Has your sleep schedule been interrupted? These bits of sleep tech can help you get back on track.
UPDATE: 11/01/2024
Daylight Savings Time is about to end, and that means our sleep schedules will be interrupted once again. Try out one of our recommendations below to help correct it!
Need More Sleep? These Tech Gadgets Can Help
Losing sleep is always awful. You feel worse, get more stressed out, and generally, it’s bad for your physical and mental health. Thankfully, there are plenty of helpful sleep tech items to help you fix your sleep schedule and get a good night’s rest.
A Sunrise Alarm Clock
One thing that will often ruin someone’s sleep schedule is the disruption of routine. Whether that is changing time zones, the days suddenly becoming longer or shorter, or a myriad of other reasons, it can be difficult to re-adjust, especially if you have trouble sleeping in the first place.
But, you can help reestablish routines with a sunrise alarm clock. These helpful smart devices mimic the sun’s rise and set, sending signals to your body when it’s time to wind down, as well as gently wake you up in the morning by slowly turning on (as opposed to loud and startling alarms on your phone). There are a variety of options available on the market, but our pick for the best smart alarm clock, the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light, will be the best bet for most.
The Philips SmartSleep is essentially a big, highly customizable lamp. You can easily customize brightness and schedules that work best for you. The display will automatically dim when not in use, so the clock face won’t be too bright in a dark room. There are also five ‘wake-up sounds’ to choose from to help you gently wake up with the slowly brightening lamp.
While the SmartSleep lamp is great for most people, if you’re looking for an upgrade, you can consider the Hatch Restore 2. While it’s almost double the price, you get even more granular customization options, the ability to use white noise and sleep sounds more to drown out background noise, and a more aesthetically pleasing design.
Best Smart Alarm Clock
Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
Having trouble winding down and waking up? A sunrise alarm clock might be able to help, and this SmartSleep Wake-Up Light is a great starting point to explore them.
A Sleep And Fitness Tracker
If you’re just not sure why you always feel so tired, tracking your sleep patterns and rhythms will provide a lot of information on the underlying issues you may have. While there are apps that track sleep, they are prone to recording inaccurate information, especially if you share a bed with a loved one or a pet. If you’re serious about sleep tracking, you’ll want a wearable device that can track your body’s processes directly—and for most, the best option will be a fitness tracker.
It may seem like overkill if you’re not planning on tracking anything beyond your sleep, but it might be best to consider tracking everything you can when tackling sleep issues. Poor sleep can result from several factors, including stress, and most fitness trackers will monitor things that can point to these underlying factors, giving you a clearer picture. Also, physical activity tends to help most people sleep better, and having a device that motivates you to move can help you remember to get up and move.
For many, if you want all the data, the Whoop 4.0 band will have you covered—it tracks everything you could ask for. However, if you want a smartwatch in particular, the best choice will depend on the mobile OS you use.
If you’re an Android user, the Garmin Forerunner 55 will track your sleep and fitness and boasts a long battery life without breaking the bank.If you’re an iPhone user, you might want to opt for the Apple Watch Series 10 instead. While it is a smartwatch, the Series 10 tracks more vitals and offers more fitness-tracking options than much of the competition, and it will sync seamlessly with the iOS Health app.
Best Fitness Tracker
Whoop 4.0
Whether it’s health, fitness, or sleep, the WHOOP 4.0 is a comprehensive solution to tracking multiple metrics thanks to its various sensors.
Sleep Headphones
If you live with roommates or a noisy family, you may already know your underlying sleep issue. It’s not exactly easy to solve the noises others make, especially if you’re a light sleeper, but you can pick up some sleep headphones to help drown out the noise.
Most headphones and earbuds are not ideal for sleep since they are designed with you being upright (or at the very least lounging) in mind. While you may get away with using them if you sleep on your back, the weight is often uncomfortable for sleeping, and if you shift at night, it’ll quickly fall off. Sleep headphones, on the other hand, are made specifically with sleeping in mind, so you can use them even when you’re a side sleeper or move around a lot.
Sleep headphones come in various forms, but one of the more common (and generally) better designs are headbands with speakers and audio controls built in. I’ve used Perytong’s Sleep Headphones, and they stayed on my head all night while drowning out all but the loudest noises my roommates make at night. These sleep headphones do not cover the eyes, but some versions include an eye mask, which is especially useful for traveling.
Great Sleep Headphones
Perytong Sleep Headphones
Sleep headphones can help you drown out noisy environments so you can get some rest. This headband is perfect for side sleepers!
