Sleep PicksThe one thing we'd buy for Night-Wakers
Free fix first. Then the one purchase that helps most, who makes it, and its honest downside.
Start free
You fall asleep fine, then wake in the small hours. The free fix: clock facing the wall, phone out of reach, and if you're awake for 20 minutes, get up somewhere dim until you're sleepy. Waking itself is normal; what keeps you up is light, sudden noise and the 3am maths.
If you're going to buy one thing
A white-noise machine
Yogasleep Dohm Classic
Why: A real fan in a dome, so the sound never loops or clicks. It has been the category standard since 1962. Steady sound masks the sudden noises (car doors, heating, a partner) that pull you out of deep sleep.
How to use it: Put it between you and the noise, not by your head. Start quiet.
The honest downside: Only one kind of sound, and it needs a socket. If you want more sounds, a digital machine like the LectroFan does more, but some people hear the loop.
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Worth a look next
Blackout curtains or a blackout blind
Any well-reviewed thermal blackout curtain
Why: Early light is one of the most common reasons Night-Wakers can't get back to sleep. Blocking it fixes the whole room, not just your eyes.
How to use it: Measure the window and add overlap on every side. Light leaks round the edges, not through the fabric.
The honest downside: Gaps at the sides and top undo most of the benefit; a curtain rail that wraps round, or a blind fitted inside the frame, helps.
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A contoured eye mask
Manta Sleep (or any contoured mask)
Why: Cupped eye pads that don't press on your eyes, adjustable so light doesn't leak in around the nose. The cheapest fix for early light or a partner's reading lamp.
How to use it: Give it three or four nights; it feels odd at first.
The honest downside: Manta's cups can shift if you sleep on your side. Cheaper contoured masks work well for most people.
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Earplugs
Foam (cheapest, most effective) or reusable silicone (most comfortable)
Why: For a snoring partner or a noisy street, nothing beats them for the money.
How to use it: Roll foam plugs thin, pull your ear up and back, hold them in place for 20 seconds while they expand.
The honest downside: Side sleepers can find them uncomfortable. You might not hear an alarm, so use a vibrating one or light.
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What we would not buy
Most sleep supplements (thin evidence, and some interact with medication; ask a pharmacist), anything promising to "cure" sleep in a week, and expensive "smart" bedding that is a normal product with an app bolted on.