Take it from Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher, member of the Scientific Advisory Board for ASYSTEM, and co-author of Sleep for Success!, who once told us that “immunity and sleep are so tightly linked. Healthy sleep is absolutely critical at this strange time during the pandemic to stay healthy. In experimental studies, if we compare those who get short sleep consistently to those who get healthy sleep, seven hours or more, those healthy sleepers have significantly better immunity and more likelihood of staying healthy despite exposure to rhinovirus or flu. And while those tests haven’t been done with COVID-19 yet, we believe that they are coming.”
What’s more is that healthy sleep is also linked to stress and anxiety levels, fitness potential, brain function, and more. “High-quality sleep fortifies your immune system, balances your hormones, boosts your metabolism, increases physical energy, and improves the function of your brain,” Shawn Stevenson, author of Sleep Smarter and creator of The Model Health Show, told Coveteur. “With all the essential benefits that sleep is giving you, you will never, I repeat, never have the body and life you want without giving your body the right amount of sleep.”
Luckily, there are a few simple things we can do to encourage better sleep, like staying off our phones before bedtime, engaging in relaxing nightly rituals, and investing in the right products to encourage better, more restful sleep. When it comes to the latter, we’ve got your back. Keep scrolling to see our 2020 gift guide, which was created with the intention of giving the gift of better sleep to our loved ones and ourselves. From fashion and beauty to wellness and home goods, these are 28 products that your friends and family are sure to love. So light a candle, brew a cup of tea, and scroll on for a more rested and relaxed holiday season ahead.
Beauty
Linné Rise & Rest
This “functional fragrance” aromatherapeutic duo uses essential oils to encourage the body to follow its natural rhythm. The Rise fragrance invigorates the senses and promotes calm and clarity, while the Rest fragrance encourages better sleep through the use of blue chamomile, lavender, ylang ylang, and frankincense essential oils. Apply them in the morning and night with the rollerball application for easy aromatherapy on the go.
Sisley-Paris Velvet Sleeping Mask
This sleeping mask is rich and luxurious, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from Sisley. It was created to deeply moisturize and soothe the skin overnight, which makes it perfect for gifting ahead of the cold winter months. Wake up with the type of luminous, dewy skin you and your loved ones had previously only dreamed of.
Slip Pure Silk 3-Pack Large Scrunchies
If you’re someone who (like us) tosses their hair up into a messy bun before bedtime, these silk scrunchies should be at the top of your holiday wish list. A hidden hair elastic keeps your hair in place, and the slippery silk covering reduces hair breakage. These will make a great stocking stuffer or affordable friend gift this season.
True Botanicals Nutrient Mist
This calming face mist uses blue chamomile and algae extract to calm the surface of the skin and target redness and irritation. With a light botanical scent, we find it to be just as calming on our minds as our skin. A few spritzes before bed is all it takes to lull someone into a deep, restful night’s sleep.
May Lindstrom Skin The Blue Cocoon Beauty Calm Concentrate
May Lindstrom’s Blue Cocoon is a beauty balm that’s made with blue tansy (that explains its deep turquoise blue shade). Blue tansy is a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient that can calm and soothe irritated skin. The rich texture of this balm melts into the skin, making it a must for any pre-sleep sensitive skin beauty ritual.
Bynacht Perfect Nacht Sleeping Oil
A luxuriously smooth body oil is a staple of our pre-bed beauty routines, and this one from Bynacht is a particular favorite for the beauty-obsessed among us. The vegan formula is deeply moisturizing and rich in sleep-encouraging essential oils. We recommend following an evening bath with a thin layer of this for touchably soft skin that will last well into the next afternoon.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
This Laneige lip mask is made for wearing while you sleep to moisturize and revitalize your lips, which it does thanks to vitamin C and antioxidant-rich ingredients. The Berry and Vanilla versions are classics, but we think this new Mint Choco version is particularly perfect for a stocking stuffer. Just do your best to not lick it off before drifting off to sleep.
Wellness
The Beauty Chef Sleep Inner Beauty Powder
This probiotic tonic was designed to combat sleeplessness and calm the mind with ingredients like lemon balm, passionflower, turmeric, and sour cherry. Mix it into your preferred milk an hour before bedtime for best results.
Quip Copper Metal Adult Electric Toothbrush
Brushing your teeth before bed is standard, but it doesn’t have to be boring. We like quip’s Electric Toothbrush, which cleanses using sonic vibrations. The chic copper detail doesn’t look bad on our vanity, either.
Halfmoon Natural Cork Massage Roller
One of our favorite ways to unwind before bed is to use a foam roller to iron out any minor aches and pains in our muscles (it’s a lifesaver, especially if you’re active). This cork roller is at the top of our holiday wish lists.
Dr Teal’s Soothing Lavender Bath Tea
Give the gift of a better bath with this soothing bath tea. It contains epsom salt, oats, and lavender essential oil, so it’s just as relaxing for the body as it is for the mind.
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington
If someone on your list needs convincing of the transformative power of a good night’s rest, gift them this New York Times best seller. It discusses sleep and its link to our overall well-being in depth and might even help you adopt some beneficial habits for a better night’s rest.
Sakara Sleep Tea
This calming tea blend contains valerian root and passionflower to encourage a deep, restful sleep. With a chamomile and lavender flavor, it tastes amazing, too.
Dodow Sleep Aid
Dodow is an electronic sleep aid. Turn it on, synchronize your breath with the gentle pulsing light, and achieve the right state of mind (and breath) to fall asleep quickly and easily. It’s half sleep aid, half meditation tool.
Home
Linoto 100% Linen Sheet Sets
These heirloom-quality sheet sets give a whole new meaning to Elton John’s “lay me down in sheets of linen.” Soft and sturdy, they’ll give your bed the perfect environment for a long night’s sleep.
Osea for Parachute Rest Linen Mist
Textile brand Parachute partnered with clean skin-care brand Osea on this herbal spray. It features essential oils of lavender, geranium, peppermint, and sage to lure you off into an easy, restful snooze.
Hatch Restore
This isn’t your basic sound machine. It’s also a smart light, which illuminates your bedroom without any harsh blue tones that can keep you awake. It’s also a sunrise alarm, which wakes you up with soft light (gone are the days of jarring phone alarms).
Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase
This pure silk pillowcase is iconic, and for good reason. It lessens the friction between your skin and hair and traditional cotton pillowcases, which means you’re protecting yourself from fine lines, creases, and bedhead even while you sleep.
Vitruvi Stone Diffuser
If you’re a person who loves diffusing essential oils into your living space, you’re likely familiar with this Vitruvi stone diffuser, which is one part functional and one part interesting art piece, thanks to the minimalist matte ceramic facade.
Vitruvi Dusk Blend
What says sleep more than calming essential oils? This blend, which is also from Vitruvi, is perfect for adding to a diffuser to encourage a calmer, more relaxed mental state.
Sunday Citizen Crystal Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are thought to reduce stress and anxiety and encourage a more restful sleep. This weighted blanket goes beyond that by filling each throw blanket with thousands of pieces of clear quartz, rose quartz, and amethyst to harness “natural healing energy.”
Fashion
Sleepy Jones Washable Silk Marina Pajama Set
This silk pajama set is super chic and comfortable. The best part about it, though, has to be that it’s machine washable, which makes it easy to launder without leaving home.
Brooklinen Adelphi Jumpsuit
This cozy jersey jumpsuit is at the top of our holiday wish lists. The cozy fabric and layerable fit means you can just as easily wear it to the farmers’ market as you can to bed.
Porte & Paire Shearling-lined Felt Slippers
A sleep gift guide wouldn’t be complete without a pair of slippers. This pair, from Porte and Paire, are as cozy as they are chic and minimalist.
Leset Pointelle-knit Cotton-jersey Pajama Set
This short, no-nonsense pajama set is cozy and functional. It also gives us some serious French-girl vibes.
Gucci Metallic Jacquard-knit Socks
’Tis the season for designer socks, like these ones from Gucci. We love the banded detail and the muted black-and-gold color scheme.
Parachute Classic Bathrobe
A shawl collar, front pockets, and waist tie make this bathrobe a true classic. It’s the kind of bathrobe you buy if you want that “I just came back from a luxury spa” look.
Naadam Silk Sleep Mask
Silk eye masks are luxurious, but what’s even more luxurious is a silky gold eye mask, like this one from Nadaam. With a wide coverage area and an adjustable band, it’s sure to keep the light out, whether you use it at home or on the go.
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