The ‘Insomnia Tech’ That Actually Helps You To Sleep

If you’re newly struggling with insomnia, you probably don’t want to hear from someone who’s been battling it for 18 years. The severity has waxed and waned somewhat, but I’ve never managed to return to the blissful state of being an unquestioning, problem-free sleeper, which is what I was for almost 40 years of my life. 

Over the years, I have tried over 75 (I counted) supplements, gadgets, medications, therapies and programmes, plenty of which had no effect, while some offered temporary or intermittent relief – but never a silver bullet. The truth is, there isn’t one: chronic sleeplessness requires a very serious lifestyle reset (not always possible) or, frankly, a personality transplant (the naturally anxious will find it a challenge to ‘chill’). I’ve come to see it as a condition that needs to be managed but can’t always be cured.

However, innovations come along every now and then that make the sleeplessness less relentless. This year has brought a few that have been surprisingly helpful, and I think they’re worth knowing about for anyone grappling with too many sleepless nights.

Cushion-like, lavishly padded silk sleep masks are all the rage and no wonder: they keep out light, give an instant sense of comfort and calm, and are even said to hydrate the skin around the eyes. However, I really don’t like the way eyelashes scrape against them and get bent out of shape. Turns out I’m not the only one, because this mask is designed to solve that problem. 

Opti Labs specialise in lash health products and have engineered their thick silk mask with silken supports on the inside that slightly lift it away from the eyes, so nothing presses on them or your lashes. At the same time, the supports surround the eyes entirely to block all light – more effectively than regular padded masks that tend to let the odd ray slip in along the edges. As an insomniac who requires total light obliteration and will be kept awake by the merest irritation or inconvenience, this wins as the most effective sleep mask around.

Available at OptiLaboratories.com

This bouncy, comfortable mattress topper is fitted with water channels that cool or heat your bed via an air-fryer-sized pod, linked to an app. It tracks everything from body temperature and heart rate to sleep patterns, much like an Oura Ring, then uses that biofeedback to make constant micro-adjustments to the temperature – creating an environment tailored to help you sleep through the night.

In general, a relatively cool environment is known to be better for sound sleep, but technology such as this is particularly worth it if hormone-induced hot flushes or night sweat-inducing anxiety attacks are at the heart of your sleep troubles. As your temperature rises in your sleep, the pod offsets it with its cooling mechanism, so there’s a far lower chance of you waking up. I can confirm it works: soon after I started using it, I began to experience unbroken nights. And while I can’t say it was the beginning of the end of my insomnia – currently, I’m going through another patch of rubbish sleep – I definitely sleep better overall. Ingeniously, your partner’s side can be separately programmed and controlled, so you’re never subjecting another person to your sleep requirements.

It remains to be seen if the avalanche of sleep data the app dumps into your phone each morning is beneficial or detrimental – TMI is never good for my anxiety levels. On the other hand, learning about REM and deep sleep and the fact that my sleep quality isn’t entirely at rock bottom is mildly encouraging. And thank God this latest model has physical temperature-adjustment buttons at arm’s length to the side of my mattress for when I disagree with my bed, so I don’t have to keep my phone on at night for access to any controls – that would be very counter-productive. 

Available at EightSleep.com

Think of your vagus nerve as a highway connecting the brainstem with the body, regulating, among other things, heart rate, immune response and emotional state. Stimulating it can calm or energise your nervous system – breathwork and ‘tapping’ are two ways of doing this. I’ve tried both as I believe in their promise (there’s plenty of clinical evidence suggesting they work) but I have never managed to commit to their practice long enough to reap the benefits.

Sona is a gadget that goes one better. The ear is the only place on the body where the vagus nerve can be accessed without surgery. About the size of a hearing aid, the device is designed to stimulate two key points on the outer ear with precisely calibrated waves of tiny electrical prickles intended to induce a state of balance. Using biofeedback, over time, these prickles are synchronised with your heart rhythm and breathing cycles, meaning they learn how best to modulate your nervous system. It’s all paired with themed soundscapes and (rather minimally) guided breathwork, although just hooking the device over your ear and undergoing the stimulation while you do something else is also said to be effective. Discipline is encouraged: the idea is to do a daily ten to 25-minute session in sync with your goal – be that focus, rapid recovery or, in my case, sleep. 

In case all this sounds like New Age nonsense, electrical vagus nerve stimulation has been used for three decades as implantable devices in the treatment of epilepsy, treatment-resistant depression and Parkinson’s. While evidence for in-ear devices such as Sona is classed as ‘emerging’, there are encouraging trials showing it can reduce chronic hyper-arousal and stress, improve sleep patterns and may also relieve fibromyalgia and migraine-related pain.  

Using it as a pre-bedtime sleep aid, the Sona often sends me to sleep before the session is over. I can’t say it’s stopped me waking and struggling to nod off again (the interrogation-bright ‘on’ light on the earpiece would wake the dead – and my husband – so prevents me from doing sessions halfway through the night). But I’ve noticed I’ve become accustomed to its soothing effect and ritualistic use that coaxes me into a state of calm. It’s one of those gadgets that really can’t hurt if you’re naturally antsy.

Available at Sona.Help

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DISCLAIMER: Features published by SheerLuxe are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.