Last Updated on September 9, 2023 by Lori
Can’t fall asleep…can’t stay asleep…it’s so, so familiar! Especially as we get older, sleep becomes more important and yet more elusive. Let’s go beyond mattresses and medication and find some sleep products that really work to bring you seriously sound nights of sleep.
A study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 20 percent of all women aged 40 to 59 said they had trouble falling asleep on four or more nights in the prior week.
Nearly 36 percent of postmenopausal women aged 40 to 59 said they had trouble staying asleep through the night.
Clearly, sleep is an issue for a lot of us.
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Why is it harder to sleep as we age?
It is common for older adults to experience changes in their sleep patterns, including taking longer to fall asleep, having less deep sleep, waking up multiple times during the night, and experiencing less restful sleep.
The exact reason for these changes is unknown, but various factors may contribute to sleep difficulties in older adults, such as:
- depression
- anxiety
- heart disease
- diabetes
- pain
- discomfort from conditions like arthritis
However, there are tips and strategies that can help us sleep better, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and creating a comfortable sleep environment.
If you’ve tried those approaches and you’re still lying awake at night, it’s time to look for other answers.
There are many products that are specifically geared to assist you in falling and staying asleep.
NOTE: Sleeplessness can be a symptom of some serious medical issues. If you have consistent, ongoing difficulty sleeping, it’s essential to seek help from a medical professional.
A Word About Medication…
In terms of medication, talk to your medical professional!
There are many prescription and over-the-counter meds out there that can and do help with insomnia. Your doctor can recommend a sleep medication that works for your body and isn’t counterindicative of your other medications.
…And About Mattresses
If you think your mattress may be the issue, take a good search online before you go to the mattress store.
Don’t research brands at first. Search on Google for “best mattress for:
- side/stomach/back sleepers (whichever one you are)
- help with circulation
- people with arthritis or stiff joints
- hot/cold sleepers
- or whatever YOUR specific situation is
You’re more likely to find the exact mattress that helps with your needs, not just the one the salesperson is trying to move that week.
The Best Sleep Products for a Restful Night
Some of these products may be familiar to you – and some, I’ll bet you never even thought of (cherry juice…who knew?!?)
Of course, there’s a wide price range, so work through the list as you see fit. You naturally don’t have to try everything, but do try a variety to see which sleep products do the trick for you.
pillows
Investing in high-quality pillows that provide proper support and comfort can help promote better sleep posture and reduce discomfort, leading to improved sleep quality.
If you’re used to buying pillows on sale at Target, you may be in for sticker shock. I was! But I bit the bullet and bought the Coop Home Goods Original Loft Pillow and then I understood. The right pillow really makes a difference!
Cover your pillow with an organic silk pillowcase. Why? Silk is anti-static, reducing hair breakage and hair loss, knotting and tangles. It contains amino acids that are believed to effectively stimulate your skin cells’ metabolism while minimizing morning lines, wrinkles, and acne.
Wedge pillows – made most often for legs and knees – help improve blood circulation, relieve swelling, and take excess pressure off the legs. They can help alleviate pain from sciatica, joints, spine, hips, and more. There’s a huge variety of wedge pillows available in all shapes and sizes.
U-shaped Full-Body Pillows (so-called “pregnancy pillows”) help support your back, hips, knees, neck, and head to help ease discomfort associated with sciatica, fibromyalgia, gastric reflux, and more. This full-body pillow is perfect for anyone needing more support, recovering from surgery, or tired of having to use separate pillows to support their head, neck, legs, and back.
You may have seen the trendy knot pillows around – but did you know they can help promote sleep? They are soft, squishy, and huggable, and provide stress relief and tension release. The original Bearaby Hugget comes in a variety of sizes and weights.
Sleepwear
We all have our preference for sleepwear, from nightgowns to tanks and shorts to nothing at all. Uncomfortable sleepwear makes for poor sleep.
If you tend to sleep “hot”, you may like the Soma Cool Nights Sleep Shirt designed to keep you cool. Cold feet keeping you awake? Try Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Socks. And for true indulgence, I love love love the brand Cozy Earth!
White noise machines
White noise machines produce a consistent, soothing sound that helps mask other environmental noises.
The sound produced by a white noise machine is a mix of different frequencies played at the same time, which creates a sound similar to static or the sound of a fan. This sound is designed to be calming and help people relax and fall asleep.
The Magicteam White Noise Machine has white noise, brown noise, pink noise, blue noise (yeah, I don’t know what those are either), and the sounds of fans, brook, rain, ocean, birds, and bonfires. It’s tiny and battery-operated, so you can take it anywhere. Other popular white noise machines include this one from Adaptive Sound Technologies and the White Noise Rain Sound Machine.
You can run white noise through the speakers of these headphones which are made to wear while you sleep. The wrap-around design of the headphones helps to block out ambient noise without the need for earplugs – handy if you’re sleeping next to a snorer.
Sleep masks
Wearing a sleep mask can help block out light, which can interfere with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This can be particularly helpful for people who work night shifts or have trouble sleeping in a bright room.
I’ve never used a sleep mask – have you? The Nod Pod Weighted Sleep Mask seems to be universally popular – it masks 100% of light, can be used in any position, and can be heated or frozen.
This pure silk mask has high ratings and it’s a lot cheaper if you just want to experiment with a basic sleep mask.
Weighted blankets
Weighted blankets are filled with materials such as plastic pellets or glass beads, which add weight to the blanket and create a gentle, even pressure on the body when it is wrapped around the user.
The pressure from a weighted blanket can help increase the production of serotonin and reduce the production of cortisol, which are hormones that are associated with relaxation and stress, respectively. This can lead to a feeling of calmness and relaxation, which can help improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety.
These blankets come in a variety of weights, sizes, and materials, so it’s important to choose the one that seems best for you.
Aromatherapy products
Essential oils such as lavender and chamomile have been shown to have calming and relaxing effects, which can help improve sleep quality. Aromatherapy products are generally quite affordable and can be used in a variety of ways.
Some aromatherapy products that promote sleep include:
- ThisWorks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
- J.R. Watkins Sleep Bath Elixer
- Badger Sleep Balm w/Lavender & Bergamot
- Dream Essential Oil Roll-On Blend
Soaks, Sprays, and Shower Bombs
If you’ve got the time, a warm soak in the tub can be a wonderful prelude to a good sleep. Here are some ideas for boosting that experience (or mimicking it, if you don’t have time for a bath!):
- Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Melatonin Sleep Soak
- NEOM – Perfect Night’s Sleep Bath Foam
- Sleepytime Shower Steamers
- Pure Magnesium Oil Spray
Beverages and Edibles
I love herbal tea and find it to be incredibly soothing and relaxing. I wrote an entire post on The 5 Best Herbal Teas to Help You Sleep Better, and to that list, I would add Bigelow Sweet Dreams Herbal Tea and Yogi Bedtime Tea.
If you’re not a tea drinker, there are many other drinks and drink powders that also promote healthy sleep. I’ve tried a few – I’m partial to the chai and cocoa flavors.
Studies suggest that consuming tart cherry juice leads to better and longer sleep. Just be sure it’s the real deal, such as R.W. Knudsen Family Organic Just Tart Cherry Juice or CHERRISH 100% Tart Cherry Juice, not a juice blend or punch loaded with sugar.
If you like gummies (personally, I can’t stand the texture!) try WonderSleep Mushroom Gummies or Lemme Sleep Gummies. (Just brush your teeth well afterward!)
Phone Apps
Podcasts, meditation, sleep stories, and soothing music – these can all come directly from the phone that’s sitting on your nightstand.
My favorite meditation app (which has a huge variety of things to listen to!) is Headspace. It’s never failed to send me to dreamland. I’ve never tried Calm, but I’ve heard good things about it. They both have free trials, so why not experiment with both? Noisli allows you to mix different sounds to create your own perfect sound environment, including for sleep.
I’m intrigued with the Sleep With Me podcast, advertised as “bedtime stories to help grown-ups fall asleep in the deep, dark night.” And it’s free!
Electronics for Sleep
Many people find the sound and gentle breeze from a fan to be sleep-inducing. But some overhead fans are a bit too distracting. I swear by this little guy that I’ve used for years – at one point, we had two of them pointed in different directions of our bedroom!
It may seem odd to put an alarm clock in a list of sleep products, but the Loftie Clock doesn’t just wake you up (gently). It also combines the best of white noise machines, meditation apps, and music to transport you to a tranquil slumber. If you want one product that does it all, take a look at this one.
A humidifier can soothe dry skin, reduce snoring and sleep apnea, and add warmth to a cold room, all of which aid sleep. There are lots available but the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is quiet and has an auto-shut off feature, nightlight, and over 100,000 positive reviews on Amazon.
Both the SomniLight Red Night Light and the Casper Sleep Glow Night Light help minimize the sleep disruption of the inevitable trips out of bed in the night by providing just enough illumination to avoid turning on an overhead light.
Expensive But Potentially Worth It
I’m actually getting sleepy just from researching and writing this list of sleep products. I have two more suggested products that work amazingly well at promoting sleep – but that sleep comes at a price.
Consider these:
The BedJet 3 Climate Comfort Sleep System is – essentially – a fan that blows beneath your bedsheets, enabling the bed and your body to remain cool even while covered. It also has a heating mode that gives a deep sauna-like warmth in just seconds, and automated smart temperature control to make adjustments throughout the night. There’s even a remote, and each person in the bed can have a separate system, allowing different temperatures on different sides of the bed.
Sleep science tells us we sleep deeper when our bodies are at the right temperature at the right times of the night. The BedJet – “the most advanced thermal regulating sleep system ever developed” – enables you to pre-program personalized cooling and warming settings for every hour of the night that promote deeper sleep. How does it work exactly? Check out the info (including video) on this page for the best explanation.
Yes, these products are expensive and may seem like overkill, but if you’ve got night sweats due to menopause or chemotherapy, or feel cold due to thyroid issues, either of these may be just what you need for a good night’s sleep.
How well do you sleep? What products work well for you? Share your knowledge in the comments below!
Read More:
- The Midlife Woman’s Guide to Better Sleep
- How to Sleep Better by Reducing Stress, and Reduce Stress by Sleeping Better
- 5 Common Reasons You Can’t Sleep (and How To Fix Them)
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