Products and devices that will help you sleep better during the winter.  

During the winter time with the fluctuation of the weather, the temperature, the change in humidity all of these factors alongside other factors make it a little harder to fall asleep during the winter comfortably. Luckily for those that do tend to find it harder to fall asleep during the winter there are some things that you can use to help you sleep better or to help you understand where and what it is that is making it more difficult for you to sleep.  

There are some apps, devices, and products that can either help you fall asleep better or help create a more desirable environment for you to fall asleep in.  

Headspace – app  

There is an app that over the past few years has created a name for itself within the sleep community for helping those who normally have trouble going to sleep, sleep a little sounder with the tips and exercises that they have on the app. The app is called headspace, this app is mainly known for the meditation exercises and breathing exercises that they have to offer that promotes your nerve system to calm down, decreasing stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivations. It is an app that you can download to your mobile, which was created to give those who use it easy access to guided meditation and mindfulness, where there are activities that you can do that help relieve stress and support quality sleep. 

However, it should be mentioned that this app is only accessible to those with a monthly subscription after the free trial, which to some may not be ideal as not everyone has disposable income, and some people have said that some of the activities are repetitive.  

Weighted blankets – product  

Weighted blankets may help those having trouble sleeping as it uses deep pressure stimulation, it is believed to reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol, to stimulate the production of the mood-boosting hormone serotonin, and to increase the levels of the hormone that helps you sleep melatonin. These are some of the reasons as to why a weighted blanket may help those who are having some trouble sleeping, sleep a little better. Weighted blankets hold weight to them without being bulky and uncomfortable making it comfortable to use both in warmer and colder temperatures.  

Humidifier – product  

As the weather gets colder the air tends to get drier, so using a humidifier to get moisture back into the air is ideal as it helps to bring back moisture to your skin, nasal passages, and airway. If the air around you is dry it may bring irritation to several parts of your body while drying your skin out. Humidifiers can also ease some of the symptoms caused by the flu or common cold, so if you tend to get a cold or a flu during the winter then investing into a humidifier may ease those symptoms making it a little more comfortable to sleep.  

You can also purchase sleep focused essential oils to add to your humidifier such as chamomile, lavender, and sage to help not only keep the air around you moist allowing you to sleep more comfortably but also using essential oils that may help induce sleep and promote prolonged sleep. Humidifiers can provide a more comfortable night’s sleep by combating the effects of cold and dry air that causes chronic dry mouth. 

Sense with sleep pill – device  

There are some devices that help us get to know our surroundings a little bit better, the sense with sleep pill, is an advanced device that uses its sensors to help you better understand your sleeping environment and it allows you to track your sleep quality. It gives you access to information that may be useful when it comes to altering things to best suit you and your needs some of the information that the device provides with is about how the light, sound, temperature, humidity, and air quality in your bedroom affects your sleep. The sleep tracker will tell you things about your sleep that you may have not been aware of like whether you snored, tossed and turned. The device is easy to use, is accurate in what it tracks, doesn’t need to be worn or attached to you to collect this information therefore not bothering you whilst you sleep, and on days where you can’t sleep you can play sleep sounds like white noise to help lull you to sleep.  

Cove – device  

Cove is a wearable device that creates a specific vibration(s) that naturally activates the part of your brain that controls emotions, the emotions that the device supposedly actives is the part of your brain that is in charge of decreasing stress and anxiety. Some people have claimed that after using this device that they slept a lot faster and stayed asleep for a lot longer.  

These devices, products and apps may not help everyone fall asleep faster however, it may prove to be useful if you are having trouble sleeping during the winter to try some of the things listed above to see if any of these things will help you fall asleep better. As individuals it's hard to tell whether something is going to be as effective on yourself as it were on others, despite doing your own research on the products, so sometimes it's better to try it first hand to see if it will work for you. Some of the things listed are relatively affordable so you can trial them out to see if they work.