Sleep Challenge 2010: Man, They Sell Some Weird Stuff To Make You Sleep Better -- But Does Any Of It Work?

Among the 972 weird things about sleep I didn't know until Arianna Huffington and I started the Sleep Challenge: There is a toothpaste that supposedly makes you sleep better. Also, sunglasses, smoothies, body patches, special sheets and even sleep-promoting cherries. Surprised? Not as much as I was when I found out that some of it actually works.

My first introduction to the over-the-counter sleep-aid industry—expected to be a $750 million market in three years’ time, and that’s not counting the five billion dollars in drugs like Ambien—came shortly after we announced the Sleep Challenge. Suddenly, I was deluged with everything from "performance bedding" (special sheets made for athletes to sleep on) to books with drowsy-making titles like I Can Make You Sleep.

Now, I may not be the best tester of products like these: As someone who used to get by on five hours a night pre-Challenge, I was so chronically zonked that the only sleep aid I needed was a horizontal space at least 5’2” long, and it didn’t really need to be comfortable, either. (A lawyer friend of mine used to nap underneath her desk with her feet sticking out like the Wicked Witch, so I’m not the only one!)

But I realize that millions of people do need help falling asleep—and that in fact, the more sleep-deprived you are, the harder it sometimes is for you to rest well. Our nation of poorly rested women may really need this stuff! So I decided to bed-test some products. Not all of them, though. I eliminated:

Anything pharmaceutical. Two years ago, one of our editors developed a consuming addiction to the sleeping pill Ambien, and wrote about it here. There may be plenty of good reasons to try these drugs, but “I need material for my blog” isn’t one of them.

Anything with instructions longer than a paragraph. I am dying to try the Zeo, which tracks your sleep cycles (via a headband you wear) and sets your alarm time for when it’ll naturally be easiest for your body to wake. (Fellow magazine editor Chris Anderson of Wired is using one.) Alas, I’ve found the multi-step directions to be sleep-inducing in and of themselves, and have only gotten as far as unpacking the headband. Next week!

Anything that just freaked me out. So, no small bottles of pills with foreign-language type on them. Bad idea.

But that left a lot of stuff. Ready? Here’s me:

Sexy, no? (No.) But everything here comes with some degree of scientific backup: the blue-light lamp supposedly rebalances the body's natural sleep rhythms; the toothpaste and the dried Montmorency cherries contain melatonin, which regulates sleep; and the Bedtime Beats CDs feature music with 60-80 beats per minute—a rhythm also found to promote sound rest.

My favorite things so far:

Lavender pillow spray. The one I tried, by Gabriel’s Garden, made my pillow smell like a spa. And there’s science here: One study found that the smell of lavender oil at night increases the amount of time you spend in the most restorative phase of sleep. (Our sleep expert, Michael Breus, Ph.D., cautions against lavender cocktails, though: you want to smell the stuff, not ingest it.)

Valerian teas. (Valerian’s an herb that promotes relaxation; don’t drive after drinking it!) I especially liked the Yogi teas brand, but Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime tea is nice too.

The Yantra mat. Feel free to ignore this recommendation once I go on to tell you that it’s an acupressure mat that actually hurts the first few times you lie on it. But I tried it for ten minutes before bed several nights running, and it relaxed my whole body, especially my upper back.

And what about melatonin? The supplements are popular; they work best if taken at least 1.5-2 hrs before sleep. But since most of us actually aren’t melatonin-deficient to begin with, you should only take .5 mg, says Dr. Breus (many supplements contain more). Also, because it’s a hormone, he warns, “I never recommend Melatonin to females under 18 years old with a developing menstrual cycle. Who knows what it may do.” Got it?

For me, the most effective way to get a better night’s sleep is still pretty simple and basic: Remember to go to bed, and do it roughly at the same time every night. But if any of the above help you sleep more deeply, go for it. (Just don’t do what I do and try melatonin, valerian tea and lavender spray all at once. Coma!)

Now it’s your turn. What sleep aids have you tried—or wanted to try?

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Comments

[kwymbs]

12:30 PM on 02/05/2010

One of the challenges with sleep in today is turning off the mind once you close your eyes to attempt to fall asleep. We are all on 24/7 and whether you has anxiety about falling asleep itself, or you are one of the 31% that are stressed by the economy, it's almost as though when a person closes their eyes their mind becomes a film reel for the issues confrontin­g them in their life.

Recent studies suggest the brain becomes more active when one closes their eyes. A study tested brain activity while listening to suspensefu­l music...on­e group had their eyes open and the other group had their eyes shut. Results showed that those with their eyes shut had much more active brains. http://www­.msnbc.msn­.com/id/32­222301/ns/­health-beh­avior/

Other studies from as far back as the 1970s at Harvard (from Dr. Herbert Benson) show that people can produce a relaxation response in their bodies by using basic breathing techniques from meditation and yoga. Breathing focuses the mind on something constructi­ve and rhythmic and provides physical relaxation benefits as well.

A new device called the NightWave Sleep Assistant http://www­.nightwave­.comm) attempts to blend these two elements: eyes open [to start at least and guided relaxation breathing to help a person transition from a state of anxious wakefulnes­s to sleep onset. It's such a simple, effective solution that is worth a try for those who can't turn their minds off.

[Craig Rhodes]

11:33 AM on 02/04/2010

Amazing that of all the remedies mentioned, the one main factor for a good night's sleep is overlooked­.

All of this blogging info on sleep and so far I've seen nothing here about the main issue regarding sleep...be­ds. Yes, various articles mention changing mattresses­, placement of the bed, the headboard position, etc. But nothing about what bed is best for a decent night's sleep. Maybe I've overlooked something that has been written about it here, but it seems to me that the issue of a comfortabl­e bed should be first and foremost in any discussion on sleep. It's so simple that it's a no brainer.

My wife and I have spent the last 10 years and thousands of dollars futilely looking for a bed that is conducive to sleeping. I know many others who've done the same. At the very least, might you consider an article or blog researchin­g the various solutions to a comfortabl­e bed that doesn't leave you worn out in the morning?

[Ljilja]

09:20 AM on 02/03/2010

For me, most of the gimmicks don't' work at all, I find them distractin­g. The things that do work are: a peaceful state of mind, a healthy diet and fresh air. There are no shortcuts!

http://gra­ciouslivin­gdaybyday.­com/

[jwadvocate83]

12:58 PM on 02/04/2010

Gave all that up, the day I went to law school. :(

[TryToBeFlexible]

09:07 AM on 02/03/2010

I run a fan at night when I sleep. If it is winter, I just point it away from me. It blocks out extraneous noise, and the constant white noise hum puts me out like a light. I even take a fan with me on vacation.

[WeiShin Lai]

09:03 AM on 02/03/2010

You can try SleepPhone­s (sleep headphones­) instead of ear buds if the ear buds hurt your ears to listen to your favorite sleep music.

[harahuas]

09:00 AM on 02/03/2010

I am a recent college grad who had a sleeping disorder this past year. I also have ADHD and the adderall i was supposed to take daily would keep me up for TWO days straight. My final year of school, i conducted many experiemen­ts, sleep aids, setting a regular bed time, exposing my self to light early every morning, and taking adderall at 5am. None of it ever worked. I eventually saw a doctor and got ambien, and took it religiousl­y for about 5 months ( way longer than i should have).

I was scared i was gonna grow up to be addicted to those pills. Luckily for me my first job required me to move to across a few time zones, giving me the benefit of a few hrs coupled with a regular working schedule, i was able to get off the pills cold turkey almost immedietly­!! I also went to my doctor and switched to an extended release lower dosage adderrall which i now take daily at 6 am before work. Embracing the medication and making it work for me was the best decision i ever made, i can take my adderall and sleep the same night every night now! I also cut caffiene from my diet too.

Facing the day on a sleepless night is miserable and the adding up of it makes it worse. Keep fighting and find something that works for you, i beat my disorder and life has been soooo much better ever since!

[Chicago48]

06:52 AM on 02/03/2010

Sleepy time tea works for me, as does "Sleep" by Tylenol.

[AngusC]

06:12 AM on 02/03/2010

I have tried everything­, every kind of pillow, whatever.
I even bought a $5,000 bed and have another $600 in pillows and bedding.
I still only sleep about 4 hours a day.
I have learned to accept it.
If I absolutely must fall asleep, I just take a Tylenol PM.

[AmericaninIndia]

03:36 AM on 02/03/2010

Not to be crude, but post-coita­l bonding is a great way to sleep. My girlfriend and I end the day with a ritual: We brush our teeth, climb into bed, talk a bit about the next day, spend about 30 to 45 minutes being intimate, and then hold each other until we fall off to sleep. If she's not sleepy, I'll bring her some water and we chat a bit more.

Studies have shown that post-coita­l bonding can be quite powerful for a relationsh­ip, and I must say that we sleep great through the night.

[argon20]

01:52 AM on 02/03/2010

Several months ago one of my apartment building's security lights burned out. For years it had shone through my bathroom window, across the hallway and into my bedroom. Somehow I had never imagined the light was interferin­g with my sleep. But, during the week or so it took for the landlord to replace, I noticed I was sleeping much better. I now keep the bathroom door closed at night--a simple adjustment has made a big difference­.

I've also learned to wear inexpensiv­e, drug store earplugs. (They take some getting used to.) A great help if you live on a noisy street, or if your bed partner snores! I also carry a pair in my purse--jus­t in case I'm on the bus and get stuck next to someone yammering on a cell phone. Peace.

[patrickmcdougal]

12:15 AM on 02/03/2010

I love the chillow

[glginsf]

12:14 AM on 02/03/2010

Rarely ever do I laugh out loud (or LOL, if you will) when reading an article, but you had me laughing. I absolutely loved this piece. As a chronicall­y sleep-depr­ived law student, I am always trying new things to help me sleep. For me, it's all about a strict bedtime ritual (tea, brush teeth, wash face, PJs, 10 minutes of a crossword if I'm feeling anxious, and lights out!).

Thanks for writing this!

[JimJimmers]

11:10 PM on 02/02/2010

The iPhone app called " Sleep Machine " works for me!

[herecomes]

10:36 PM on 02/02/2010

I watch john stewart before i go to sleep, so I can dream of a better america

[Kari Henley]

08:17 PM on 02/02/2010

I don't know about you, but I have found that bringing a little snifter of Grand Mariner to bed, getting tucked in with cozy, super soft cotton sheets - and having a remote control all to myself works like a charm! :)
Nice work this month, Cindi. Love the pic! Makes me tired just looking at all that stuff!
Take Care
Kari Henley

[RZoroaster]

12:13 AM on 02/03/2010

I don't mean to be offensive but as a medical profession­al I feel obligated to point out that alcohol and television are two of the worst things you can do before bed for your long-term sleep hygiene.

[sviolette]

01:53 AM on 02/03/2010

How about a big fat joint instead?