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The 2021 Men’s Health Sleep Awards

Jul 25, 2023

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They say too much of a good thing can (sometimes) be bad—but let’s be real: That doesn’t apply to sleep. We know, we know; today’s world practically sets us up for staying awake around the clock—especially given those late-night TV marathons and Internet rabbit holes on your phone. And that’s not even including the hours you spend on that 9-to-5 grind. But, despite the number of espresso shots and energy drinks you pound back during those waking hours, you’re going to sleep at some point, so why not make the most of that time as you drift into that REM cycle?

Nobody enjoys the feeling of

sleep deprivation—and getting a good night’s sleep can involve more than simply clocking those suggested 8 hours a night. Sometimes, it takes everything from a comfortable cooling mattress or the perfect pillows for your sleeping style to tech gadgets, accessories, and sleep aids. It’s just choosing which ones to invest in that makes achieving those well-earned Z’s easier said than done.

Read More: Best Mattresses

Our team at Men’s Health loves to get an extra snooze in where we can, and we have a feeling you do too (you know, without losing sleep over which items to add to cart). So, we took it upon ourselves to take a sizeable number of hours to test out the latest products meant to help you get the best shut-eye of your life yet. We also tapped Dr. W. Christopher Winter, M.D.—the president of Charlottesville Sleep and Neurology Medicine—to throw in his expert-approved picks, too.

Ready to hit the snooze button and sink into your bed a little further? Here are the 30 best sleep products to give your bedroom setup the upgrade it deserves.

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1

Best Cooling Mattress

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze° Medium Hybrid Mattress

1Best Cooling Mattress

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze° Medium Hybrid Mattress

$4,399 at Tempur-Pedic

There are a lot of memory foam mattresses out there, but none do it quite like the OG brand that started the trend: Tempur-Pedic. And anyone who loves the feel of a foam mattress but sleeps on the hot side will get excited about the brand’s new cooling mattress, the Tempur-Breeze, which is available in medium and medium-hybrid firmness. This mattress comes complete with materials that allow the heat and humidity typically trapped beneath your covers and in your mattress to cycle out, keeping your body’s sleeping temperature up to 3 degrees cooler throughout the night. And if you’re curious about how effective its cooling capabilities are, our editor tried this out sans covers in the heat of a New York summer without A/C—she was fine.

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2Best Made-to-Order Mattress

Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress

2Best Made-to-Order Mattress

Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress

Now 28% Off$1,749 at Saatva

If you invest in a Saatva, you tend to spot the difference right away. First, it doesn’t arrive shrink-wrapped in a cardboard box. The made-to-order mattresses (meaning, they don’t sit in a warehouse for months) are handcrafted from antimicrobial organic cotton and other sustainable eco-friendly materials. This luxurious hybrid model has the added benefit of hand-tufted, nontoxic latex that works as a naturally hypoallergenic repellent for dust mites, mold, and more. It’s supportive without being stiff, and ideal for front and back sleepers. The breathable materials keep you cool at night, and the setup couldn’t be easier thanks to free in-room delivery and a white-glove service that will cart away your old mattress and foundation.

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3Best Mattress for Athletes

Sleep Number i8 360 Smart Bed

3Best Mattress for Athletes

Sleep Number i8 360 Smart Bed

Now 44% Off$3,199 at Sleep Number

This isn’t your grandmother’s adjustable bed—complete with the FlexFit 3 Base, it’s more like a pro athlete’s recovery dream station. The SleepIQ connected app allows you to adjust how soft or firm the mattress feels for your ideal setting, while next-gen biometric tracking gives you feedback to help you understand your sleep quality, trends, and more to unlock better recovery.

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4Best Mattress Cover

Eight Sleep The Pod Pro Cover

4Best Mattress Cover

Eight Sleep The Pod Pro Cover

Now 24% Off$1,745 at eightsleep.com

The next generation of mattress toppers doesn’t just feel comfortable: It cools and heats to your liking (anywhere between 55 and 110 degrees) using a water thermoregulation system and an easy-to-navigate app. Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro fits over your old mattress and allows for two separate users to control the temperature on each side of the bed.

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5Best Quilt

Parachute Cloud Cotton Quilt

5Best Quilt

Parachute Cloud Cotton Quilt

$269 at Parachute Home

Look, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t want to feel like they’re wrapped up in a fluffy cloud. And really, what better way to do that than with a puffy, crepe-y, gauzy quilt? If traditional down comforters aren’t for you, consider this quilt, instead. It’s undeniably warm, making it a great option as the temperatures drop. Plus, it’s so cozy, you’ll want to wear it draped over your shoulders everywhere around the house.

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6Best Overall Sheets

Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set

6Best Overall Sheets

Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set

Now 24% Off$121 at Brooklinen

Even non-sateen traditionalists will like these 480 thread count sheets. They’re super drapey without being limp right from the first wash without the overly slick feel you can get from other sateens. The fitted sheets are well fitted, so no awkward wrinkling beneath you. Plus: Customer service will get them to you in no time.

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7Best Bed Frame

Thuma The Bed

7Best Bed Frame

Thuma The Bed

$1,095 at thuma.co

Simply called, “The Bed,” Thuma boldly declares this sleek, elegant platform to be the “perfect frame,” and it’s hard to argue with that claim. Not only is it masterfully designed, but the precise Japanese-style joinery along the beautiful wooden beams eliminates the need for fumbling around with clunky screws and Allen keys. The pieces simply snap into place and the process takes minutes. And while it sits low to the ground, you’re still left with 9” of clearance for ample storage space underneath. Apartment dwellers will also appreciate that the frame arrives in a series of three compact boxes that are easy to navigate up narrow stairwells.

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8Best Weighted Blanket

Bearaby Cotton Napper

8Best Weighted Blanket

Bearaby Cotton Napper

$249 at Bearaby

Sometimes, all you need is the comfort of a weighted blanket to keep you feeling cozy throughout a good night’s sleep (or an afternoon nap). After all, they can help keep you in a deeper sleep. Bearaby’s classic Napper blanket—which is made with organic cotton and comes in 10-, 15-, 20- and 25-lb weights—is an easy option that looks good and keeps you cool, thanks to the open, chunky knit. And, simply put, it just feels cozy.

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9Best Pillow

Fluffco Down Alternative Pillow

9Best Pillow

Fluffco Down Alternative Pillow

Shop at fluff.co

The benefit of these pillows goes beyond a sneeze-proof snooze. The firm fill is anything but rock hard, the soft anything but mushy. They hit the perfect note of support and comfort. Both are malleable enough that if you want a little extra fluff in the middle, you can get it…and it stays where you put it (and doesn’t just flatten out the moment you hit the pillow). The fill is a vegan microfiber and they’re machine washable, but all you really need to know is that these invite sleep and not a lot of pillow plumping and fussing.

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10Best Comforter

Casper Lightweight Down Duvet

10Best Comforter

Casper Lightweight Down Duvet

$259 at Casper

A good down comforter is a staple for any well-curated bedroom that you’ll want to use all year round. And you can, with this lightweight one from Casper, which uses ethically sourced down. The 100% cotton steel is so comfy, you’ll wonder if you even need a duvet cover. (Hint: you do!) Plus, the duvet chambers are sewn in place to prevent the dreaded great down migration to the bottom of the bed.

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11Best Cooling Sheets

My Sheets Rock The Regulator Sheets

11Best Cooling Sheets

My Sheets Rock The Regulator Sheets

$169 at mysheetsrock.com

If you turn into a nuclear power plant when you sleep and wake up in the middle of the night all sticky and hot, these are the sheets you didn’t know you needed. Smooth and silky, these sheets wick away moisture to keep you cool and comfortable all night long. And even though they feel soft and luxurious, the fabric is made from an extremely durable and all-natural bamboo-rayon blend that will keep its texture wash after wash. The special fabric blend also means these sheets are 3-4 degrees cooler than polyester or cotton sheets and 50% less humid. Add to that, the company promises that if you don’t absolutely fall in love with them, you can return them for a full refund.

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12Coolest Weighted Blanket

Chilisleep ChiliBLANKET™

12Coolest Weighted Blanket

Chilisleep ChiliBLANKET™

Now 58% Off$239 at chilisleep.com

This 15-pound cooling blanket gives you all the comforting goodness of a weighted blanket without the heat. When connected to a cooling control unit, you can set the blanket’s exact temperature between 55 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. One of Dr. Winter’s top picks, the chiliBLANKET gives you “weight without the heat,” according to the doc.

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13Best Cooling Pillow

Purple Harmony Pillow

13Best Cooling Pillow

Purple Harmony Pillow

Now 20% Off$159 at Amazon

No more turning the pillow to the cool side all night long. Purple’s Harmony Pillow is a latex cushion wrapped in moisture-wicking, breathable mesh material. Its material makes it the coolest pillow you’ve ever slept on, and the company’s patented honeycomb design means it never falls flat.

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14Best Stealth Sleep Tracker

Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

14Best Stealth Sleep Tracker

Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

$100 at Best Buy$77 at Walmart$100 at Home Depot

Yes, you can track your sleep with a smartwatch or a wearable—but what if you didn’t have to wear anything at all? That’s where Google’s second-gen Nest Hub comes in, offering built-in sleep tracking. Set it up at your bedside and enjoy. Even better, Nest Hub can wake you up, gently brightening its screen when programmed to rouse you from sleep, no boisterous alarms in sight.

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15Best Wearable Sleep Tracker

Fitbit Charge 5

15Best Wearable Sleep Tracker

Fitbit Charge 5

$130 at FitBit

The latest iteration of Fitbit’s most popular tracker is a powerful sleep tool that takes up just a small spot on your wrist. You can track your vitals and quality of sleep with the Sleep Score, wake up right with silent alarms timed for the most ideal moment, and plan for your day with the new Daily Readiness score.

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16Best Smartwatch with Sleep Tracking

Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic

16Best Smartwatch with Sleep Tracking

Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic

$320 at Samsung

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch refresh retains the impressive sense of style that the Watch Classic line is now known for, then heaps in impressive sleep-tracking tech, calculating your sleep cycles and blood oxygen levels, and even noting your snoring patterns (not that you snore, of course).

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17Best Sleep Training Device

Urgonight Training Headband

17Best Sleep Training Device

Urgonight Training Headband

$499 at Amazon

This training headband “unlocks your potential for deep, fulfilling sleep”—but you don’t actually have to wear it to bed. Wear the high-tech device when you have a few minutes of downtime, and use your phone to go through guided exercises. The training headband measures your brainwaves, teaching you how to activate the parts of your brain responsible for full, deep rest. The brand promises results in three months with just three 20-minute sessions per week. Now that’s worth the splurge.

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18Best Earbuds for Sleeping

Bose Sleepbuds II

18Best Earbuds for Sleeping

Bose Sleepbuds II

$199 at Amazon

Forget noise-canceling. Three years ago, Bose first introduced the Sleepbuds, tiny earbuds designed to help drown out sounds that can disrupt your sleep. The brand’s Sleepbuds II do that even better, delivering noise-masking sounds, nature effects, and other effects all night long, which is why Dr. Winter loves them so much. They’re perfect for erasing city noise, and while they can’t stop subway sounds, they work pretty well for cross-country flights, too.

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19Best Light Therapy Gadget

Ayolite

19Best Light Therapy Gadget

Ayolite

$199 at goayo.com

Recommended by Dr. Winter, the Ayo is a premium light therapy device that can seriously change the way you sleep every night. That sentence may sound a little wonky, so let’s put this in simpler terms: you set up your Ayo (which basically feel like 3-D glasses from Westworld or something) through an app on your phone, wear them for 20-30 minutes a day while you’re doing something else, and hopefully find yourself with both improved sleep patterns at night and a bit more energy and focus during the day. The glasses are comfortable, fit right on your head; if you’re reading while wearing them, you may not even remember you put them on.

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20Best Pillow for Traveling

NapUp Fly Plus 360° Support Travel Pillow

20Best Pillow for Traveling

NapUp Fly Plus 360° Support Travel Pillow

$70 at Amazon

NapUp sure upped the travel pillow game with this light-blocking, noise-reducing, cushion-having device. With built-in earphones, you can drown out the sound of your own snoring by bumpin’ jams or relaxing to peaceful sounds. Sure, you may get some weird looks by having your head literally strapped to your seat. But the rest is worth it.

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