Staff Picks: InsideHook Staffers on the Products That Help Us Fall Asleep

Every night, we at InsideHook lay our weary heads to rest, most of us here in the city that never sleeps. We cozy up in our apartments at the end of a long day, hoping beyond hope that we’ll pass out as soon as our heads hit the pillow. But as is the case for millions of Americans, there are nights when we find ourselves tossing, turning and struggling to fall asleep for hours before sheer exhaustion (or whiskey) causes us to doze off.

To reduce the likelihood of such bedtime struggles, our staffers use a variety of goods to help us unwind at the end of a long day. From pillows to sheet sets (and lots of CBD), find our favorite bedtime essentials that help us fall (and stay) asleep below.

The Best Sleep Products for Falling Asleep

UpNature Calm Essential Oil Blend

“Perhaps you, like me, occasionally go to bed with a looming sense of dread over what tomorrow will bring. If, instead of peacefully counting sheep or whatever people with a healthy work-life balance do, you’ve fallen into the habit of giving yourself a stress headache while staring at the ceiling and mentally running through the next day’s to-do list, might I recommend rubbing some of this essential oil blend onto your temples and chilling the hell out? It’s a soothing scent designed to relax you, made from a mixture of peppermint, Spanish sage, cardamom, ginger and sweet fennel, and I can personally attest to the fact that it’ll do for your soul what a whiff of Vicks Vaporub does for your sinuses.” – Bonnie Stiernberg, Senior Editor

Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad

“I have an entire regiment for sleeping. Some nights it’s CBD from Gossamer, more intense times it’s putting in Bose’s Sleepbuds II. And occasionally, it’s a practice like reading a book (not on Kindle, but a real paper “book”) and putting down my screen(s) just before I shut off the light. But the one thing that really determines my length and quality of zzzs is temperature. I’m still looking for the ideal cooling mattress and sheets for summer, but during winter a very old-school heated mattress pad from Sunbeam has been a lifesaver. Mine is so old it still uses a dial controller, but it works just fine and keeps the bed toasty and sleep-inducing. That said, the brand has certainly upped its game in recent years, now offering warm pads with digital displays and even apps to help you control (and time) your bedroom heat.” – Kirk Miller, Managing Editor

In Partnership With Zolt

Zolt Dreamy Drink Mix

Complete with a refreshing blend of organic ashwagandha and three milligrams of melatonin, Zolt’s Dreamy plant-powered drink mix promotes relaxation at the end of a long day. Notes of light ginger and honey remind us of our favorite calming teas while collagen improves skin hydration and elasticity to help us wake up looking and feeling our best. Enjoy this botanical terpene blend every night or put it to good use on rare occasions when you find yourself tossing and turning in bed.

Honeywell TurboForce Fan

“Call me old-fashioned, but there’s something about the whirr of a traditional desk fan that helps me fall asleep (and stay asleep) far better than a white noise machine ever could, which is precisely why Honeywell’s Turboforce Fan has been a part of my bedtime routine for nearly a decade. An investment made to combat the stuffy dorms of college, it’s just loud enough to drown out noise yet quiet enough to let me sleep without unwanted interruption. And when it gets hot and humid in the summer, I crank it up for a much-needed nighttime breeze.” – Cam Vigliotta, (former) Commerce Editor

Casper Hyperlite Sheets

“As someone whose internal temp consistently runs hot to boiling, staying cool after hitting the sack can be a massive undertaking, especially with the unpredictable factor of an extra-snuggly (perhaps too snuggly) partner thrown in the mix. Casper’s Hyperlite Cooling Sheets are a godsend; light enough to keep me from overheating but not paper thin — this is thanks to their special grid weave and tencel lyocell, something I am unable to explain but absolutely swear by — they’ve good year-round, and have made getting to bed a bearable practice. No more kicking the covers off only to wake up freezing, which is surely a good thing. Plus, they actually look kinda nice.” – Paolo Sandoval, Assistant Editor

Marlow The Pillow

“To be completely honest, when I review a product — a new cast-iron skillet, sustainable jacket or car thing — I usually revert to whatever I was using before when the test concludes. Not so for the Marlow pillow. I tested out the new pillow brand from Brooklinen before it launched last fall, and the pillow has stayed on my bed ever since. My favorite thing about the memory foam model is you can adjust the firmness via two zippers along the sides: unzip them for a softer feel, zip them up to firm things up. There’s an extra-large king-size pillow available, but I say the standard size is big enough. If you’ve been underwhelmed by your pillow situation, give this a shot — they’ve even got a 365-day return policy to sweeten the deal.” – Alex Lauer, Senior Editor

Therabody Sleep CBD Tincture

“After sometimes using melatonin as a sleep aid, I noticed that, while it would help me fall asleep, it failed at helping me stay asleep, which is really the most important part. That hasn’t been an issue with TheraOne’s high-potency CBD sleep tincture. A couple of drops of this stuff before bed at night and you’re on a smooth ride to a bumpy meet-and-greet with the alarm clock in the morning.” – Evan Bleier, Senior Editor

Sound of Sleep LectroFan Classic

“I can’t sleep without my LectroFan. It comes with me on vacation. It’s got twenty different sound variations, from WWWHHH to WWWOOO – perfect to drown out the chatty neighbors who stay up late.” – Matt Lagnese, Director of Revenue & Advertising Operations

Vitruvi Stone Diffuser

“After years of living in the city that never sleeps, my go-tos for a good night of sleep are a silk eye mask and a white noise sound machine. Recently I’ve also found that aromatherapy really helps me to feel cozy and wind down after a long day. Vitruvi’s Organic French Lavender Essential Oil smells divine and is perfect for bedtime. I use the oil with the Vitruvi Stone Diffuser, which not only works beautifully but also looks super chic on my bedside table.” – Marilyn Jordan, Operations & Branded Entertainment Manager

Gossamer Dusk CBD

“I’ve recently introduced Gossamer Dusk CBD tincture into my nighttime routine. While it doesn’t instantaneously knock me out — only a slippery slope of prescription sleep aids achieve such results (or so I hear) — it helps settle my anxious, active mind and body into a more relaxed, sleep-ready state. And having recently learned that CBD is more effective the more regularly you use it, I look forward to an evermore effortless nighttime wind down as time goes on.” – Megan Duffey, (former) Director of Branded Entertainment