blanket, though. If that's the case, Dr. Silverman suggests using it as part of a bedtime routine to help you relax before you drop off rather than all through the night.

3. Sound Machine

If you’ve never tried a white noise machine (or an app or some other device that acts as white noise, like a fan or air-conditioning unit), you may wonder if it really helps.

“For some, ambient noise is a challenge, be it from outside or inside your bedroom,” says Nancy Rothstein, the founder of the Sleep Ambassador, a company that works with businesses to improve their employees’ sleep. “If the noise is interfering with your sleep, counteracting the sound with white noise can serve to mitigate the unwanted sound and allow you to fall and stay asleep.”

A small study published in the July 2021 issue of Sleep Medicine looked at New York City residents who were recruited for the research on the basis of self-reported high levels of environmental noise in their personal sleep locations (and who struggled with sleep as a result). Researchers found that participants who used a white noise machine fell asleep faster, awakened less frequently during the night, and reported better sleep quality.

For friends and family who complain about noisy neighbors, traffic keeping them up at night, and other errant sounds, this device is a sleep-promoting gift to consider.

4. Meditation App

Meditation is a mind-body practice that boasts a host of benefits for mental, emotional, and physical health, including for sleep. Some evidence suggests, for instance, that meditation increases our brain’s ability to counteract negative thought patterns (like rumination and worry) that interfere with sleep.

Dr. Roban often recommends meditation as part of a healthy bedtime routine. “Meditation and deep breathing helps to ground us, lower anxiety and stress, and improve mood, attention, and memory,” she says. That can help us sleep, and improve mood and mental health throughout your waking hours, she says.

Silverman adds that a meditation app can also create a “cue” for sleep onset with regular practice and place a “buffer between your busy day and time for sleep.”

Many apps offer guided meditation and tips to help users make the practice a regular one.

5. Sunrise Alarm Clock

A sunrise alarm clock, also known as a dawn simulation light, is an alarm clock that emits artificial light as opposed to an alarm.

In one study that followed individuals with self-reported difficulty waking in the morning, a “simulated dawn” (the effect of waking with a sunrise alarm clock) with 30 minutes of artificial light during the final 30 minutes of nightly sleep increased self-reported alertness and improved participants' cognitive and physical performance upon waking.

So, go ahead and give the gift of light.

6. Silk Sheets

Silk sheets sound pretty luxurious, but do they help you sleep?

Dr. Bhopal says she recommends using sheets made of natural fibers, like silk, because they’re far better for temperature regulation than sheets made with synthetic fibers. “Silk sheets are good for helping warm sleepers stay cool and cold sleepers stay warm,” she says.

Lots of claims have been made about silk sheets' power to prevent wrinkles, pimples, hair breakage, and other beauty concerns. But the evidence is pretty limited in this area, Silverman explains.

“Opting for more breathable fabrics while you sleep in general (such as silk, bamboo, tencel, and organic cotton) as well as ensuring that you wash your pillowcase and sheets (silk included!) on a regular basis is optimal for reducing allergens and thus promoting healthy skin,” she says.

So if you like the idea of silk for yourself or someone you care about, this splurge may be worthwhile.

7. Bath Soak for Insomnia

A relaxing soak in a warm bath to wash off a stressful day and wind down for a night’s rest feels great, but does it improve your sleep? Research suggests yes.

A meta-analysis published in August 2019 in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that a warm bath or shower before bed helped participants fall asleep faster and improved self-reported sleep quality. The research review also found that a warm shower or bath one to two hours before bedtime was helpful in both cold and hot climates.

Silverman notes, however, that timing matters.

“Your core body temperature, which is regulated by your internal body clock, naturally ebbs and flows over the course of the day, before bed, and while you sleep,” she says. That’s why a hot bath or shower about 90 minutes before you get into bed is ideal for allowing your body temperature to then drop a few degrees to a temperature that will promote sleep onset and sound sleep.