There are many ways to get better sleep, some more lavish than others. However, I always recommend starting small with a great sleep mask that blocks out light and feels comfortable to wear throughout your slumber.

The VHMV Sleep Mask fulfills both those roles superbly, keeping out light completely (even during the daytime!) without overheating your skin. The soft, cooling material and plush memory foam cushioning around the eyes feel almost like wearing a cloud on your face, and side and back sleepers alike find that it stays in place regardless of any tossing and turning they do.

Create your own personal sleep cave without breaking the bank by getting this mask for $16 on Amazon.

Buy Now

Anyone who’s ever been handed down a generations-old wool blanket will tell you it’s one of their most prized possessions. There’s nothing quite like covering up with one of those bad boys when the weather takes a turn for the chilly.

However, they’re not always the easiest things to take care of. If you’d rather skip the whole handwashing-in-a-bathtub thing, get one of Pendleton’s washable wool blankets instead.

Although made from 100% virgin wool — which they strive to source to strict sustainability standards — these blankets have all been woven and treated to be machine-washable without fear of shrinking, fading, or pilling. They’ve got a bunch of different colors/patterns to choose from, and every one of them promises to keep its rich color for years to come.

Pendleton’s Eco-Wise wool blankets start at $189 each for the twin size.

Buy Now

The last couple months since losing our motorhome have felt like years, but my wife and I are finally starting to get our life back together. We’ve got a new-to-us travel trailer, we’re getting belongings old and new packed into it, and it feels like things will be returning to some semblance of normal soon so we can start traveling again.

However, the mattress that came with this RV… it should be considered a war crime. They might as well have attached some springs to the bed frame platform and called it a day.

Along with those cooling gel memory foam pillows I wrote about the other day, one of the most immediate purchases we needed to make was a new mattress. After doing a good deal of research on various RVing communities, I decided on the S SECRETLAND hybrid mattress-in-a-box, and I haven’t been disappointed one bit.

We opted for the 10-inch-thick Short Queen to fit our rig’s master bedroom, and after the initial 48-hour expansion process, we’ve already concluded that it’s easily the best RV mattress we’ve ever owned. We should’ve made this upgrade years ago.

If I have one quibble, it’s that the very edges of the mattress aren’t quite supportive enough to sit on while putting on shoes, but the space on either side of our bed isn’t really big enough for that anyway. (I also read a long time ago that standing on one foot to put a shoe on the other is good for maintaining your balance skills as you get older, and that’s stuck with me ever since.)

Anyway, I’m really into this purchase and I feel highly satisfied about the value we got for the money spent. The mattress comes in four sizes, each in a variety of thicknesses (thus the price ranges below instead of single amounts):

• Full ($210–$220)
• Short Queen ($250–$310)
• Queen ($210–$340)
• King ($260–$370)

Buy Now

When you go to shop around and read reviews for new bed pillows these days, the Coop Home Goods Adjustable Loft Pillow is one you’ll come across a lot. And it’s for good reason!

However, not everyone can throw down $72 for a single pillow, no matter how nice it is. Which is why I’d like to point out these cooling pillows from BedStory, which you can get two of for less than what the lone Coop pillow costs.

In similar fashion, these pillows are filled with shredded memory foam infused with cooling gel for a luxurious-feeling sleep experience. And when I say filled, I mean stuffed to the brim — you’ll notice some complaints in the Amazon reviews saying that the pillow is too thick and firm, seemingly unknowing that you can remove any amount of extra fill you like to achieve the desired level of support.

I like that the zippered fill case goes inside a second zippered silk pillow case, the latter of which is easy to take off and wash without having to worry about losing memory foam pieces. The amount of quality you’re getting for the money is pretty awesome in general, actually.

You can get a pair of queen-sized BedStory cooling pillows for $50 on Amazon.

Buy Now

I’ve mentioned before that a slippery pillowcase (which in that previous case was a satin one) is a key part of a long hair maintenance routine, especially for those of us with wavy/curly frizz problems. However, some people find satin a little too slippery to sleep on, and find themselves waking the next morning with their hair resting on cotton sheets anyway, defeating the purpose of the pillowcase.

For those people I recommend a mulberry silk pillowcase like this one from LilySilk, which offers a bit of that soft, slippery feeling without going overboard. It’s also better for hot sleepers like me, because it keeps you cool through the night.

Staying cool while sleeping and waking up with hair that isn’t a wreck = a big win in my book.

You can get this pillowcase in King size for $43 on Amazon. Consider it an investment in better sleep and happier bedhead

Buy Now

Anyone who’s given #VanLife a shot knows that sleeping space (or space in general) comes at a premium. Finding ways to maximize the space you do have is key to your success at this venture, and if you have a suitable van model, then the Luno Front Cab Air Mattress will absolutely change your life.

This clever two-piece inflatable system creates a comfortable sleeping space across the front cab of various popular campervan models, including Mercedes Sprinters, Dodge ProMasters, RAM ProMasters, and Winnebago Travatos and Solis vans.

The top air mattress is pretty straightforward to understand, but the real killer feature here is the inflatable T-shaped base extender that fills the driver/passenger footwells and the gap between the two seats, creating a level surface for that mattress to rest on.

This mattress was designed with kids and/or pets in mind, although anyone 5’7″ and below can sleep on it comfortably. Both pieces in the system are made from a durable 300-denier fabric that should hold up for plenty of adventures, and it’s easy to deflate and stow away whenever it’s time to hit the road again.

Watch their instructional video to see how it works in practice:

Get the Front Cab Air Mattress system for $500 at Luno’s site, where they have a vehicle compatibility checker tool that will help you determine if it’s suitable for your particular van year/model.

Buy Now

Some days, you just can’t be bothered to change into different pants for all the different types of activities you do. On a lazy afternoon or work-from-home day, maybe you feel like keeping on the same pants you wore to bed the night before. Or maybe you’ve gone for a light morning jog and decided to run some errands afterward without changing outfits.

Lucky Brand’s lightweight-knit jogger sweatpants for men are perfect for those times. They’re soft and cozy enough to wear any time of day or night, fitted enough for running yet roomy enough for lounging, and they’re stylish enough that you can wear them around town without feeling embarrassed.

Personally, I’m a fan of the pants’ chunky drawstrings, which aren’t likely to get pulled out in the wash (or annoyingly “lost” inside the fabric, which I’ve had happen with hoodies in the past).

Get a two-pack (Black and Charcoal) of these comfy pants for $53 on Amazon. Just be ready for your significant other to steal a pair ;)

Buy Now

For some people, the comfy hug-like feeling of a weighted blanket can make the difference between a good night’s rest and…not that. However, they can admittedly feel a little stifling for those of us who tend to run hot at night.

That’s why the Nuzzie weighted blanket exists. Rather than being one solid mass all the way across, the Nuzzie is chunky-knit like a big open-weave sweater, allowing it to be much more breathable and cooling than most blankets this heavy. And even then, you still get that “wrapped in a bear hug” feeling of gentle, soothing pressure every time you wrap yourself in it.

Eco-conscious buyers will appreciate that the beadless fabric fill used in the Nuzzie blanket is made from 100% recycled material, with over 500 plastic bottles’ worth of material in each blanket. So, you can sleep easier in more ways than one.

The Nuzzie comes in several sizes/weights, each available in a variety of colors:

• Kids / 8lbs ($169) — Measures 40″ x 56″
• Full / 15lbs ($249) — Measures 48″ x 72″
• Queen / 20lbs ($269) — Measures 60″ x 80″
• King / 25lbs ($330) — Measures 80″ x 87″

Buy Now

For those of you who have an easier time going to sleep while listening to an audiobook, some calming music, or white noise/nature sounds, these sleep headphones are way comfier to wear for that purpose than typical headphones or earbuds.

The stretchy, moisture-wicking headband conceals a pair of ultra-thin Bluetooth speaker discs, which themselves have a squishy foam padding. Basically, even if you’re a side sleeper, you can wear these all night and be lulled away to slumberland by whatever you choose to listen to.

They sound respectably good for what they are, there are no wires to get tangled in, and the band is washable once you remove the headphones and control panel module.

Get these headphones for $20 on Amazon.

Buy Now

A lot of people trying to improve their sleep will focus a lot on what mattress to buy. It seems obvious though that your pillow is just as important of an upgrade. I mean, we’ve all had the experience of sleeping on a crappy pillow and spending the entire next day with a horrible neck/shoulder ache, right?

If you’re a side sleeper like me, The “Original” Pillow by Coop Home Goods might be the best purchase you make anytime soon. It’s filled with shredded (or more technically, cross-cut) memory foam and microfiber that you can add or remove as needed to perfectly tailor the pillow to your liking. It even comes with a half-pound bag of extra fill in case you really wanna stuff the thing.

Guys, this pillow is worth every penny, no joke. The difference it will make in your sleep quality is astounding, to the point you’ll be telling everyone you know to buy one. The fact that you can customize how firm or soft it is means you really can’t go wrong here, no matter what your preference is. You’ll wonder why you didn’t spend the money sooner, if anything.

The Queen size (20″ x 30″) is $72 on Amazon, while the King size (20″ x 36″) is $78. If you need a pillow that actively keeps you cool while you sleep, the company also sells “The Eden”, the filling of which is infused with cooling gel.

Buy Now

🥱 Boring disclaimer: Before we start, let me be clear that I am in no way a medical professional, nor am I offering health advice. Always consult your doctor (or similar professional) before trying remedies to any health-related issues you may be having.

I don’t know about you guys, but a proper night’s sleep is something I find hard to come by. Even if I decide to “be good” and go to bed at a decent time, I can often lay there for hours (sometimes until the sun is already rising), eyes closed in a vain attempt to induce sleep while my brain continues churning through thoughts and worries and memories and whatever else at 100mph. So frustrating.

After some trial and error with various remedies (melatonin gummies, magnesium pills, etc) I’ve found that a simple hot cup of Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime herbal tea (with a touch of honey added) an hour or so before bed really helps me get into a relaxed state that makes it much easier to drift into slumber when I need to. Turning off my screens and reading a book while drinking the tea is the most surefire way I’ve found to prepare my brain for sleep.

In addition to helping me relax, I just love the delicately minty smell and flavor of the tea, and the whole experience is a great end-of-day ritual that I find myself looking forward to each night. (It doesn’t hurt that it’s also when the kids have already gone to bed, making it an extra-quiet bit of “me time.”)

Pro tip: On a hot night, you can brew some Sleepytime and then pour it over big ice cubes for a nice cooling beverage that works just as well for relaxation and still tastes great, although in my mind, drinking the standard hot tea does have a kind of ‘snuggly’ feeling that can’t be denied.

They offer various sized boxes and flavors of the tea, including a Sleepytime Extra variant that includes valerian root.

Buy Now

Successfully funded on Kickstarter last June, the 3D ergonomic eye mask by Ostrichpillow adapts to the features of your face (without putting pressure on your eyes) to block out any and all light that might disturb your slumber.

This machine-washable mask is made up of six different layers that not only keep all that light out, but also provide the ultimate level of comfort whenever you put it on. And thanks to its blink-friendly eye cups, you can even keep your eyes open while wearing the mask in the daytime, for those moments when you simply need a moment to center yourself and focus on the breath.

Get the Ostrichpillow Eye Mask for $45 on Amazon in your choice of Dark Night (black) or Midnight Grey.

Buy Now

Speaking of nifty pillow things, Ostrichpillow’s “Mini” travel pillow boosts the comfort level of your little nap breaks, which I find are key to keeping my energy and alertness up throughout the day. You can slip it onto your arm or wrist for laying your head down on a desk (as seen above), or wear it on either hand to catch a few upright zzz’s on the train/bus.

It’s small enough to keep in a bag or backpack without being too obtrusive, so it’s easy to power nap just about anywhere (accounting for, y’know, social mores and all that).

Get it for $40 on Amazon in your choice of two interior colors.

Buy Now

When I was a kid, going on road trips with my family usually involved bringing one of my pillows because I’d learned that I get sleepy on long drives and needed a way to rest a while without waking up to a neck cramp. Laying down on the backseat wasn’t an option — dumb “safety” rules, pfft — but I could always fold it in half, lean it against a window, and manage a decent nap.

Having one of these pillows back then would’ve been a bit easier. It’s just the right size and shape to fit between your head and shoulder, and the whole thing can be affixed to the seat’s headrest so it can’t slip out from under you.

Created by French designer Laurent Padiou, the pillow is made from sustainably certified cotton and filled with padding made from 100% recycled plastic bottle fibers.

The pillow comes in your choice of Grey or “Bear Mountain” for $55 at Uncommon Goods.

Buy Now

If you’ve read that lovely NYT blanket article and been wondering how you can get your hands on such a thing…well, like the piece states, they’re hard to find online. About the closest you can get (on Amazon, anyway) is this mink-style fleece blanket.

While not quite as delightfully gaudy as the kambals beloved by families the world over, these blankets add plenty enough color and visual interest to your bedroom, and they’re so plush and cozy to snuggle under you won’t care about the difference.

These are a few of the other colors/prints you can choose from:

Whichever one you go with, it’ll run you $67 on Amazon.

Buy Now