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Hibernation isn’t an option for human beings, unfortunately. That means we’ve got to make sure every eight-hour allotment is elevated to cloud nine. These practical gifts—whether you give them to your mom, husband, or, let’s be honest, yourself—are certified dreamy.
Sleep masks can make any hour bedtime. Unfortunately, most masks trap your eyelids, stimulating a locked-in sensation counterproductive to real rest—not to mention crushed lashes. But YIVEW’s contoured cover bubbles up in the middle, ensuring you can still blink, and seals above and below your eye holes, blocking out light. The result is ocular freedom—and some sweet Zzzs.
Dawn simulation has clinical roots: it’s an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. But people who don’t suffer from wintertime depression can still benefit from these nifty devices, which replace traditional ringers, honks, and buzzes with an ever-warming light. Thirty minutes before your scheduled wake-up time, this lamp-clock hybrid begins to brighten. If the sun-like rays (available in six different colors) don’t rustle you from hibernation, one of six natural sounds or the FM radio will.
The majority of people sleep on their sides. But this can cause all kinds of ailments, from heartburn to joint pain. To reduce discomfort or inflammation in your weight-bearing shoulder, consider a dedicated side-sleeping pillow. Designed with a cut-out for your shoulder, these dreamy tufts encircle your delicate neck and rise to support your head, reducing strain on your upper body.
Side-sleepers, older dreamers, and snoozers with persistent aches and pains may benefit from another appendage-specific pillow. Tuck this plushy orthopedic device from Modvel comfortably between your knees to reduce the pressure, which naturally builds when one leg lays for hours on top of the other. Added bonus: this small intervention can have upstream effect for your hips and spine.
Weighted blankets have long been used to help people with autism manage their anxiety. In recent years, this heavy bedding, which ranges from 5 to 30 pounds, went mainstream. It’s now wildly popular among people who argue it helps them cope with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress.
Nothing feels better after a bad day than changing into a fancy two-piece pajama set. This combo, which looks like the bedtime equivalent of a boardroom power suit, is cozy, infinitely giftable, and comes in a smattering of different patterns and piping.
A recent study from in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience showed that smelling lavender really does help you relax. You can get your hands on the good stuff in lotions, body washes, and aromatherapy oils, but if smelling like a field of flowers isn’t exactly your thing, you can simply spray it on your pillowcase for a soothing, but contained, scent.
