9 simple things that help us get a better night’s sleep

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No matter how you look at it, each of us spends an enormous amount of our lives asleep.

And it's not like the time you spend asleep doesn't then affect the time you spend awake. Quality sleep can help you fend off depression, spur creativity, improve your grades, and improve your memory and emotional stability — not to mention your mood. The list of benefits goes on, and on.

For this reason, it's important to take care of yourself and the time you devote to recharging.

Since the Insider Picks team has gotten to try out our fair share of sleep products, we decided it might be helpful to pass along the ones that have made the difference for us at night. And if you have a favorite you think we should know about, send it our way.

Breton Fischetti, senior director of commerce: The Bear Pillow

Bear Mattress

The Bear Pillow is thick enough to provide support, but malleable enough to conform to where my head and neck want to be while I sleep. The thing that really sold me on this pillow was that after about three weeks I noticed that I had zero neck pain and was able to turn my head more easily and further than I had in a very long time. On the basis of that alone, the pillow was worth not having the dull ache in my neck. 

It also does what it promises in that the fabric and foam keep the pillow cool throughout the night. I run hot and the pillow has actually helped me better regulate my temperature while I sleep, so I don't have to keep moving my legs out from under the covers and back in.

The Bear Pillow, $95

Ellen Hoffman, commerce editor: Brooklinen bed sheets

Brooklinen

High-quality sheets are must-haves for any bedroom. They look great, they feel even better, and they can genuinely offer you a better night's sleep for the third of your life you spend doing just that. I've said as much in previous articles. 

I continue to recommend Brooklinen to friends, family, and Insider Picks readers who email me as my personal favorite sheets and the best overall value on the market. They get softer and softer with each wash and are just generally awesome.

Brooklinen Classic Hardcore Sheet Bundle (Queen), $179.25

Brooklinen Luxe Hardcore Bundle Set (Queen), $228

Noisli white-noise app

iTunes

It may sound hyperbolic to say this white noise app has changed my life, but it has. I've been using Noisli every night for two years now, and I wouldn't go anywhere without it. Right before I'm ready to go to bed, I pair Noisli via Bluetooth to my sound bar when I'm at home, or my portable Anker speaker when I'm away.

I primarily use the app to help me sleep, but you can also use it to help you to focus while working or relax while reading. It proved particularly handy during the London leg of my last trip to the UK; my first-floor Airbnb was located on a busy street and Noisli helped drown out the traffic outside.

Noisli, $1.99

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