Our favourite products for sleeping better

Did you know that according to research, women need more sleep than men? The Sleep Foundation notes that women “tend to fall asleep faster and spend more time in deep sleep, suggesting a greater need for sleep” — an extra 11 minutes per night, on average.

But women also tend to experience more sleep disturbances compared to men, and are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, which can result in sleep problems. Factors such as hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can contribute to sleep challenges for women, too. 

No wonder we are constantly looking for magical products to help us fall — and stay — asleep. While we can’t promise any magic, these are some of our favourite products that help us sleep well. We even asked a sleep consultant to share her recommendations!

Catherine Clark can’t sleep without giant Mama Bear socks

I have a cold-feet problem, and I’m not afraid to say it. 

It’s not a particularly sexy problem to have, because it means I crawl into bed every night with a giant pair of socks on my feet for warmth, BUT … my husband has assured me that the alternative is a lot worse. (I used to try to warm my feet on his legs.) 

I literally cannot fall asleep without socks on my feet at night — or even socks on my feet for an afternoon nap. I was gifted a pair of these giant Mama Bear socks from the Great Sox company (Canadian!) a few years ago, and they’ve become my go-to sleep aid — they’re comfy, cottony, and they help me drift off to dreamland in mere seconds.

Jen Stewart loves The Better Bubble Bath 

There must be a reason why Catherine and I work together so well … I, too, am always cold, and anyone who knows me well knows I take a nightly bath to ‘warm my bones’ (cue my 90-year-old woman spirit).

I love using The Better Bubble Bath from Canadian brand Rocky Mountain Soap Co. in my baths. You can find their products here.

They’re made with all-natural ingredients, and their business is a Canadian success story. More than that though, they get me ready for sleep, and warm my often cold bones. 

Sleep consultant Jamie Contarini recommends a meditation app

Sleep experts always talk about putting away your screens two hours before bed. I like that advice, and I also like meditating before bed. Insight Timer is a free meditation app that lets me enjoy meditation before sleep, and I don’t need to use my phone to turn it off. I simply select what I want to listen to, turn off the screen, and put my phone out of reach. When the meditation is over, it turns off by itself. 

I personally love a body scan before bed — focusing on each body part and relaxing it and feeling it sink into the mattress. There are also stories and sounds. I enjoy the meditation at night, but you could also listen to a morning meditation before starting the day!

Jamie also loves an eye mask for a deep and restful sleep

One of the things I loved most about my house when we moved in was the white curtains in my bedroom. They let in such a great amount of light during the day, and I didn’t want to cover the windows with anything else. But they also let in light in the night — moonlight and early sunshine — which was having a negative impact on my sleep.

Instead of adding an extra layer to the windows, I decided to use an eye mask. I have tried many different shapes, materials, and sizes, and these are my favourite. 

They are so soft, the strap sits comfortably above my ear (not across it), and it doesn’t pull on my eyelids. They wash well and can fold up into my travel bag easily. Buying them in a set of two means that one is always clean!