I have always envied people who can slip right into sleep. Bedtime is rarely so calm for me: Just when I wish I could drift off, I find myself up against looping, anxious thoughts. Counting sheep is no match for my mind’s nightly churn—but cuddling one is.
There is a little ritual I do before every run. After the required prelude of lacing sneakers, applying Body Glide, and patting pockets to confirm the custody of keys, I put in my earbuds, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and press play. In that moment, I shrug off the worries and responsibilities of the day. For the time being, there is only me, the music, and the movement. The act of propelling your body forward through space can have significant benefits to your physical and mental health, but the hardest part is taking that first step.
Sleep is, for many people, a favorite pastime. The only downside is having to actually get up. The mental fog, the dark room, the uncomfortable temperatures beyond that cozy bed, and the day ahead make you want to pull up the covers rather than rise and shine.
Though most rely on the power of an alarm clock (or the clock on a smartphone) to get out of bed, you can use a slew of smart gear to not only make waking up easier, but to ensure you have a better sleep.
I’ve been writing about bed pillows at Wirecutter for five years now, and I’ve tested dozens upon dozens of pillows. I know better than most people that there isn’t one perfect pillow for everybody, but my personal can’t-live-without-it choice is actually a 2-by-2-foot wedge of solid foam.
Ask Wirecutter, an advice column written by Annemarie Conte, explores the best approaches to buying, using, and maintaining stuff. Email your biggest product-related problems to askwirecutter@wirecutter.com.
Black-owned companies are a vital piece of the business ecosystem, and supporting them helps to address disparities in the racial wealth gap, build entrepreneurial opportunities, and offer support and resources to local communities. Whether you’re in need of candles, conditioner, or card games, you can find some of our favorite products through these Black-owned companies.
If you awake confused and panicked at the sound of your alarm clock beeping in the dark, you may find mornings more pleasant with a wake-up light. For more than a month, we dove into the burgeoning research on circadian rhythms and woke before dawn with 10 different sunrise alarm clocks and two non-clock lighting devices. Our favorite, the Philips Wake-Up Light HF3520, emits soothing red-tinted dawn and dusk simulations and gentle wake-up sounds.
