Atomic Habits: how small changes can reshape the way we live
Trail & Kale’s Book of the Month: James Clear makes the case for focusing less on goals and more on the systems that get us there.
Good quality sleep is especially beneficial when it comes to feeling fresh and rested in the morning.
Plus, if you’re an active person or endurance athlete like the team here at Trail & Kale, then you’ll already know the important role sleep plays in helping your muscles recover quicker from exercise and endurance workouts.
In fact, getting enough good quality sleep and rest between your workouts (as well as following an effective training plan) is essential to staying healthy, meeting your fitness goals while ensuring you don’t go down the path of overtraining – that is, you do too much exercise without balancing it out with enough recovery time, including sleep and rest.
All that said, getting into a good quality sleep routine is sometimes easier said than done.
This is especially true if you need a little extra help winding down at the end of the day, have historically had difficulty sleeping, falling asleep and staying asleep.
These products may also be invaluable if you are currently going through a period in your life where sleep is eluding you due to experiencing issues such as anxiety or simply being pregnant (which can really affect some women’s ability to get a good night’s rest!).
How we selected the best sleep products that can help you sleep better
In this post I’m sharing our tried and tested list of the best sleep products to help you fall asleep faster and overall sleep better through the night – without the need for over-the-counter sleep aids, melatonin supplements or other remedies which can leave you feeling groggy in the morning.
Yes, that’s right, we’ve actually tested and reviewed many of these products too, here on Trail & Kale.
Some (or maybe all of these) sleep tech, gadgets and innovations (as well as simply good quality products designed to make getting a good night’s rest more achievable) may be useful for you if you have trouble falling asleep and making the most of the opportunity to get a good night’s rest.
Think of them as little ‘sleep hacks’, if you will.
Many of these sleep gadgets and useful products can also help improve the likelihood of you staying asleep so you get better sleep through the night.
1. A nightly adaptogen drink
If AG1 has been the foundation of our mornings (which is has), AGZ is their thoughtful answer to evenings. It’s a melatonin-free nightly drink made with clinically studied adaptogens, herbs, and minerals, designed to help your body wind down naturally, support sleep quality, and help you wake up feeling more refreshed.
Each serving includes 250mg of highly bioavailable Magtein® magnesium L-threonate, providing over half your daily value of magnesium, alongside saffron, ashwagandha, valerian, and L-theanine. All ingredients are included at research-supported amounts, which is a big deal for supplements in this category. The key here is that AGZ isn’t trying to override your natural sleep cycle, it’s meant to work with it.
Why I take AGZ: Like many people balancing training, work, and family, I often struggle to “switch off” at night. Our mornings feel locked in thanks to AG1, but evenings can easily slip into a longer than expected screen session or restless tossing and turning. With AGZ, I’ve noticed a calmer wind-down, deeper sleep, and easier mornings.
To learn more about Alastair’s first 30 days with it, read his in-depth AGZ review.
3. A meditation device
Another sleep product you need to know about is the Sensate. Sensate isn’t actually marketed specifically as a sleep aid, but as a meditation device.
Yes, it’s $300 gadget, but a non-intrusive one that is simple to use, and totally worth the money, in terms of how quickly you feel the benefits.
It’s super simple to use for between 10 and 30 minutes before you go to bed (or at other times during the day), and is targeted at people looking to lower their stress and even anxiety levels through (basically) a combination of sound and vibrations.
Learn more about the science behind Sensate in our Sensate review.
If this concept of wearable meditation tech interests you, it’s also worth considering the Apollo Neuro, which you can wear on your wrist or ankle and works in a similar way to Sensate. To learn more about it, read our Apollo Neuro review.
3. A weighted blanket
It’s difficult to describe the feeling of lying under a weighted blanket until you can try it for yourself.
An appropriate quality (and weight) weighted blanket works by simulating the feeling of being hugged, releasing relaxation-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin for a better, deeper sleep.
Gravity blankets are often imitated but these are the only weighted blankets scientifically proven to improve sleep quality by an independent study of 1,000 nights of sleep (SleepScore).
It’s fair to say our life was greatly enhanced the day we first used our Gravity blanket – I slept better than I had in weeks, after many weeks of having trouble sleeping, tossing and turning and waking up in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep again.
To learn more about Helen’s experience with it, read her in-depth Gravity Blanket review.
It’s totally worth giving one a try. I know it’s expensive ($250) but there’s a 30 day return policy if you try one and decide it’s not for you.
4. A heated foot / muscle pad
If you’re one of those people (like me) who tends to get cold feet, then that could be an easily solvable reason why you’re experiencing sleep issues – especially when initially trying to fall asleep.
Cold feet = no sleep. For me, at least.
When even wearing socks doesn’t work and you don’t want to make a hot water bottle before bed, consider getting one of these infrared heated pads you can put in the end of the bed. Yep, a dreamy $140, well spent!
Plus, it’s also great for soothing aches such as low back pain or aiding in post-workout muscle recovery.
5. A new mattress
Ok so getting a new mattress is not an everyday spend, but if you’re going to be lying (and not moving often) on a mattress for hours at a time, then it follows that it should be comfortable, yet supportive, for your body and sleep style (whether you prefer to lie on your side, back, or front).
If you add up how many of your day’s 24 hours, you will spend in bed, then it’s around one-third of your time, every day!
So it pays to invest in one that’s comfortable and will encourage you to fall asleep quickly, as well as wake up feeling fresh and rested, rather than achy and still tired.
Rather than buying the first new memory foam mattress you see online, do some research and consider brands that offer a few months’ free trial in case you don’t enjoy your selection.
6. A new pillow to meet your sleep style and preferences
Don’t forget to also get the right pillow for your preferences (whether that would be a down, down-alternative, memory foam or hybrid foam pillow) and sleep style (your pillow needs will vary depending on whether you’re a side, front or back sleeper).
I recently discovered a fantastic pillow from the range at Sleep Number that I wish I’d found years ago!
They have a load of different shaped, filled and adjustable thickness pillows to choose from so you can tailor your selection right down to your personalized needs and preferences.
Also consider using pillows as bolsters if you’re a side sleeper, it can really help with sleep-inducing relaxation.
This is also true if you’re pregnant and are trying to sleep on your side more – which is something many doctors recommend, and can be particularly difficult to stick to if (like me) you tend to roll onto your back at some point in the night.
7. A natural light alarm clock
Sometimes getting a good night’s sleep starts with how you woke up earlier that day.
A natural light alarm clock with a light like the Hatch Restore 3 sunrise clock, is designed to emulate natural daylight (the sun rising). It’s particularly useful in the darker months from September onwards, or if you have to walk up before sunrise.
It also has a nightlight function and plays a range of soothing sounds.
8. A weighted sleep mask
While a basic sleep mask can help with blocking out bright light, a weighted sleep mask can help take the relaxation a step further to help you relax before bed.
While a few brands make weighted sleep masks, I’m a fan of Gravity’s weighted sleep mask for its plush padding and fabric, which help with overall comfort levels – important if you’re trying to improve sleep and comfort levels!
It’s great when worn at the same time as doing a meditation session with the Sensate, so if you’re considering trying a Sensate pebble definitely also consider a comforting weighted sleep mask to use with it!
9. Dreamegg white noise machine [$45]
If you need to block out noises (either in your house or outside that you can’t control) and don’t want to wear earplugs, consider a white noise machine, such as this inexpensive Dreamegg option on Amazon which we used to crate train our dog Kepler (and it’s also great for soothing babies!).
It’s also worth noting the Hatch Restore 2 natural daylight alarm clock is also an alarm clock offering a wide range of different calming sounds, a white noise function and a night light option.
10. A sleep tracker to help monitor progress, and identify what’s working, what isn’t
Let’s get one thing straight, the objective here is to create an environment that encourages a restful night of sleep, and that means minimizing the amount of tech and distractions in your bedroom before and during the night.
That said, tracking your sleep can be useful if you want to understand patterns, improve recovery, or spot habits that may be affecting rest. Instead of relying on a phone app or smartwatch, I recommend using a sleep tracking ring.
Options like the Ultrahuman Ring Air or the Luna Ring are lightweight, discreet, and designed specifically for 24/7 wear without being intrusive.
Both rings collect data on sleep stages, heart rate variability, and recovery, then sync to their respective apps for clear insights you can review the next morning. I find these far less distracting than having a glowing smartwatch on your wrist overnight, and they integrate well into a more minimalist, sleep-friendly routine.
In summary
I hope you found these product suggestions helpful for you to choose from and try out to see if they can help you get better sleep overnight.
While I’m not a sleep expert, I know from first hand experience that insomnia and nightly disrupted sleep patterns is no joke, and can really impact on other aspects of your life, so I hope some of these solutions will get you to a place where you sleep restfully throughout the night!
