Smarter
Ear Plugs
These aren't headphones, but they're not simply ear plugs either. They're lightweight, tiny ear buds engineered to deliver soothing sounds that have been optimally tuned to drown out unwanted noise when you're trying to sleep. They're engineered to stay comfortably in place all night long, even if you sleep on your side. Instead of streaming music, they gently pump in ten soothing sleep tracks—say goodbye to annoying neighbors, jarring city sounds or your partner's snoring. Plus, the compact and convenient storage case keeps your sleep buds safe, charged and ready for next time.
Noise-masking sleepbuds,
$249.99 by Bose
After Hours
Wearables
If you're the type that wants to track your progress and crunch the data, then you'll want to bring some wearable technology to bed. There are a handful of smartwatches and fitness trackers that log how many hours you slept. But the Sleep Foundation has rated the Biostrap Active set as the best one. The device has a long-lasting battery and monitors your sleep stages and nighttime biometrics such as heart and breathing rates, generating a nightly Sleep Score ranging from 1 to 100. It also computes your current ability to recover and handle bodily stress.
Recover set,
from $249 by Biostrap
A Gentler
Alarm Clock
Getting up with the sunrise is ideal, but when you need to get a jump on the day, opt for the next best thing. Philips has become the gold standard for light therapy clocks and the Somneo is their latest addition. The clock mimics a natural sunrise as it gets closer to your actual wakeup time, priming you to wake up naturally and not in the middle of a REM cycle. It also offers a variety of wake-up sounds from the beach to rustling trees. There are also a number of wind-down modes to help soothe you to sleep, including a meditative breathing exercise. But don't worry, it also has a USB port to charge your phone.
Somneo Sunrise Wake Up alarm clock,
$199.99 / $119.99 by Philips
