Oura Ring 5: Two minute review

I've been going around in circles writing this Oura Ring 5 review. On the one hand, I find the health insights equally fascinating and motivating just like the best smart rings, and its new discreet design is without a doubt comfortable to wear all day long.

But it's worth noting that when you stack up the monthly subscription and optional charging case on top of the starting price for the standard finish, you're looking at the better part of $600 / £600 / AU$750 to own it for a year.

That said, its ability to track more than 50 health and wellness metrics, such as sleep quality and stress levels, is undeniably enticing for anyone wanting to be more aware of their body — and the launch of this newest model brought a whole host of new insights, which I'll go into later.

The Oura app does include a lot of context about how these measurements can be interpreted and how they contribute to‚ for example, determining how prepared your body is for the day ahead based on a range of metrics, which Oura calls your 'Readiness Score'. But, this can sometimes only scratch the surface.

Sometimes these assessments have been known to trigger misguided concerns For example, I got 'major' warnings from a feature called 'Symptom Radar', which tracks your respiratory rate and body temperature to flag signs of strain. What it didn't take into account was that a woman's body temperature naturally rises after ovulation, making its assessment unnecessarily worrying for anyone who didn't know that. But it's worth keeping in mind that it takes a little while for the app to figure out your baselines, so any early scores should be taken with a punch of salt.

As for its claim to be the world's smallest smart ring at launch, this really does hold up — its lightness makes it disappear on your finger, making it ideal for everyday wear. With six stylish finishes and an even more scratch-resistant titanium surface, it's no wonder it's made headlines in the wearable tech space, with plenty of influencer reviewers fawning over the all-new Oura Ring 5.

But Oura has been facing increasing privacy backlash after deepening its partnership with the Department of Defense in the US last year, although it doesn't use data from any of its users other than federal employees as part of this arrangement. It's also worth keeping in mind that there have been studies raising concerns about 'health data anxiety', but Oura has made sure that the app encourages members to focus on long-term changes rather than the day-to-day readings.

By now you've definitely noticed my to-ing and fro-ing as I work through every side of the Oura Ring 5 to reach an honest review. I won't say it's the most perfect smart ring on the market — that would be ignoring too much — but I will say it comes close. At the end of the day, I'm a sucker for brilliant tech, which the Oura Ring 5 definitely is.

Oura Ring 5: Price and availability

• $399 / £399 / AU$649 (each) for two base finishes
• $499 / £499 / AU$799 (each) for four premium styles
• $5.99 monthly subscription (priced in USD across all regions)
• $99 / £99 / AU$159 for the Oura Ring 5 travel case

The Oura Ring 5 costs an extra $50 / £50 / AU$80 — or $100 / £100 for a premium finish — compared with the Oura Ring 4, which launched in 2024. (Australian pricing doesn't appear to carry the same premium finish gap.)

Beyond the high-gloss gold and silver finishes, you're paying an extra $100 / £100 / AU$150 for any of the four premium styles: a softer gold, brushed silver, matte black, and — the color I tried — deep copper rose.

Add the $5.99 monthly subscription, and you're looking at up to $670 / £670 / AU$1,029.88 to own an Oura Ring 5 for a year, if you go for the most expensive finish plus the travel case.

That's no small sum when most smart rings on the market cost less and many don't require a recurring subscription. There are also plenty of wearable alternatives that track the same health vitals, which makes this very much a luxury purchase.

• Value score: 2/5

Oura Ring 5: Design

• The closest a smart ring has come to looking like luxury jewellery
• Extremely low-profile and light, making it comfortable to wear all day
• An easy-to-use companion app with a clean UI

By far the best justification for the Oura Ring 5's high price tag is that it could easily pass for a piece of jewellery. That's largely down to a 40% decrease in size from the previous model, the result of Oura redesigning the entire core.

That freed up space to drop multiple sensors, but it hasn't made the Ring 5 any less accurate — Oura has increased the efficiency of the remaining sensors to offset the loss. The titanium surface is also more scratch-resistant; I can't compare it directly to a previous model, but it hasn't picked up a nick yet.

What I can say is that the Oura Ring 5 is significantly smaller than the Ring 4. Holding it up against a previous-generation ring (admittedly the bulkier ceramic finish), I was shocked at how noticeable the size difference is. It's lighter and far more comfortable to wear, since it doesn't protrude — and therefore doesn't rub against — my finger as much.

That same design ethos carries through to the Oura app, which has a minimalist interface that isn't cluttered with numbers and graphs. Instead, data is presented as scores with percentages and ratings for each health vital. It's easy to use, though it's worth noting that the app needs a certain amount of data to establish your health baseline, so you won't have access to every feature right away.

• Design score: 5/5

Oura Ring 5: Features

• Tracks vitals including body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate
• AI wellness assessments for sleep, stress, resilience, and more
• Activity tracking lags behind more dedicated fitness wearables

After two weeks of wearing the Oura Ring 5, I've unlocked most features — sleep, resilience, and activity scores — which now populate what was once a fairly bare home screen.

The Oura app works best with more data, so it's constantly prompting you to add new "tags" to your day's timeline. Some are automatic, like detecting exercise, while others — what you ate, or what kind of activity you did — require manual logging.

The app's other three main sections cover your vitals, a health assessment area, and an LLM chatbot you can talk to about your data. That last part matters, because as I mentioned above, there's plenty of room for misleading interpretations if you don't understand the many factors behind your body's vitals.

I got a lot out of learning more about my sleep quality and general heart health (the app has a neat feature that lets you feel your heartbeat throughout the day via your phone's haptic feedback), but what I'm most interested in unlocking next are the new women's health features, such as Hormonal Birth Control, which builds on the existing Cycle Insights dashboard with what Oura calls a "first-of-its-kind" view into how biometrics shift across hormonal and hormone-free days.

While I find the wellness insights genuinely useful, the ring is nowhere near as practical as a dedicated fitness tracker. Without GPS — it relies on a paired device for location — and limited to activities compatible with wearing jewellery on your hand (so no weightlifting without a third-party silicone band over the top), it falls short, even with the addition of real-time tracking — which, again, you can only view through a paired device).

• Features score: 4/5

Oura Ring 5: Performance

• Battery life has increased to seven days
• Automatic activity tracking has been accurate
• Sleep and heart rate tracking data is in line with our benchmark device

One of the biggest improvements that the Oura Ring 5 brings over the Ring 4 is that has managed to squeeze out a whole extra day of battery life, despite the ring itself being redesigned to be 40% smaller.

During my testing, I found it lasted a whole seven days on one full charge. But I was more impressed with was how quickly you can charge the smart ring. From a fully drained battery, it took less than an hour until it was all way back up to 100%, which means it's very easy to top it up throughout the week whenever you're, say, washing dishes or having a shower.

For the most part, I kept the Oura Ring 5 on throughout the day, allowing it to track my vitals as I moved from home to work to seeing friends, exercising and cooking, which it does very well. Most of the automated tracking suggestions were accurate, allowing me to quickly confirm all of the day's activities when I next checked into the app.

This same accuracy extends to the sleep data, which is the absolute highlight of the Oura Ring 5's feature set. I found the insights both enlightening and motivating, especially after getting my first sleep score as (like any gamification effect) I began trying to reach a new higher level. My testing also confirmed this when my readouts for my average heart rate managed to be within 3 BPM of the Polar H10 chest strap, which is the gold standard for consumer heart rate and workout accuracy as it uses actual ECG (electrocardiogram) technology.

Average heart rate

Oura Ring 5

115

Polar H10

112

037.575112.5150

Average heart rate Data

Product	Value
Oura Ring 5	115
Polar H10	112

• Performance score: 5/5

Oura Ring 5: Scorecard

Oura Ring 5: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Oura Ring 5 for two weeks, draining the battery completely (despite the app advising against letting it go below 30%). I have some gaps in my data from forgetting to put it back on, but I mostly didn't take it off. I tested the ring's heart rate monitoring accuracy against the Polar H10 chest strap, and compared its design to a ceramic Oura Ring 4.

• TechRadar is running a live Q&A in the lead-up to our Oura Ring 5 review
• Leave a comment with what you're most interested in hearing about below
• You can ask questions all week before the Q&A closes

The Oura Ring 5 only started shipping just over a week ago, but it's already causing a stir, with early impressions mostly positive across the board — thanks to being such a substantial, visible upgrade over the previous model.

I'm currently testing what Oura claims to be "the world's smallest smart ring", and while I can't yet access every feature in the app — some require at least 30 days of continuous wear to establish personal health baselines — the ring design itself is a big step up.

It's significantly more petite than the Oura Ring 4, both in form and weight, which gives it a much better fit and makes it more comfortable to wear. While I'm still in the process of determining a final verdict on its performance, accuracy and value, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Want to know if it feels noticeably different compared to the Ring 4? If you can still wear it while typing or lifting weights without it feeling bulky? Or how long the battery really lasts? Drop your question in the comment box below, and I'll get back to you.

This live Q&A will remain open until early next week, when my Oura Ring 5 review will be published. Because I won't yet have unlocked every new feature that's available, my verdict will be based on an early assessment of what I have been able to test in just over two weeks.

That's why I'm opening this testing period up to you. I want to know what your biggest questions are about what could be the best smart ring available. Of course, I'll be looking at its price, design, features, and performance to determine a final value score, but I know that won't cover everything.

There are countless questions I imagine many of you will likely have before clicking buy on a $399 / £399 / AU$649 smart ring — or $499 / £499 / AU$799 if you're considering one of the more premium finishes — so let me know what you're weighing up, and I'll try to help where I can.

What are TechRadar saying about the Oura Ring 5?

I already know from the early results of the poll above that most TechRadar readers don't want to spend the extra $50 / £50 / AU$80 that the Ring 5 costs over the Ring 4, but many of you said you would wait to see what the reviews say.

If that's you, this is your chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the testing process. As I noted above, I haven't yet been able to explore all the new features Oura Ring 5 brings, but some of the basic features are unlocked after 10 days of wear, so I can give you early answers on whether they're actually useful.

Which brings me to another caveat, because I live in the UK, I don't have access to every new feature that Oura is currently rolling out, which means I won't be able to test the new 'Lab Uploads', 'Brain Health Study,' and 'Health Radar' at all.

That's a shame because those three features are among the most sought after, judging by the results of the above poll, which shows that the majority (40%) of TechRadar readers are most excited to try 'Health Radar: Blood Pressure Signals'.

'Brain Health Study', 'Nighttime Breathing', which is part of 'Health Radar', and 'Lab Uploads' also ranked highly among readers, raising the question of whether the Oura Ring 5 is most suited to those who live stateside.

Let me know if missing out on those new features is a deal breaker for you? I'll be considering all aspects, like these regional limitations, in my review.

My non-negotiable for summer sleeping is a great eye mask. I'm ultra-sensitive to light when I'm trying to sleep, and even though I have blackout blinds, I find the morning light creeping in around the edges is often enough to wake me unpleasantly early. My eye mask is even more essential for travel — you can never trust that your accommodation will have suitably heavy curtains for blinds to keep the light out.

I tried plenty of eye masks during my time as a sleep writer, but I've ended up with just two that I use all the time. My at-home mask is the Drowsy silk sleep mask. This one is wide, flat, soft and super luxurious. It cocoons the top half of my face with its smooth Mulberry silk, turning down all the sensory information to help me nod off.

For travel, I use the Ostrichpillow sleep mask. This one is less expensive and more robust than the Drowsy, so I'm happier cramming it into my travel bag. The molded eye cups create a complete blackout, so it's amazing when used in very light situations like an airport or coach.

In recent years, we've seen a spate of more hi-tech sleep mask options hitting the market. These include masks that have built-in speakers (as an alternative to dedicated sleep headphones), masks that apply gentle, soothing pressure, and masks that gently warm your eye area. These won't be for everyone, but then sleep is a very personal thing — if you spot something that sounds good to you, it's well worth a try.

Read on for a rundown of the best sleep masks on the market, including my own personal summer saviors. I'll start with my US picks, or you can jump down the page for my UK options.

US: super sleep masks

UK: super sleep masks

This year, one of the biggest sleep trends is ‘dark showering’ — turning down the lights while bathing in the evening to get your body and mind ready to rest. The idea isn’t brand new, but as the seasons change and nights get shorter in the northern hemisphere, it makes sense that people are trying to optimize their bedtimes.

As the Guardian explains, the idea is to block out distractions, calm your nervous system, and practice mindfulness before bed. According to sleep scientists, it can have real benefits, with warm water reducing your core body temperature and low light signaling that it’s time to get ready to sleep, causing the release of melatonin.

If you want to try dark showering (or bathing if you prefer the tub), smart lights are a good way to do it. You can schedule them to dim to help you get into a regular routine, and set the brightness so you’re still safe in the bathroom.

That’s not the only way lighting can help you get a better night’s rest, though. I asked an expert from Signify — the company behind Philips Hue and WiZ smart lights — for some recommendations to help you get more out of your smart lamps and bulbs in the evening, and again in the morning when it’s time to rise and shine.

“Light is one of the most important environmental signals influencing the body’s internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm,” said Signify’s spokesperson. “This biological system helps regulate sleep–wake cycles and responds strongly to changes in light throughout the day.

“Exposure to brighter and cooler-toned light in the evening can delay the body’s natural transition toward sleep, while lower light levels and warmer tones are generally associated with more relaxing environments before bedtime.

“Because of this, we recommend reducing brightness and using warmer light settings during the evening hours. These lighting conditions resemble the natural decrease in daylight after sunset and can help create a calmer atmosphere that supports bedtime routines.

Smart sunsets

I’ve tested a lot of sleep tech over the years, and I’ve found wake-up lamps are particularly tricky to get right. Ideally, the light shouldn’t wake you the moment it comes on; instead, it should brighten very gradually, like dawn through the canvas when you’re camping.

In my experience, many of them simply can’t dim low enough to wake me gently. Worse still are the lights with ‘nature’ sounds that are looping snippets of audio — usually only a few seconds long - that sound horribly compressed. It’s not a great way to start the day.

If you're on a budget, the Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 is a good option. It offers a broad spectrum of light temperatures, meaning it can wake you with warm light that gradually brightens and then cools, and it dims lower than most other lights in its price bracket (under $100 / £70 / AU$150).

I recommend skipping its wake-up noises, but it doubles as a radio and Bluetooth speaker, so you can connect it to your phone and wake up to your chosen music as a backup in case the light alone isn't enough to rouse you.

The lamp that’s working for me right now is the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer, which casts indirect light by shining onto a wall rather than directly into the room, and offers extremely low dimming. If you also want a light that can double as a reading lamp, the Philips Hue Twilight could be the one for you. It’s not quite as versatile as the Wall Washer (it can’t be connected to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and used as part of an entertainment system, for example), but it provides you with focused white light that lets you enjoy a few pages of your favorite book before turning in for the night.

The Philips Hue app provides sunrise and sunset automations that can be triggered at a specific time or upon a particular event. I wake up at the same time most days, so the sunrise is on a timer, but bedtimes can vary, so the ‘Go to sleep’ automation is triggered by a smart switch attached to my bedside table.

“By allowing Philips Hue users to schedule gradual light transitions in the evening and morning, the system helps create consistent daily lighting routines that align more closely with natural light patterns,” explains Signify’s spokesperson.

If you want to get creative with your lighting, Google Home and Alexa+ let you describe the type of lighting you want using natural language — so you could ask for soft evening light, or a dim glow for your night time shower routine, whichever smart lights you own.

• Fitbit rolls out some "significant updates" to its app for Premium subscribers
• This will include a 15% boost to "sleep staging accuracy"
• Google is also letting you link your health records to the Fitbit app in the US

If you subscribe to Fitbit Premium, you're about to get some new features inside the Fitbit app, as part of the Personal Health Coach feature that launched last year — and one of the upgrades is a better detection algorithm for judging when you're actually asleep.

As per Google's announcement, the incoming updates will apply "an additional 15% increase in sleep staging accuracy" to your stats. The algorithm should be better than ever at recognizing when you're sleeping and when you're just relaxing with a good book.

Google says it's pumped more training data into the sleep tracking AI, so your naps and sleep stages should now be more accurately tracked. That in turn will mean more useful insights and advice as to how to improve your sleep schedule and overall health.

The updates will track "not only how much sound sleep you got, but how long it took you to get there" Google says. These upgrades should start appearing over the next few days for those using the Personal Health Coach (which remains in "Public Preview" status).

A fuller health picture

There are some other improvements to talk about too. Google says it's adding the ability to link your health records to the Fitbit app, for users in the US — again, this only applies to Premium subscribers with access to the Public Preview of the Personal Health Coach.

Connecting health data will mean you get a "fuller picture of your health" according to Google, and it's keen to emphasize the tight security and privacy controls around the feature. None of this health data will be public or used for ad targeting.

One example Google gives for how this can be useful is if you're trying to lower your cholesterol: the health coach will be able to see exactly where you're at with this, rather than giving you generic guidance that could apply to anyone.

Other imminent upgrades include support for continuous glucose monitor devices in the Fitbit app. If you're a Premium subscriber and haven't already signed up for the Public Preview of the health coach, you can check your eligibility here.

I looked at my watch. It was only 1pm, and Bulbasaur was already asleep.

For the last few days, I have been getting to grips with Garmin's new Pokémon Sleep integration, released to coincide with last week's World Sleep Day (and the long-running franchise's 30th anniversary).

As well as integration with the Pokémon Sleep app, the collab also debuted new watch faces that react to your current sleep and Body Battery. As Garmin users likely know, Body Battery is a metric that helps determine daily readiness for activity, a score from 0-100 based on sleep quality, activity, stress and heart rate variability. Body Battery depletes during the day, and gets restored at night.

A Body Battery of 100 means you're fully rested and ready to take on the day, resulting in a happy, energetic-looking Pokémon pal on your wrist. This particular Pokémon Sleep integration feature is very clever: it's like a Tamagotchi for adults, and you 'feed' the digital animal by taking care of yourself and getting good sleep.

I hadn't seen Bulbasaur look happy and energetic at all, even after I first downloaded the Pokémon Sleep watch face on my Garmin Fenix 8 Pro (the best Garmin watch overall, if you don't mind paying the premium) the previous day. As soon as I enabled the integration and picked my Pokémon, Bulbasaur's face dropped into a neutral expression, then a droopy, tired one, falling asleep around 8pm. It was another four hours before I finally followed suit and went to bed.

I woke up with a Body Battery of 49. Not only had I exhausted my reserves the previous day, but I only regained around 40% of my capacity, despite a decent-ish sleep score of 78. Consequently, Bulbasaur awoke looking tired, and fell asleep by the early afternoon as my Body Battery score depleted once again.

I knew what was to blame, of course: I'm in the middle of a very busy house move, which also includes a fair bit of renovation. I've been spending evenings and weekends packing, painting and DIY-ing, cursing to myself as I attack skirting boards with the wrong type of saw for the job, shirking water for coffee, and throwing salty frozen meals in the oven at 9pm because I'm too tired to cook. None of this is conducive to waking up well-rested.

I've been tempted to take my watch off for this, or least disable the Pokémon Sleep integration so I don't feel responsible for a sleep-deprived starter 'mon. A report from Newcastle University found that fitness trackers can actually be a source of stress, citing research indicating that "the negative psychological reactions that arise from the features and designs of fitness technologies — such as feedback systems, goal-setting functions, and gamified or social elements.

"For instance, unmet goals or negative feedback can make consumers feel anxious and guilty, while comparative aspects of these technologies are associated with stress."

In what was already a stressful time as I juggled work and the house move process, the pressure to take care of myself could have piled yet more stress on. Gamifying wellness means you feel good when you 'win', but you also feel bad when you 'lose'. A bad sleep score on my wrist makes me feel like I've failed in a way, but waking up to an exhausted little plant-creature adds another emotional layer to the disappointment.

Nevertheless, I was determined to see Bulbasaur happy. Despite being as busy as ever and eating late yet again, I made a concerted effort to optimize my sleep as best I could over the next two nights. I rehydrated as soon as I got in, made a point of switching a mid-stress comfort snack (chocolate) to a healthy one (apple), and eventually went to bed armed with a chamomile tea and a book, leaving my phone in the other room. No more doomscrolling to distract myself from my lengthy jobs list.

Success! After night two, Bulbasaur awoke with a big smile on its face, feeling happy and energized. It lasted around 30 minutes before his expression shifted back to neutral, indicating that I still had a ways to go to improve my Body Battery score, but I did manage to snap a picture as soon as I saw it.

This is the brilliance of Garmin's new Pokémon Sleep integration: Bulbasaur managed to convince me (via emotional blackmail) that even a little self-care is worth it, as I'm now equipped with more energy to attack another busy week. Pokémon's shameless gamification of my health helped me reclaim a nightly routine, even if it guilt-tripped me into it.

The watch faces are free to download if you're a Garmin user. If Bulbasaur doesn't do it for you, there's 47 other Pokémon to choose from, as well as a 'Snorlax & Friends' watch face – here's how to download your watch face of choice.

A proper night's rest is absolutely essential for our well being. In light of that, it's no wonder so many of us are keen to gain greater insight into our sleep quality. Increasingly, smartwatches and fitness trackers are kitted out with features to help us better understand our shuteye – and are offering solutions to help us detect whether we're experiencing diagnosable disorders like sleep apnea.

I'll be honest: as someone who lives with sleep apnea, I have a bit of a vested interest here. Given how long it took me to understand what was going on with my sleep, I've often wondered if I'd had access the best sleep trackers on the market, whether I could have solved the puzzle much earlier than I did.

A lot of my adult life I've dealt with severe fatigue. We're not talking a little bit of tiredness – we're talking about that feeling where you've not slept for 36 hours and have nothing left in the tank. At random times throughout the day, my brain will try to flick the consciousness off-switch and it takes every fiber of my being to wrench its hand away from the controls.

Naturally, as a result, I've always been interested in sleep tracking-wearables like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Oura Ring 3 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. I remember the first time I used a fitness band with sleep cycle tracking – my sleep wasn't so much fragmented as much as sliced into carpaccio. Even taking the accuracy of the data with a pinch of salt, I could see that I was waking countless times throughout the night without ever remembering I'd done so.

So after several years of looking for explanations for my fatigue and finally persuading my doctor to enroll me in a sleep study, I wasn't surprised to be diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. I exhibit the classic symptoms. Broken sleep? Check. Daytime fatigue? Check. Snoring? Based on how often my girlfriend jabs me in the ribs during the night: big check.

Sleep apnea is caused by the airway closing during the night and stopping you breathing; this starves your brain of oxygen and forces it to wake you up in the middle of a sleep cycle to reopen the airway. As a result, regular awakenings, broken sleep cycles interrupting deep sleep and low blood oxygen are huge warning signs for sleep apnea.

Coupled with some of the negative health implications – including increased risks of heart disease, strokes and motor vehicle collisions – these telltale signs make it pretty clear why so many of the best fitness trackers like Apple Watches have recently gone all-in on detecting sleep apnea symptoms. Given some estimates put the rates of people living with the disorder as high as 10% of the population, there's a lot of users whose lives could be improved if they had a warning they were affected.

But how effective are they? If only we had a guinea pig who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea, had access to all of the sleep trackers mentioned above and was willing to spend several months surveilling their snoozes in the name of science... Oh wait! I know just the guy for that. Me.

Here's what I found when I pitted the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Oura Ring Gen 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic against my fragmented sleep.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

I feel like it's probably worth getting this out of the way: the Apple Watch Ultra 2 didn't issue any sleep apnea alerts. In fact, spoiler alert: none of these trackers offered a clear cut warning that I suffer from a diagnosable apnea.

But, as many of them are at pains to point out, they're not intended to be used as diagnostic tools – in fact, the Ultra 2 explicitly asked me during setup whether I'd be diagnosed with sleep apnea, presumably so it could warn me away from taking its lack of alerts as a sign my health was now hunky dory.

Which is probably a good thing. Because the Watch Ultra 2 rarely even logged that I had any breathing issues during the night. Literally the only occasion it flagged my breathing disturbances as elevated was on a night I'd been out for drinks for a co-worker's birthday – it's hardly a news flash to me that the booze might have suppressed my breathing. More troublingly, it also entirely missed other nights where I actively woke myself up gasping for air – so rather than a pinch of salt, I'd take its results here with the whole shaker.

That's not to say it didn't provide any hints something was up with my breathing though. The Ultra 2 did often log that my O2 saturation would drop during the night, regularly falling as low as 94%. That's not a huge red flag in of itself – a healthy range is anything from 95% to 100%, so I'm not miles outside the norm – but it was my first real indication it was detecting something odd was going on here.

OK, so maybe breathing isn't its strongest suit. But what about sleep tracking in general? Could it detect some warning signs in my general sleep patterns?

I'd say the Ultra 2's sleep tracking seems a lot more robust and granular than its respiratory monitoring. Certainly, what I saw here reflects my understanding of how sleep apnea fractures your sleep. With all those micro-interruptions of my breathing, my sleep cycles look incredibly fragmented – most of my sleep data sees me ping-pong between core sleep, REM and wakefulness in quick succession, while restorative, deep sleep comes in brief fragments, if at all.

However, there are still some pretty anomalous readings dwelling in this data. I'd expect my awakenings during the night to be brief – so brief in fact, I usually don't remember more than about a third of them – but the Apple Watch Ultra 2 sometimes would show me as being awake for an hour or sometimes two in the middle of the night. And trust me, if I'd surfaced for the length of a Lord of the Rings movie in the middle of the night, that's the kind of thing I'd think would stick in my mind.

It's possible this in itself is illuminating. If my core sleep is so liminal, so light and fragmentary, that distinguishing between it and true wakefulness baffles Apple's tracker, then that could be a sign my sleep is disordered and in need of investigation. But if you're wanting clear answers, rather than having to read the digital tea leaves in this way, I imagine you're not going to find this kind of equivocal insight that helping.

Oura Ring (Gen 3)

Alright, confession time: I'll admit that the Oura Ring Gen 3 has never claimed that it's able to detect sleep apnea. But given its newer sibling, the Oura Ring 4, is our pick for the best sleep tracker you can get with a subscription and its known for the troves of health data it can track, it seems unnecessarily obstinate to not check out how it stacks up.

Despite the lack of dedicated sleep apnea alerts, I actually found the Ring Gen 3 to be a lot more detailed and accurate than the Apple Watch. Not only does it consistently show the low levels of restorative deep sleep I get but it captures a lot of events I recognize.

One night in particular, I remember having trouble getting to sleep for several hours, after having spent the weekend entertaining guests and their toddler, as well as staying up a little too late. Not only did the Oura Ring capture this precisely, it also shows how I struggled to get into REM sleep – I remember in clear detail how shallow my sleep felt and how I was unable to enter dream sleep. That's an impressive level of precision.

And while the Ring Gen 3 isn't willing to suggest specific diagnoses, it definitely detects some issues with my night-time respiration. Most evenings it would register Breathing Disturbances and, while it clocked these as 'few' rather than the higher frequency detected by my sleep study, I'm impressed that it does at least pick up on the fact my breathing stops.

The Oura also unlocks a wealth of insights on top of sleep cycle and breathing tracking. Case in point: when my sleep has been particularly poor, it shows that my sleep debt was not only high but has brought me to the brink of sleep bankruptcy. That's helpful to know, as a few extra naps and more time in bed will hopefully help me pay some of this back.

And it's nice how some of these additional data points actually add further context to understanding how poor sleep impacts the rest of your life.

For example, there are some days it accurately clocked that my stress levels were spiking at work after several nights of really bad sleep, which I was definitely conscious of at the time. While these relationships aren't necessarily causal – the week in question, I think I was self-medicating with increased caffeine intake, leading my stress levels to spike – it has been invaluable in helping me understand how my sleep relates to other elements of my physical and mental wellbeing.

On top of this, I could then use the Oura's data to see the impact my poor sleep had on my ability to recover from this stress, or my readiness for the day ahead. Having that extra level of insight goes beyond being a warning system for sleep issues and actually starts to become a meaningful tool to help mitigate some of the ways it actually impacts your day.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

I had high hopes for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Looking at the list of metrics it can track, it promises a trove of data. Even if it doesn't come with the sleep-tracking rep of a device like the Oura, at a glance it seems to offer really granular insights into your night's rest.

Unfortunately, the more I dug into the data, the more I questioned the precision of its tracking. On some occasions, it shows me getting a tiny amount of deep sleep, while on others it shows me getting just as much deep sleep as REM. As a result, my deep sleep score often showed as being 'good', even on mornings I woke up shattered.

The Watch 8 Classic also makes some odd assumptions about restfulness. According to the Samsung Health app, my restfulness score is usually 'fair' to 'good' – despite the fact it's showed I've woken up more than 20 times and spent a cumulative 90 minutes of the night awake. That's because it classifies waking events as unproblematic as long as you quickly return to sleep – an assumption that doesn't concur with the medical literature around sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

And unlike the other two wearables I tested, even its sleep times didn't seem all that reliable. Several times it logged me as taking a nap during the working day – at times I can see I've sent colleagues Slack messages and can see time-coded edits I've made to articles. Either I'm being 'Severanced' by my innie while I sleep or the Samsung sometimes struggles to differentiate between sleep and focused productive time.

That's a real shame as the level of detail the Watch 8 Classic records elsewhere is genuinely very decent. For instance, rather than the simple nightly range for blood oxygen the Watch Ultra 2 offers, the Samsung Health app offers a very granular blood oxygen graph with precise peaks and troughs throughout the night.

This makes it far easier to see if there's correlation between your O2 saturation and awakenings. One night where I had a particularly broken sleep in the early morning, it showed my blood oxygen dropped multiple times down to 79% – a definite warning sign for apnea events.

Similarly detailed movement and snoring graphs open up even more opportunities for this kind of comparison and insight, to the degree that I wish the Watch 8 Classic's rivals above would offer similar levels of insight.

If scrutinizing hard data isn't your bag, Samsung does offer some fluffier ways to understand your sleep data. Honestly, its Sleep Animal feature – where you're assigned a critter based on your sleep habits – felt a little like astrology to me, with the categories broad enough that they felt mere millimeters deep. I'm a Deer sleeper apparently because, like the skittish ruminant, I wake up easily. Insightful.

Samsung's sleep coaching habits feel a lot more practical to me. While a lot of them are common knowledge – like avoiding caffeine after 5pm or getting out of bed quickly – I can see why having a checklist to run through each night would be helpful. Being able to compare how many you completed to how well you slept is a great way to see how these healthy habits work for you.

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is the wearable I found least helpful with my sleep apnea. While some of its features are top tier for things like tracking blood oxygen and how much you move during the night, its sleep stage and total sleep time tracking aren't accurate enough that I'd ever totally trust it was giving me the full picture.

Verdict

OK, so first thing's first: none of these devices alerted me to the fact I was experiencing sleep apnea. I'm not totally surprised by this – while the Oura Ring Gen 3 doesn't offer this functionality, the manufacturers of the other devices could not be clearer that they're not to be considered of diagnostic standard. They may flag sleep apnea events if you're experiencing them but the lack of notifications does not mean you aren't suffering from disturbed night time breathing.

However, all three devices offered enough info that I could tell something wasn't quite right with my sleep. Out of the three of them, the most reliable and insightful for me was the Oura Ring Gen 3 – its sleep phase tracking always seemed to align with my recollections of my night's sleep. Moreover, it provides the most insights into what your poor sleep actually means for you. Certainly, it's the tracker I'll continue to use to give me insight into how my sleep apnea impacts upon my sleep.

Fundamentally, though, this might be the most important advice I've ever offered: if you're worried you might be suffering from sleep apnea, don't rely on a sleep tracker to guide you. Speak to your doctor about your fatigue.

A sleep study is the gold-standard when it comes to diagnosing disordered sleep – mine cleared up the mystery of my fatigue in a single night and has allowed me to tackle my sleep apnea head on. Sleep trackers are a great tool for gaining a little extra insight but, if you have concerns about something that might be negatively impacting your health, only a doctor can truly help you be sure.

• Windows 11's January update has a new bug
• This is reportedly causing sleep mode to fail on some older PCs
• The glitch also locks up the system, requiring a hard reset – although there's one possible workaround you can try to resolve it

Windows 11 has run into more problems with its latest update, and now some users are suffering at the hands of a bug affecting sleep mode.

Windows Latest reports that a number of Windows 11 users are finding sleep mode no longer works after installing the January update (KB5074109, which was released just over a week ago).

This pertains to what's known as the S3 sleep state, which is the original sleep mode for Windows, and so this won't affect newer PCs (as they don't use this, and I'll come back to why shortly). In this sleep state, everything is powered down (display, processor, even the system fans) except for the RAM, which stays alive (maintaining whatever you're doing).

According to one user, the problem is as follows: "After installing KB5074109, the sleep function does not work. On going to Power and pressing Sleep, the screen goes blank, but the PC does not power down. The only way to get the PC to restart is to do a hard restart, i.e. hold the power button down on the PC until it turns off, and then restart. This happens every time I go into Sleep mode."

There are similar reports on Reddit and elsewhere, and unfortunately, as described, this isn't just about sleep mode failing to kick in, but also the fact that the PC effectively crashes, and needs a hard reboot to recover.

Another Windows 11 user observes that the problem has hit three of their PCs (one running Windows 11 Home, and two using Pro editions of the OS). They further note that the problem vanishes when the January update is removed, and returns when it's reinstalled, suggesting this is definitely an issue with KB5074109.

Analysis: insomniac computers

The S3 sleep state only pertains to older PCs, because newer devices running Windows 11 will use modern standby instead. So, as noted, if you have a PC which was bought this decade you likely won't run into any trouble with sleeping, and not with your laptop certainly – all contemporary notebook models have shifted to modern standby (known as S0 'lower power idle'). This may not be the case with all desktops from this decade, mind – for example, my computer is five years old and still uses S3 sleep.

But mostly, if you have a newer machine, you'll likely avoid this gremlin in the works. Those with an older PC who are encountering problems may have to simply avoid using sleep mode – which is hardly ideal, although there is one potential workaround you can try.

According to a Feedback Hub post that Windows Latest spotted, a possible solution is that if you have a USB webcam attached to your PC, you can try unplugging it. That may just do the trick – but otherwise, there are no other suggestions as to how this bug might be sidestepped.

This latest reported bug with the January update comes on top of issues with the classic Outlook app (with POP accounts) whereby it freezes up, and a bug that means some PCs won't shut down. The latter is a nasty one, but it only affects enterprise users with a certain feature enabled, so it isn't something your average person has to worry about, thankfully.

A third bug that Microsoft has acknowledged is an issue with Remote Desktop Connections failing to work, although the good news is that emergency fixes have been deployed for those latter two issues – hopefully fixes will be inbound for the Outlook problem, as well as the sleep bug, soon.

Finally, I've also noticed some user complaints about weird issues with their keyboard and mouse after installing the January update. All in all, then, it's not a great start to the year for Microsoft.

None of the men in my family are good sleepers. When we were children and young teenagers, my Dad would struggle with his sleep – a vicious cycle of working late, commuting, getting up, and doing it all again, day after day, year after year. It meant that he rarely felt rested, and, as we grew, my brother and I found ourselves grappling with the same issues: grogginess during the day, but total inability to sleep during the night.

For years, it felt biological; something in my genes or anatomy that decided I was neither an early bird nor a night owl—rather, it felt like I had inherited a clock that never really kept the right time. No matter how much I tried to tweak it through my twenties, the biological mechanism seemed set to run slightly off, leaving me perpetually out of sync with the rhythm of the day and reliant on various external stimulants, from magnesium and coffee to intense, pre-dawn workouts that would leave me wrecked by the evening.

Today, I’m in my early thirties and, as more responsibilities (and external anxieties) get added to the pile, I’m finding that my state of restfulness and readiness is where my days are won and lost.

On the rare occasion I’ve slept well, I genuinely feel like I can achieve anything, and feel more sociable with a sunny disposition to match; but on the more frequent days I’ve underslept, feelings of dread, anxiety and poor mental health abound. When there’s such polarity between these two states of being, it can feel like a raw deal. With elements of my mental and physical health on the line, something had to change.

The Expert

Up to this point, I hadn’t fully grasped what systematically poor sleep can do to your body – insomnia, for example, has been found to increase stress levels, memory and production of stress hormones – but I had unknowingly been feeling the early signs, with patchy memories and simple tasks often feeling overwhelming on my tired days.

A need to understand these risks, know the factors behind them, and ultimately vanquish them was what led me to Dr Sophie Bostock, a sleep scientist who specialises in helping more people to sleep well. Together, across a four-week experiment, Dr Bostock helped identify what elements of sleep I was struggling with and why, and helped me add various strategies — ranging from simple behavioral changes to cognitive games — to my new arsenal.

Alongside Dr Bostock’s tried-and-tested method, I used the Oura Ring 4, TechRadar's health and fitness device of 2025 and one of the best sleep trackers, to help me keep tabs on my sleep, activity, readiness, stress levels and heart health, each a fundamental element in my journey to improve my rest and recuperation.

The Game Plan

During our first meeting, I described to Dr Bostock how I see sleep as the fourth estate of a well-rounded wellness — alongside effective exercise, nutrition and recovery — and have written about each topic widely, but struggle to grasp what makes effective sleep so elusive, and it starts with how much I actually need. “A minimum of seven hours’ sleep is protective for adults,” she explains. "We're all different but you need to work out your sleep needs; it might be less, or it might be more.”

As a self-defined ‘seasonal sleeper,’ in which I sleep well for a batch of two to three weeks, then struggle for the same amount of time, Dr Bostock quickly dismantles several of my long-held beliefs about sleep, and begins to form a clearer picture of where I’m slipping up.

"If you're getting anxious and dissatisfied overnight, ultimately it's that daytime function—the ability to focus or write—that is probably going to be the most important metric."

Interestingly, our experiment began by identifying my habits at the start of the day—rather than at the end. More specifically: what time I’m getting up, and understanding how to use the stress hormone cortisol to my advantage.

“Waking up at the same time every day helps maintain a regular rhythm,” explains Dr Bostock. “When you have a regular rhythm, you get a surge of cortisol in the morning that helps you get out of bed.” This “vital morning surge of cortisol,” she says, is instrumental in that get-up-and-go feeling that I often lack after a poor night of sleep. On the flipside, “missing out on sleep also puts the body into a state of hyperarousal, which makes subsequent rest less restorative,” she explains.

By forcing myself to get up at the same time every single morning — my time was 7:30AM, crushing any chance of weekend lie-in — I began to re-train my circadian rhythm: the body's natural, roughly 24-hour internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. “The circadian rhythm involves cortisol, as well as melatonin, which helps cue the body for sleep,” Dr Bostock explains.

In practical terms, this meant that whether I went to bed at 10PM or 2AM, I should fundamentally stick to my wake-up time—and that’s where the difference would be made.

My second tactic, as advised by Dr Bostock, was being far stricter about my exposure to daylight, especially as I had decided to take on the experiment during winter, where darkness makes up to 60-70% of the day.

“At this time of year, we get lagging melatonin because we haven't had enough daylight during the day to remind the brain that it’s time to switch off.” Not only would fresh air and light exercise give me a boost in energy if I were feeling flat, it would also provide “the most powerful signal you can give to your internal body clock to stay aligned,” says Dr Bostock. “Morning light is the ultimate anchor for your internal body clock and helps your brain anticipate exactly when to wake up.”

Combining this with research published in Frontiers in Psychology, in which just 20 minutes of sitting or walking in nature is enough to significantly lower cortisol levels, a daily total of 90 minutes spent outside became the absolute minimum and would pay dividends in improving my sleep.

For both of these shifts, Dr Bostock likened their importance to the demands of physical training. Improving my sleep is built on the same core values as any physical training, she explains. “It's all the same things, discipline and consistency—that's it.”

The System Reboot

Despite having interviewed neuroscientists about the toll of doomscrolling and the hazards of digital lifestyles, I’m overly reliant on my smartphone (if you feel the same way, here's 3 ios tricks to curb doomscrolling). Although Dr Bostock didn’t suggest any major overhauls on my tech use, she offered a few practical pointers that were simple in execution but no less significant in their impact.

One of the most effective suggestions was to leave my phone in a different room once I was going to bed — ideally, turn it off even an hour or two before that — thereby eliminating the temptation to scroll in bed. However, this isn’t about blue light exposure (“the light intensity that you get from a phone or a laptop is really relatively low,” says Dr Bostock), but about what we’re seeing on our screens.

“We use phones to deflect uncomfortable feelings in a constant stream of content,” says Bostock. “We can’t necessarily blame the phone for that — it's the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts that actually are keeping us awake at night.” Enough said.

In addition, I toggled my iPhone’s colour to black and white (long tap on the home screen > edit > customise) to make the apps’ colour schemes less appealing, and use f.lux on my laptop, a software that made my computer screen a warmer, amber color, while I worked.

The results

After a week or so of cementing these habits into my daily routine, things began to click into place. As my conversations with Dr Bostock never centred around caffeine or alcohol intake, these areas didn’t require much adjustment; however, I did approach other habits and situations with a fork in the road mentality: whatever I was doing, it would either help aid me in my mission to better sleep, or hinder it. An evening session on the PS5 with friends, for example, would be less beneficial than turning off the TV at 9PM and picking up a book.

Before the experiment, my moods would peak and trough — punctuated with sunny highs and gloomy lows — yet as I continued to work with Dr Bostock’s insights and advice, these moments would begin to soften and everything (everyone, more like) seemed more amicable and approachable as the weeks progressed.

“Daytime function is the gold standard metric for how well you are actually sleeping,” Dr Bostock would confirm, as we discussed my sleep and stress data from the Oura Ring 4. “Your ability to focus and feel good in yourself is what defines a quality night.”

Digging deeper into the data, there’s a clear shift between the days preceding the experiment and the weeks during and after. My REM sleep increased by 40 minutes on average, and greater stints of deep sleep — 90 minutes or over — became far more frequent. The effects of an improved REM sleep pattern left me re-energised in mind and body, a direct result of my work to improve my circadian rhythm.

The same can be said for my periods of deep sleep. As the Oura identified, periods of 90 minutes of deep sleep are when muscles grow and repair and the immune system is refreshed—helping me dodge any signs of winter flu and wake up fighting fit, or as close to it as possible. Elsewhere, my light sleep improved — “it’s crucial for motor focus and memory consolidation,” says Dr Bostock — and my stress levels rarely peaked enough for me to get concerned.

As with physical training, there were plenty of personal bests, including one night with 10.5 hours of total sleep in mid-December — numbers I hadn’t seen (or felt) since I was a teenager recovering from a festival. Below, you can see a few examples of screenshots from the Oura app.

Despite these successes, my familiar pattern of good and bad sleep would eventually return. The difference, after four weeks with Dr Bostock, is that setbacks no longer feel like a permanent biological flaw, but a temporary glitch — one I now know how to course-correct with a few behavioural adjustments rather than an immediate admission of defeat.

“Sleep science really isn’t that complicated, but it does require discipline and consistency,” Dr Bostock told me during our final session. “If you can say, ‘I did this and it made a difference,’ that’s hugely valuable.”

At the start of the experiment, I was fixated on chasing a perfect sleep score of 100 on my Oura. By the end, I’d realised that better sleep isn’t about hitting a single, ideal metric, but about showing up consistently and using data to keep yourself honest. These days, I’d happily take an 85 or 90 — and my wife will just as happily take an earlier bedtime.

The Soundcore Sleep A30 are, as you can tell from their name, billed as sleep earbuds. They’re designed to help you drift off more easily, mask snoring and stay comfortable all night.

But they’ve become my go-to earbuds over the past few months. And because I review audio gear for a living, that's not something I say lightly. Most earbuds pass through my life briefly, then move on. But these didn't. They stayed on my desk, in my bag and in my ears more often than I expected – and let me be clear: I was often wide awake.

They’re not the most impressive-sounding earbuds I own, and I have access to plenty of others (see above, and what I do for a living). Yet these tiny less-than-perfect buds have turned out to be perfect for me, and here's why.

It's all about the design

Earbuds like these tend to get boxed into a single use case. You’re meant to think of them only at night, only in bed, only when something has gone wrong with your sleep. But that framing undersells them. Because in day to day life, their biggest strength is simply how small, comfortable and unobtrusive they are.

Because they’re engineered for sleep, they’re small, light and secure in a way that most true wireless buds aren’t. A tiny stability wing (of which there are several sizes to choose from) tucks neatly into the outer ear, locking the bud in place without pressure.

The result is a fit that feels considered and not at all intrusive. It's subtle but makes a big difference when you're wearing them for long stretches.

They're noticeably lighter than most earbuds I own, and it's the kind of difference you immediately feel. The main body is so low-profile they sit like tiny buttons in your ears, instead of jutting out. That matters for sleep (especially those of us who sleep on our sides), obviously. But it also mattered far more during the day than I expected.

I’ve got awkward, small ear canals and I’m fussy – if something feels unstable, it’s out within seconds. But these stay put through pretty much anything.

Built for bed but great for day

Yes, comfort is the obvious win here. But the real surprise has been how that comfort spills over into everything I do during the day, too.

I have thick hair, I live in woolly hats at this time of year and 50% of the time I wear glasses. Big over-ears are a no-go with glasses, a hat and a hood in winter. Even streamlined buds can snag on my hair or jut out just enough to feel irritating under a hat. But these don't.

Their low profile means nothing catches on them. Not hair, hoods, glasses or scarf fluff. Once I realized just how secure they are, I started wearing them for walking, working, even running, yoga sessions and handstand practice – whatever I do, they stay secure.

I never would have pointed anyone towards sleep-focused buds as workout companions, but the fit has been that reliable for me.

Quietly capable sound

Sound isn't the headline feature here, and that's okay.

I wouldn't reach for them if I wanted to sit down and really listen to one of my favorite albums at home. But for quieter listening, think podcasts, audiobooks, meditation tracks, they're clear, comfortable and easy to live with.

During the day, that translates well enough for walks, workouts and background listening when I'm writing. Bass is a little flat and the soundstage can feel pinched, but for everyday listening, especially on the move, I've never felt short-changed.

Battery, sleep tools and smart touches

As you'd hope, the sleep features here are really extensive. I don't use them for sleep now as I use them for walking and working out, but you'd like to know a bit about what makes them so specifically special for sleep, right?

You can use them like regular buds and stream your favorite tracks. But, in the app, there's a library of sleep-focused soundscapes, from waves to crackling fire, and they're all customizable with extra layers or density. There's also a Brainwave Audio section with binaural beats.

You get some sleep tracking too. It's not as detailed as some sleep specific trackers, like the Oura ring, but it's more useful than I expected.

Snore-masking is clever. The snug seal plus ANC already cuts a lot, but the case has a built-in microphone that listens out for snoring and adjusts what you're listening to in real-time. I found this worked surprisingly well.

You also get thoughtful extras, like bedtime reminders, a personal alarm, and a "find device" sound to save you from hunting a rogue bud in the sheets.

Their battery life is a little disappointing. You can get around 6.5 hours from them with ANC on when you're streaming. But the case offers up to 45 hours of top-ups, which makes up for it.

Speaking of the case, it's lovely. Compact, shaped like a hockey puck, and topped with a smooth, sliding lid. You can genuinely slip it into a pocket.

An unexpected, all-day winner

Yes, these are sleep earbuds first and foremost, and they really excel at that. But the traits that make them great for sleep – tiny size, lightweight build, secure fit and low profile – make them unexpectedly brilliant during the day too.

They've reminded me that comfort and design can matter more than raw audio power and performance, especially when I'm out and about. They're not my best-sounding buds, but they're not meant to be. They're simply the pair I've found myself reaching for time and time again because they fit my life without effort.

Sometimes the "right" tech isn't the most premium or the most powerful. Instead, it's the product you keep using, almost without even thinking. And for me, that's the Soundcore Sleep A30.

As someone who likes sleep, I’ve tested my fair share of sleep-tracking devices, but I’ve yet to find a pair of sleep earbuds that actually improve my slumber, rather than just adding one more obstacle between me and a good night’s rest.

It’s not an easy job. While the best sleep trackers can take a hands-off approach (apart from in the case of the best smart rings) and simply feed back on how well you napped, sleep earbuds are generally tasked with actually improving your slumber. Some people are wearing them in lieu of reusuable earplugs, such as Loop, with an added audio element. I’ve tested ones with pretty neat features but others that flew too close to the sun, and made sleeping even more of a chore.

I’ve become jaded about a few top brands because of terrible sleep headphones I’ve tested in the past, but my interest was piqued when a new up-and-comer contacted me to test their alternative.

AI health assistant app Fitnexa has released its first physical product, called the SomniPods 3. These are, according to the brand, the thinnest ANC-toting sleep earbuds released so far, and are designed to work hand-in-hand with the app’s various features.

If you’re confused by these being the brand’s first buds, but bearing a ‘3’ – so was I, but I couldn’t find any evidence of the existence of a SomniPods 2. And don’t get these things confused with the SomniBuds, which are also sleep earbuds but from a totally different company.

To test whether Fitnexa could win where other brands have left me cold (and restless), I tested the buds for a few weeks.

Fitnexia SomniPods 3: Price and availability

The SomniPods 3 cost $149.99 wherever you are in the world – when you buy them, it’ll convert the price to your local currency. At the time of reviewing, that’d be about £115 or AU$232, though whenever you read this, your currency’s value compared to the dollar will dictate exactly what it costs.

As I’ve implied, you need to use the Fitnexa app in order to use the SomniPods, but it's free to download and use. Mostly.

By ‘mostly’, I mean that there’s an optional premium mode called Fitnexa Plus which costs $9.99 per month (exactly £7.64 / $15.48 at the time of writing) or $2.99 per week (£2.29 / AU$4.63).

Fitnexa Plus isn’t necessary for using the SomniPods 3, and in fact I didn’t use it to write this feature. If you do sign up, it gets you quite a few extra features like voice input to log your workouts or nutritional intake, much higher-caliber analysis of your blood sugar and nutrition, advice and suggestions on your next meal, personalized recipes and weekly and monthly health reports, amongst other features.

An app-le a day

I ummed and erred about how much to feature the Fitnexa app itself in this feature. While the SomniPods are designed to be one component of the larger health picture of the app, the app isn't strictly my focus during testing – the buds were. That’s possibly for the best, because I had some problems with the app.

At its core, Fitnexa is used as a fitness and health hub. You use it to log every bite you eat, every sip you drink, every workout you do and, with the SomniPods, every second of sleep. Then the app can suggest workouts, give you overviews of your health and give you ideas for meals, all through the interface of a chat box with a creepy-looking AI trainer. You can pick between three trainers, but they all have that drab veneer of an AI image – was it too hard to take photos of three real people?

Some aspects of the app work incredibly well. I was particularly staggered at how smart the food-recognition feature was – I could send a snap of basically any food and the app would recognise what it was, even if it was partly-concealed by a pita or wrap, and give a smart nutritional break-down.

A feature of Fitnexa Plus is that it can help guide your nutrition and diet. As I said, I only used the standard tier of the app (the free one), but if the advice was nutritionally sound, I can see it being a fantastic fitness feature. I love apps that come up with recipe ideas based on what you own, and this is another apparent feature of the app. In general, I’d say for people trying to eat healthier, the app could be great.

But there are some problems too. Naturally, sending every iota of your daily data is a time-consuming process, and I frequently skipped logging glasses of water or snacks because I just couldn’t be bothered. The app was quite buggy, logging me out for no reason and hiding my data until I logged back in. It was an absolute pain to navigate, and I’d have to click randomly around in the hopes of finding the particular menu I was looking for. And if you’re not a subscriber to the app’s premium mode, you can only send a certain number of queries, logs or commands a day. How many? I’ve no idea; it was quite inconsistent in my testing, but Fitnexa’s materials say only one.

Then there are the standard issues with any chatbot that make them so bizarrely inhuman. Lana, the assistant that my app defaulted too, was overwhelmingly positive about every single thing I logged. I don’t need to know that my handful of peanuts was a good snack. And I also didn’t take to how Lana was reactive, responding to my commands and prompts, rather than being proactive and sending me suggestions and urges to exercise or drink water at the right times. I understand that this is how AI works – you need to spend credits to get responses and all that – but it’s not how an actual trainer would work. A drill sergeant, Lana is not.

A dream to wear, or ear-ritating?

So far in this article about the Fitnexa SomniPods 3, I’ve spent ages writing about the app and have barely touched on the sleep earbuds themselves. Let’s change that.

They come in a puck-shaped charging case. I don’t underestimate the artistry of a good charging case, and I’m a fan of both the color and feel of the SomniPods’ offering – it certainly doesn’t feel cheap.

The buds themselves are nice and small, measuring 3.3g each – of course you’d hope so, given Fitnexa’s claims about the buds' size, but it’s good to see that it’s true. They have flared silicon tips, which felt saggy, but I suppose that helps them fit in your ear better, and the box includes a variety of sizes including some non-flared ones.. The buds also have ear wings, which are an extra design feature certain headphones have to keep them wedged in your ear better – again, the box offers a few sizes.

It took me a few nights to find the knack to inserting the SomniPods into my ear – they’re small enough that the correct twisting maneuver takes some attempts. Once in the ear, they’re mostly out of sight and out of mind, and I rarely felt like I could consciously notice them, The buds don’t protrude far, so I could sleep on my side without issue. I’ve tested certain buds where the discomfort of lying on them in certain ways would wake me up, but there’s none of that here.

I must say, that on most nights during the testing process, the SomniPods felt quite loose in my ear, and I sometimes went to sleep worrying about where they’d be when I woke up. On every morning, though, I’d find them where I expected them – in my ear. I suppose it just takes a few weeks of wearing them to get use to how they feel (and the feel never actually affected my sleep at all).

SomniProblems

Wearing the buds is a simple, stress-free experience. Unfortunately, at least during my testing, actually getting them to work wasn’t.

Pairing the buds was simple, but I thought that was all I’d need to do to get them to work. I set them up, popped them in my ears and went to sleep, repeating this process for about four nights in a row. I think it’s important to avoid looking at the results when I test sleep tracking tech, in order to avoid orthosomnia, a situation in which obsessive use of sleep tracking gadgets can have a negative affect on sleep. Obviously that would really skew my testing data, and I avoid it by avoiding looking at my results for the first few days of testing.

This turned out to be a bad idea, because I was nearly a week into my testing when I discovered that the buds hadn’t tracked any of my forty winks. Oops.

When I looked further into the Fitnexa app, and specifically the SomniPods’ page in it, I discovered a slider for ‘Sleep Mode’. I was on Auto, which supposedly detects when you fall asleep and starts the tracking automatically, but in my case it hadn’t done so. Thankfully, there’s an option simply called ‘On’, which guarantees that it’ll track sleep – afterwards in my testing, I made sure to turn this on just before I went to bed every night.

The next problem was that my sleep data wasn’t reliably shared to the app. I’d wake up to find that there was sometimes no data, but historical data was starting to show up. Again, cue more testing and playing about, until I discovered the cure. Sleep data is only shared between the buds and app when they’re paired, but when I put the buds in their case and closed the lid upon waking up, the connection was severed. The data was only fully shared the next night, when I put the buds in my ears. Solving this one was simple – I’d leave the cover of the case open for a few minutes after returning the buds, and when I did this, I finally got my information on the app.

I list this all not to unduly criticize Fitnexa, but to give other owners some suggestions if they’re having trouble with the buds.

Spending a night

So what are the buds actually like to use, when working properly? Well, I’m happy to say that they’re pretty good, although there are still one or two issues.

The buds have a 11-hour battery life, which I’d say is enough for a full night’s rest for most of us. However if you turn on noise cancellation, they only have 5.7 hours in the tank. Because of this I never slept with ANC turned on, as the buds would run out of charge long before I’d wake up. For what it’s worth, I did test their ANC during the day – it’s not Bose-level or anything, but it’s pretty solid and I imagine it’d plaster over gentle background noises during the night, as well as take a dent out of louder annoyances like engineering works or noisy neighbors.

It’s easy for me to say that a better battery life would improve future models of SomniPods, but I’m not sure that’s true. The passive noise cancellation of the buds in my ears was more than enough to stop any sounds around me, and a bigger battery would require a bigger bud – I think I prefer them how they are.

Another potentially-great feature which is lacking, and can be solved pretty easily, is sleep sounds. This is pretty common in sleep earbuds, offering you gentle noise to fall asleep to. But the SomniPods 3 only have four (ocean, rain, wind and white noise), and they’re all incredibly short. I found it quite distracting trying to fall asleep to the sound of rain, when it’d fade to silence and then start the loop again every 20 seconds or so. Other options I’ve tested last a lot longer, or at least have a seamless loop so you don’t know you’re only listening to a half-minute of audio.

What’s curious is that the app has quite a few other sleep sounds, including waterfalls, farm noises and snowy footsteps. You can play these from the app, but it didn’t track my sleep when I did so, and I couldn’t find a way to replace the four on-bud noises with the alternatives in the app. Possibly my error, but I tried hard – if such an option exists, it’s way too well hidden.

What I don’t recall seeing in sleep earbuds before, is an equalizer. These are commonplace in standard earbuds, letting you personalize your audio by bumping up the bass or stripping out the mids, but I was initially surprised to see a 10-band one available in the Fitnexa app alongside some presets. It took me a while to figure out that this is for people who like to fall asleep to their own music, and it’s a neat touch.

The night-time twist

There’s one more thing that you’re expecting me to talk about; I talked about the SomniPods 3 results and then slipped in a whole separate section before even analysing these results! Now, I finally get to explain the headline.

Lots of what the SomniPods track is the kind of metric you normally see in sleep-tracking earbuds. There’s a breakdown of your slumber time in deep sleep, light sleep and waking time, as well as a graph breaking them down over time. It all looked accurate to me, except one or two times when it curiously stopped tracking early.

You of course can also see the duration, and a count of how much of your night was actually spent in bed. For me these were always the same, but if you go to the toilet frequently in the night, this’ll be a really insightful stat.

But the metric I found really fascinating was sleep position. The buds track whether you’re sleeping on your left side, right side, back or front, and even tells you how many times you turned over during the night and per hour.

I haven’t tested every pair of sleep earbuds, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen this before, and it found it fascinating. My turnover rate was nearly identical every night, at about 3 times per hour, and I generally spent about 70% of every night on my right side… all except on one night, which was 92% on my left.

I found it really fascinating to examine these stats, and align them with other factors; whether or not I’d drunk alcohol, whether or not I had a hot water bottle, how late I went to sleep, whether I read before bed or played video games. Honestly, I’m very keen to get scientific about this, and change variables each night while I examine the stats to see how it changes. I only ever tested the buds in my own bed; is the 70/30 ratio my standard or due to something about this crib?

I mentioned earlier in this article orthosomnia, which is when your sleep tracking negatively affects your actual sleep. This is generally linked to negative feelings towards sleep scores or metrics from your tech: wanting to get good numbers in some arbitrary sleep score, or trying to get the exact amount of light or deep sleep that scientists say the average human needs.

To me, interesting metrics like sleep position are a great antithesis to orthosomnia. I’m at no risk of subconsciously trying to maintain my three-flips-per-hour ratio, but instead it’s fostering me to engage with my sleep circumstances in a positive way.

As you no doubt can tell if you’ve read this whole article, I had mixed feelings about Fitnexa’s SomniPods 3. They have a few glaring issues, both in the features they offer and how they operate within the app. But they’re the comfiest and lightest sleep earbuds I’ve ever used, and collect some interesting metrics that pushed me to really think about my sleep.

I can’t say that I’d buy the SomniPods as they are now, but all that stands between them and greatness is software changes – things that are easy for Fitnexa to roll out over the air. Perhaps if your new year’s resolution is to sleep better, they’ll be ready in time for them.

If you sometimes have trouble waking up in the winter, you're not alone. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that the shorter daylight hours during winter can throw off your body's timings, making you feel more sleepy and sluggish during the day.

If this is seriously affecting your everyday life then you should speak to your doctor about the possibility of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to to the NHS, signs of SAD can include persistent low mood, irritability, loss of pleasure or interest in normal activities, and difficulty concentrating. Your doctor will be able to listen to your experiences, and suggest lifestyle changes, therapies, or other treatments that can help.

If you're not experiencing serious problems and are just finding yourself a little more reluctant than normal to pry yourself out of your warm bed, a wake-up light might help make mornings a little easier. These are special lamps that work by simulating a sunrise, slowly brightening over the course of several minutes rather than jolting you awake like the alarm on your phone. Think of being gently roused by sunlight filtering into your tent on a camping trip, and you'll have the right idea.

I've tested a lot of the best wake-up lights during my time at TechRadar, and overall there's one that really shines: the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer.

Simulated sunrise

If you're familiar with Philips Hue lights, you might be surprised that my number one pick is the Wall Washer rather than the Philips Hue Twilight, which is designed specifically for use on your nightstand. Turn both lamps around and you'll see that they are quite similar, with a stack of LEDs down the back that throw a diffuse gradient of color onto your wall.

The key difference is that the Twilight also has a front-facing task light for reading before bed, but the Wall Washer has the edge when it comes to versatility. When connected to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box it can become part of your home theater system, synchronizing with what's on your TV screen to make movies and games more immersive − something the Twilight can't do.

The Wall Washer is more discreet too, looking less like a conventional table lamp, so you can place it anywhere you want to add some indirect lighting.

Whether you choose the Twilight or the Wall Washer, it's those stacked rear lights that provide the gentle illumination necessary to help you fall asleep and wake gradually, and they shift brightness more smoothly than any other lamp I've tried. Even the premium Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light can't compare. That's important, because sudden changes in illumination can shock you awake as abruptly as a trilling phone.

Color temperature is also important. Some wake-up lamps only have one light temperature setting, but the Twilight and Wall Washer gradually change from warm to cool light like a real dawn. Both also start out extremely dim, ramping up the brightness gradually so you're not jarred into consciousness.

Soft sounds

Nature sounds are a feature you won't get with either of these lamps, but personally I don't think that's a bad thing.

Many of the wake-up lamps I've tested over the years offer a menu of audible options to help ease you in and out of sleep – usually nature sounds like birdsong or rainfall, with a dash of white noise. These can be useful, particularly if you're struggling with racing thoughts, but wake-up lights tend to play very short sound clips of sound on a loop, which tends to be more annoying than relaxing. They often have poor-quality speakers too, which make the sound doubly irritating. A five-second loop of a blackbird trapped in a cola can is nobody's idea of a good time.

If you want to fall asleep or wake to gentle ambient sounds, I think you'll be better off with something like the Soundcore Sleep A20, Bose Sleepbuds 2 or Amazfit Zenbuds. These are soft earbuds that play a selection of soothing sounds, are designed to be comfortable even when you're lying on your side, and can even track your sleep overnight (though you can't use them as regular Bluetooth headphones).

It's a good idea to have some sort of backup alarm, just in case the Wall Washer is so gentle and you're so exhausted that you manage to sleep right through, but in my experience that rarely happens – and even when it does, waking to an already lit room makes the switch to consciousness less of a shock.

It's transformed my mornings, and if you struggle to peel yourself off your pillow first thing, it might just help you, too.

A good pair of sleep earbuds is such an asset if you enjoy dropping off to white noise while dampening ambient sounds around you.

The Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are a feature-packed pair of sleep earbuds, boasting a range of useful functions including sleep reports, auto-off options, ANC, and more. They have a list price of $229.99 / £199.99, which is pretty pricey, but worth it if you love the idea of listening to music, podcasts, or customized white noise while snuggled up in bed.

I like settling down to sleep sounds, especially if my brain is still buzzing after a long day, but what soothes me one night may prove distracting on another. This is where the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds have come in really handy, thanks to their customizable white noise feature.

I found plenty to choose from in the Soundcore app’s audio library, including some lovely preset AI brainwave tracks, some of which are based on the starry sky, the ocean, and the forest. I actually preferred listening to these for relaxation or as background music while I worked, because the variety of sounds could prove a distraction when I was trying to drop off.

The white noise library was the perfect fit, however, thanks to the great selection of different sounds themed around colored noise, nature, life, meditation, and more. The thing I loved most about this feature was that I could layer up to three of the sounds and adjust the volume of each one, meaning I could fine-tune the individual elements to my satisfaction.

I must admit, some of the colored noises available were brand new to me. I’ve heard of white, pink, and brown noise before, but the Soundcore Sleep A30s audio library enlightened me to green, gray, orange, and red noise. None of the colored noises were my jam, though, to be honest, but I think that’s due to me having tinnitus and finding them a little overwhelming.

What I really loved were some of the layerable sleep sounds. There are options like tranquil forest, hail, rain, and piano music, but my personal favorites were the thunderstorm, rain, and ocean waves. I turned the thunderstorm lower than the other two elements, so it sounded distant, and set the rain to be a touch louder than the sound of the waves, and it was perfect for me to drift off to sleep to.

There are also some sounds that will please those who enjoy a bit of ASMR, with options including a cat drinking, a keyboard typing, and boiling soup, though that's more toward nightmare territory in my case.

If you happen to prefer listening to your own music or podcasts before dropping off, the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds have you covered there, too, as they can play content from other apps. What’s more, there’s an auto-off timer that can be set, or you can make use of the sleep detection feature, which means you won’t wake up to find yourself several chapters too deep into your audiobook.

One important factor to consider when choosing a pair of sleep earbuds is how comfortable they are when sleeping on your side. I have fairly petite ears, and I struggle to get a good fit with earbuds in general, so my managing editor gave them a go for me both at home and on his travels so that I could get a second opinion.

I would describe the comfort levels when sleeping on my side wearing the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds as manageable. I was able to get a fairly decent seal with the smallest memory foam ear tips, but it wasn’t perfect, and the body of the bud was a touch uncomfortable in certain positions, though I still found I could sleep through the night with them. I will note that I have sensory sensitivities, so I may well have been more over-sensitive than others would be, but I would advise caution if you also happen to have ears that are on the small side.

My managing editor had a little more luck with them, finding them to be comfortable in general. He did find that they stuck out just enough that he needed to adjust his usual position slightly when lying on his side to accommodate them, but noted that this may be due to the fact that he uses a memory foam pillow.

If your ears are smaller than average and you struggle with earbud fit generally, then I highly recommend checking out our pick of the best earbuds for small ears.

Overall, the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds look like a great choice for those who want to experiment with different white noise and sounds for falling asleep to, or even as pleasant background noise for studying or working.

If comfort is your main priority, and you’re happy to drift off without the help of white noise, then I highly recommend the Loop Dream earplugs, which have been the comfiest earplugs I’ve ever slept in.

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• Garmin has unveiled a new sleep tracking wearable
• It's yours for $169.99 / £149.99 / AU$299
• The band is able to track multiple metrics while you sleep

Much as I love my Garmin Instinct 3, I don't like wearing it while sleeping – it's not uncomfortable, but it's too chunky and heavy for bed. Now there's an alternative for me and everyone else who owns one of the best Garmin watches: the Index Sleep Monitor.

The newly unveiled wearable looks like an oversized Whoop tracker. Crucially, it's screenless and lightweight, so it shouldn't interfere with a good night's sleep – and it can last a week between battery charges. There are even two sizes to choose between, either small/medium or large/extra large.

This isn't a totally unexpected development: earlier this month we saw a leaked video showing off what we now know is the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor in action. Details such as the week-long battery life were leaked too.

It's a wearable for sleep tracking and sleep tracking only, and it's available now for $169.99 / £149.99 / AU$299 on the Garmin website – though at the time of writing, shipping times are listed as 3-5 weeks (US and UK), and 4-7 business days (Australia).

9 key features to know about

Garmin wearables are usually some of the most comprehensive around when it comes to features, and the Index Sleep Monitor is no different. There are a total of nine different metrics tracked by the armband.

They are sleep stages (light. deep, and REM), heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, breathing variations, respiration rates, skin temperature (including extra menstrual cycle tracking for women), what Garmin calls Body Battery energy levels, and stress tracking. The ninth and final metric is an overall Sleep Score.

Add in a smart alarm feature that gently vibrates you at a time to fit in with your circadian rhythms, and it's an appealing overall package. As usual with Garmin devices, everything syncs back to the Connect app on your phone.

Garmin has also addressed another issue with sleep trackers: cleanliness. The Index Sleep Monitor band can be washed in a gentle cycle, once the actual monitor is removed, so it stays as fresh as your pajamas.

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The humble smartwatch has come a long way since the days of the enthusiast projects of Pebble and the Apple Watch Series 0. To quote Elrond, I was there, 3,000 10 years ago, on day one when the Apple Watch launched in stores. I’ve been using, selling, and writing about them ever since.

Smartwatches continue to impress and push the boundaries of exercise tracking, health features, communication, and beyond, and I’ve loved every minute of it. But even after 10 years, there’s one area of my life I’m yet to surrender to a smartwatch, and that’s sleep.

Despite the best Apple Watches coming with watchOS 11’s Vitals feature, or the best Garmins delivering their wonderful Body Battery and Training Readiness stats, I refuse to wear a smartwatch for sleep tracking. But what on earth would possess me to do such a thing?

Sleep is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and tracking it with data can give you brilliant insights or even catch dangerous diseases like sleep apnea. Some of my reasons are practical, but they’re merely side effects of tackling a much more significant problem I’ve found during my personal experience with sleep tracking. Here’s why I never wear a smartwatch to bed.

Battery life

I’ll start with a couple of the bonus benefits I’ve found over the years of not wearing a smartwatch to bed. A crucial one is battery life. My weapon of choice is the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and not wearing it to bed, between one half and a third of the 24-hour day (depending on how long I sleep), hugely extends battery life.

Unless you’re rocking a premium Garmin or the best running watches out there, just not wearing your watch to bed and turning it off instead is a super-easy way to extend your watch’s battery life.

Comfort

Another minor reason I’ve found myself choosing not to wear a watch to bed is comfort. Perhaps I’d grow into this over time, but wearing a watch to bed after all this time without one feels pretty alien, almost like I’ve not quite finished getting ready for bed.

In my head, it feels a bit like going to bed with my shoes on, or a coat. Wear your smartwatch for too long, and it all starts to get a bit sweaty and grubby. I really appreciate the time in bed without my smartwatch, which helps me keep on top of grime and lets my wrist breathe. This is why people wear the best smart rings instead.

The truth: It makes me feel worse

I’ve tried various sleep tracking methods over the years, from smartwatches to simple apps that live on your smartphone and stay open while you sleep. Everyone has a slightly different approach to the art, but the results are usually broadly similar.

When you wake up, you get some kind of metric from your device or app of choice, telling you how you’ve slept. If you pay extra, you also get to play back the audio recordings of all the funny noises you make during the night, or the violent outbursts of gibberish as you talk in your sleep.

In all my brief experiences using sleep tracking tech, I always return to the same issue. No matter how I feel in the morning, or how I think I’ve slept, I eventually become a slave to the number presented to me when I awake. I can’t count how many times I’ve woken up in the morning feeling a certain way, only to be told by a smartwatch or app that I actually had a rubbish night’s sleep. Without fail, I immediately feel terrible. What I thought was a decent night’s sleep suddenly becomes a disaster, and I find myself on the back foot before I’ve even crawled out of bed.

There are so many times that I’ve woken up feeling just fine, good even, only to be told my sleep score was 6 out of 100 and that I should feel dismally tired instead. Within minutes, I inevitably find myself feeling that way. You never quite manage to shake that feeling of tiredness throughout the day, and crucially, I often find it increases the pressure of the following night's sleep too. With one bad night in the books, you feel compelled to try and do better the following evening, and as we all know, trying to sleep well is one of the easiest ways to ensure you never do.

The upshot? Sleep tracking is a handy and valuable tool for some, but I’ve just never found a way to make it work. I’d love to incorporate it more into my life, but all my experiences thus far have found it to be way too intrusive and more harmful than helpful. So sorry, Garmin, Samsung, and Oura, you can keep your sleep scores and your Body Battery, I’m sticking to good old-fashioned vibes when the alarm goes off. At least for now.

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Eight Sleep has released the new Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra smart mattress covers, which offer temperature regulation, snore detection, heart rate tracking, and other features designed to aid sleep. 

Like its predecessor the Pod 3, the cover can be used on any existing mattress, so  if you think you’ve already bagged one of the best mattresses, you won’t have to worry about upgrading. 

The Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra pack all the basic tracking functions from heart rate variability, respiratory rate, to sleep stage tracking - the sort of functions you might find on the best fitness trackers, featuring a total of 36 advanced biometric and environmental sensors.

There are a number of exciting new features that set it apart from its previous models, Eight Sleep states the Pod 4 has been “clinically validated” to enhance your sleeping experience, adding an extra hour to your sleep time while reducing your wake time, up to three hours per month. 

Its major algorithm boost over the Pod 3 helps to improve snore detection by up to 45%, picking up on snoring for up to two individuals in one bed, without the added hassle of relying on wearables. 

The new mattress base, exclusive to the Pod 4 Ultra, adjusts to provide ‘Reading’ and ‘Sleeping’ body positions. If the Pod 4 Ultra picks up on snoring, the Base can respond by elevating the head, reducing and even stopping snoring, all without input from the user. Clever, eh? The Pod 4 also packs a new thermal engine which, according to Eight Sleep, will be able to reach temperatures as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit in hot weather conditions.

The Pod 4 is available now for $2,549 / £2,699 / AU$3,999, and Pod 4 Ultra for $4,049 / £3,849 / AU$6,249.  

Analysis: The internet of things

Smart mattress covers fall into that category of tech that makes you ask the question “why?”, much like wearable exoskeletons or AI-powered shoes. However, a mattress cover which can auto-regulate temperature, act to prevent snoring as it happens, and track your health like one of the best sleep trackers certainly sounds appealing.

According to Eight Sleep’s CEO Matteo Franceschetti, “most humans spend one-third of their lives sleeping on foam mattresses that do nothing to improve their sleep”. So with the launch of the new Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra, the mission is simple; to “continue to prove that technology can be used to understand what each person needs for optimal sleep”. 

Turns out the best smart rings, billed as the sleep-tracking form factor to watch in 2024, aren't the only game in town. Who needs a ring to improve your bedrest, if your bed does the job by itself? 

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We all have days when we use our phones right before going to bed, even though we know we shouldn’t. Admit it. We know our phones keep us awake. Some people try to mitigate the negative effects on sleep with blue-light glasses, which claim to block out rhythm-affecting blue tones in screen light, but if you’re using a fitness tracker (and if you are, it’s probably one of the best sleep trackers or best fitness trackers from our lists) you’ve likely had at least one morning when you’ve woken up, checked your stats and seen exactly how little sleep you had the night before. 

It turns out, it’s not the blue-light effect from your phone that’s keeping you awake at night, according to sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock. I met Dr Bostock at an event to celebrate the launch of the OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue in Helsinki, and she was able to answer a few burning questions about late-night phone use. 

“There are several aspects of light which affect your circadium rhythm. Brightness of light is really important. If you get very bright light it’s going to activate the receptors, which contain a pigment called melanopsin, in the back of your retina. This sends a message to the clock in your brain which tells you to be alert. 

“This pigment is more sensitive to light in the blue visible end of the spectrum, true, and when you look at a phone, it tends to be rich in blue wavelength light. But that is completely irrelevant if the light from your phone is very dim. 

“The light you typically get from your phone is about 80 lux. Usually, in the studies used to look at impact on your circadian rhythm, you expose someone to at least 2000 lux, perhaps 5,000 lux. A SAD lamp is usually 10,000 lux. The light from your phone’s impact on circadian rhythm is negligible.”

So if it’s not the blue light beaming from your phone, what’s actually keeping you awake? Dr Bostock had the answer. 

“Research has found using the bright light element of your phone only delays sleep for around 10 minutes. People getting locked into losing track of time, delaying sleep because of what they’re doing on their phone, probably delays sleep by closer to an hour. Relative to that sleep displacement, the blue light exposure is negligible.” 

Fear around phones comes from massive large-scale studies that state people who use phones before bed sleep really poorly, so the conclusion was always ‘phones must be causing poor sleep’. 

“There are two more aspects to consider. One is that people leave their phone by their bed, while it pings and alerts during the night… but phones can be helpful, some people use it as a distraction. Audiobooks are phenomenally popular.”

While Dr Bostock’s main advice is to keep your phone out of the bedroom to avoid the temptation to doomscroll, if you use it to play sleep-aid content, it’s perhaps worth keeping it across the room on another surface, out of arm’s reach. 

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• View the Zoma Livingstone bed at Zoma

Zoma Livingstone bed frame: two-minute review

Zoma is best known for its mattresses, but it also makes accessories including bed frames. For this review I tried out the Zoma Livingstone, the only one in the range to have under-bed storage. So how does it compare to the best bed frames?

At TechRadar we review plenty of the best mattresses, and it helps have a decent bed frame to complement your mattress. I recently reviewed the Zoma Hybrid mattress, but this frame can be used with all hybrid, foam and innerspring mattresses. I was pleased that I felt supported on this frame. It’s suitable for holding a combined weight of 500lbs, and I didn’t get any creaking from moving about on the mattress or when launching off the side of the bed to get up in the morning (or during the night).

It’s available in a double and king size (I tested it in the king size), and it’s only available in grey. This is the colour of the plush material that upholsters the frame. It’s a neutral tone that I feel will suit a range of bedroom themes, regardless of how comic book character or plain you’ve opted for.

It was a total pain to assemble though. The Zoma Livingstone arrives in three boxes, flat-packed. It took three hours for two of us to put it together. This was because the instructions are not easy to follow, and all the different-sized nuts, bolts and washers are mixed in with each other. The lifting mechanism is also heavyweight, and I struggled to reach towards the back of underbed storage because I couldn’t lift the mattress and frame any higher.

Priced just under £1,000, is the Zoma Livingstone for you? Keep reading my review to find out. Note, this particular Zoma frame is only available in the UK – Zoma US has its own separate range.

Zoma Livingstone bed frame review: specs

Zoma Livingstone bed frame review: price & value for money

• Available in double and king size only
• Only available to buy direct from Zoma
• High price for a flat-pack item of furniture

The Zoma Livingstone is available in a double and king size, only. At the time of writing the double was out of stock and no price was displayed. The king size has an RRP of £999. It is towards the upper price range of an under-bed storage frame which is likely to be due the use of a quality material and reinforced frame structure.

While I can’t deny that the material is lovely and the structure is solid, it does arrive totally flat-packed. Generally, flat-pack furniture means a lower price – but not in this case.

The Zoma Livingstone does get discounted, but not often. At the time of writing it was full price. You also get free shipping, although there’s no option to upgrade) and 1-year guarantee.

Zoma Livingstone bed frame review: design & materials

• Use of high-quality materials
• Reinforced design
• Available in a double or king size, only

The Zoma Livingstone is an ottoman-style bed frame. This means that there is integrated under-bed storage which is accessed by a lifting mechanism.

It’s made with a combination of sprung wooden slats and a solid metal frame, upholstered in a grey plush material. This material is sumptuous to the touch, and easy on the eye. It’s not available in any other colour.

The frame is also the only one in the Zoma bed frame range to offer storage. The Zoma Genesis is the closest match which exudes a similar grandeur with large headboard and linen upholstery; Zoma Fusion is also wrapped in a linen upholstery yet has a 94cm headboard and the Zoma Astley is crafted from solid hardwood. The Genesis is available in double, king and super king sizes, the Fusion is available in a single, double and king size and the Astley is available in a single, double and king size.

The only sizes that the Zoma Livingstone is available in are double and king size. The double measures 145 x 204cm and king-size measures 160 x 214cm. The headboard height is 110cm on both available frame sizes.

While there are no visible cleaning instructions to reference on the frame, it does say in the assembly instructions that “for cleaning you may use a damp cloth (not wet)”. The instructions also advise that the frame may stain or mark if allowed to come into contact with wet or damp objects as the materials used have not been Scotchgarded.

Zoma Livingstone bed frame review: performance

• Solid and comfortable to rest on
• Decent amount of storage
• Heavy to lift, despite the hydraulics

The Zoma Livingstone is a lovely bed to look at, and sleep on. The design and materials have made it an attractive frame to have, with the neutral décor being suitable for any bedroom theme.

To sleep on it was solid. I didn’t notice any noise from the bolts (or other components) when turning in the night. It didn’t creak when launching off the edge of the mattress during the night, or in the morning, either. Zoma advises that it can comfortably support up to 500lbs; my husband and I have a combined weight of 434lbs and have no complaints about the support.

The Zoma Livingstone is suitable for all types of mattress (hybrid, foam or innerspring). The Zoma Hybrid mattress (also on test) felt well supported, however it didn’t fit the frame entirely; there’s a few inches of space between the mattress and the edge of the frame. Although this didn’t affect the performance, it did mean that dust gathered – and it became a trap for socks. We also frequently bumped our legs into the edges of the frame, which is something that we haven’t had before when the edge of the mattress meets the edge of the frame, or overhangs.

One of the most attractive aspects of the Zoma Livingstone was, for me, the storage underneath. The amount of storage available is the size of your mattress (double or king size) which is loads. To access it, there’s a material tab attached to the base end of the frame – this needs to be tugged upwards. I found that the combined weight of the mattress and the  base made them quite hard to lift, so I wouldn’t recommend this frame for anyone who needs to be able to easily access storage with little effort. 

While the suspended frame and mattress stays in place thanks to the hydraulic lifts, I also struggled to access the storage towards the head of the bed because the frame will only lift to 40in / 101.6cm. The fabric cover that attaches to the underside of the frame with Velcro wasn’t quite large enough, either, so we had a flappy end piece that was detached underneath the headboard-end.

Everything stayed in place when lifting the bed. To put it back down, I found it easier to push the suspended mattress and frame down with my hands, rather than pull the material tab, which I’m certain would cause friction burn and a pulled muscle if yanked on too hard.

Zoma Livingstone bed frame review: customer experience

• Good customer service up to the point of delivery
• Unclear assembly instructions takes 2 adults, 3 hours
• No option to upgrade

Within a few days of the order for the Zoma Livingstone being placed, I received a text message confirming a delivery time slot. On the day of delivery I received a phone call from the delivery drivers to say that they were on their way and that they would be with me within the hour. The customer service was seamless, from that point of view.

The Zoma Livingstone arrived in three boxes. I wasn’t expecting this. Given the size and shape of the boxes (big and thin), my first impression was a bit of an “uh-oh” moment; it was totally flat packed. The delivery drivers wouldn’t carry the boxes up our stairs; it was delivered to our hallway, only. There was no option to upgrade.

If there was an option to upgrade, I would have totally paid the money to have the bed frame delivered to our bedroom and assembled; it was a nightmare. The boxes were big and heavy to carry up the stairs. Although I managed to do this on my own, I advise that two people carry the boxes. 

Assembly of the Zoma Livingstone was made difficult by the unclear instructions, and components not being marked. All the nuts, bolts and washers were mixed together, and there were three different sizes of them. It took a while to sort through all of them, and yet more time to measure them to figure out what should go where.

With the help of my mum, it took almost three hours to assemble the Zoma Livingstone. While all the necessary parts were included, it would have been super helpful to have the nuts, bolts and washer sizes clearly marked to take the guesswork out of it all. There was a lot of faff and fiddling with the small parts to get them secured onto the frame, too. Had partial assembly been a delivery upgrade, it would have been welcome.

It’s worth noting that the instructions are written in a small font and not very well laid out for easy reading. There's also no digital version of the instructions added to the website, which is something I feel would be helpful if you ever misplace the instructions after taking it down for a house move or (like me) you’re triple checking that it’s been set up correctly if something isn’t quite right.

I struggled to get the lifting mechanism to work. At first, I thought it was broken. But then I asked a brand rep to send over the instructions (because I misplaced them) and I figured out that the hydraulic arm had been installed the wrong way round. FYI: the thicker part of the hydraulic arm needs to be secured to the base, not the bit that lifts. This issue was resolved and I was able to access the storage beneath.

The Zoma Livingstone comes with a one-year warranty. This isn’t a very long time considering the price you pay for it, the effort required to assemble it and the fact that competitors who are offering similar frames provide a five-year guarantee.

Should you buy the Zoma Livingstone bed frame?

Buy it if…

✅ You need storage space: The Zoma Livingstone is an ottoman-style storage bed which lifts the mattress (with a firm pull of a tab) to access the storage space beneath.

✅ You want a plush-looking frame: High quality material has been used to wrap around the frame, and it looks fancy.

✅ You already own a mattress: There’s no need to go out and buy a new mattress to fit on the Zoma Livingstone; It’s compatible with foam, hybrid or innerspring mattresses.

Don't buy it if…

❌ You're on a budget: Priced at £999 for a king-size, the Zoma Livingstone is not a cheap bed frame. There are much more affordable options to choose from.

❌ You don’t do flat-pack: Just don’t get the Zoma Livingstone if you don’t like flat-pack. It's a hefty piece of bedroom furniture that took three hours for two people to assemble.

How I tested the Zoma Livingstone bed frame

I slept on the Zoma Livingstone for 4 weeks. I assembled it myself (with my mum's help) and have used it to store bed linen. I tested it in the king-size frame, alongside the Zoma Hybrid mattress.

When you're curled up on your best mattress, it can feel like the rest of the world simply disappears. But as comfortable as your bedding cocoon might be, if you want to get the best night's sleep, then it's important to consider your entire sleep environment – and that includes the temperature in your bedroom. 

“We suggest maintaining a cool bedroom temperature for optimal sleep,” says James Higgins, founder and CEO of Ethical Bedding. "It supports the body's natural dip in core temperature that occurs during sleep, promoting deeper and more restful sleep cycles.” In the bedroom, this translates to an ambient temperature around roughly 65 degrees Fahrenheit / 18 degrees Celsius.

A cooler bedroom isn't just a way to save on your heating bills – these lower temperatures are a way to keep your environment in sync with your circadian rhythms. In this guide, we'll take a look at why lower temperatures are better for your rest, plus some advice on how to achieve that perfect sleep environment.

How temperature affects sleep

Ambient temperature plays an important role in how well we sleep, so you want to avoid a bedroom that's too hot (or too cold). A study from 2015 found that high temperatures could cause fatigue, while research from 2022 linked increased temperatures during the night to worse sleep efficiency and quality. And a 2012 2012 study concluded that temperature was a key factor in sleep quality, with heat affecting sleep stages and thermoregulation.

If you're struggling to sleep in hot weather, try opening a window at night or using an electric fan to cool the room. Taking a lukewarm shower in the evening and drinking a glass of cold water can also help keep your body temperature down. 

And consider the role your bed itself might play. A cooling pillow is an easy way to upgrade your sleep setup – we have some excellent options in our best pillow guide – or if you regularly struggle with night sweats, consider investing in one of the best cooling mattresses.

Can it get too cold in the bedroom?

Although we recommend keeping the bedroom on the cooler side – so your environment supports your body as it prepares for sleep – don’t make your bedroom frigid. “There is a point where the room gets too cold,” says Lisa Artis, deputy CEO at Simba Sleep’s charity partner, The Sleep Charity. She warns that a cold bedroom “could cause you to wake up and take a while to get back to sleep while you warm up. Especially when the outside temperature drops to its lowest in the early hours.”

Temperature, light, and comfort are all important for achieving a good night's rest, and if your icy bedroom leaves you shivering, it will be hard to get comfortable. We have some advice on how to keep your bedroom warm without turning the heating on, so you can stay cozy during a cold snap.  

And sometimes, it is better to prioritize comfort over the cooler nights. Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert at And So To Bed suggests that, “when you are unwell you might want your room a little hotter or cooler than ‘sleep recommendations.’ It's always important to listen to your body and do what feels right for you.” 

However, as anyone who has spent the night searching for the cooler side of the pillow can attest, a lot of the time, what your body wants is a lower temperature in the bedroom. Below, we've rounded up some of our favorite bedding choices for maintaining this perfect ambient temperature. 

Bedding for maintaining the right temperature

For UK sleepers...

For US sleepers...

In recent years there has been an increasing amount of interest in how music can be used to help aid sleep. We're not talking about white noise here – we're talking about actual songs with melodies and, sometimes, lyrics. There have been a number of studies digging into the particular musical characteristics that help you physically relax and unwind.

Emma – one of our best mattress brands – was so intrigued by the idea that it worked with a composer to create its own album of original compositions, scientifically designed to be the perfect sleep playlist. Scores of Sleep, Vol 1 is now available to stream for free on Spotify, and includes 11 original tracks that form one ultra-soothing bedtime album. 

At the launch event (where pretty much everyone nodded off), we spoke to Angela Kondinska, a neuroscientist and sleep specialist who now works on the Emma product development team, to find out more about the potential of music to help us wind down. Here are her tips for how to integrate music effectively into your sleep routine. 

1. Look for these specific characteristics

There have been a few studies exploring the relationship between music and sleep, but the one that inspired Emma's album came from the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus. The 2023 study analyzed over 220,000 tracks from Spotify sleep playlists, looking for common characteristics. 

It found that, compared to playlists in general, sleep music tended to be:

• Quieter
• Less energetic and less lively
• More likely to be acoustic 
• More likely to be instrumental (without lyrics)
• Less 'danceable'
• Slower

I imagine none of those will come as a particular surprise, but they're still worth bearing in mind when selecting an album or playlist to put on in the evening. Anything that makes you want to get up and dance, or sing along, is likely having the opposite effect to the one you're looking for. 

2. Pick whatever genre appeals

At part of the Aarhus study, researchers conducted some analysis into if certain genres were better suited to sleep music than others. In that study, based on Spotify's genre tags, the most popular genre was 'sleep' (not terribly helpful, with ~47k occurrences), followed by pop (~30k) ambient (~13.5k) lo-fi (~13.5) and rap (~7k occurrences; a bit of a curve ball). 

However, other studies had different results. A 2018 study from the UK found classical music the most popular for sleep (32%), then rock (11%) and pop (8%). An Australian survey from 2020 that asked participants what kind of music helped them sleep, and found that classical was most widely effective (18.5%), then pop (12.3%) and ambient (12.3%).

The Aarhus study concluded that, "The studies agree that no single type of music is most listened to by the general population to fall asleep, accentuating the need for music-based sleep interventions to include many different choices of genres." 

That's good news, because another part of Angela's advice is to focus on your own preferences when choosing what music to integrate into your bedtime routine. Trying to force yourself to do anything – whether that's listening to a certain type of music or taking up evening yoga, or whatever – isn't going to be relaxing if you don't naturally find it relaxing. Even if it's 'supposed' to be good to sleep. 

"The more we say, 'Okay, you have to do this, [the more] stress builds up, and then we end up sleeping less because of the stress," she elaborates. "The big thing is likability, so people should enjoy the songs they listen to." Aside from the original Emma sleep album, the brand has a range of playlists in different genres for people to explore. So if you're more of a hip hop person than a classical person, there's a playlist for you...

3. Make it repetitive 

Once you've found your playlist, give it a chance to work. "What usually brings a lot of relaxation is repetitiveness. Our brains love being able to predict something," says Angela. Listening consistently each night, at the same point in your evening routine, will help amplify the relaxing properties of your sleep music. 

If, once you've given it a fair chance, it's clear that music isn't going to be the thing that helps you drop off, try something else. "Allow yourself to explore in a curious way. There's a long list of sleep tips. Try out different things… and see what works," suggests Angela. "If [one thing] doesn't work, that's okay, because there's something else that will work." 

Many of us will spend at least part of our evenings scrolling social media. And while you probably have an inkling it might not be the best thing to promote sleep, you might not have really considered the impact it could be having on your nightly routine. We spoke to a sleep expert to dig into exactly why browsing social media is such a bad idea before bed, as well as providing some easily actionable tips to help you limit your evening doomscrolling.

How can social media impact your sleep? 

"Several studies have found a link between excessive social media use and sleep difficulties," says Theresa Schnorbach, a psychologist and sleep scientist who works with Emma (one of our best mattress brands).

"Social media is deliberately designed to stimulate and excite you – that is precisely why it is so addictive and entertaining! As a result, we quickly lose track of time while watching videos or other content, and can easily spend hours on our smartphones, although we could have been sound asleep long ago."

Isn't it the blue light that's the problem? 

Most evening screen time conversations are in the context of the dangers of blue light. Put simply, studies like this one suggest that blue light is especially effective in suppressing melatonin (the hormone that prepares the body to sleep). So staring at a phone screen will make you feel awake and alert – not ideal when you're meant to be winding down. 

However, Theresa thinks the focus on blue light might be overshadowing the real problem. "[The addictive nature of social media] has shown to be in fact more dangerous than the blue light that is so often talked about in the media," she says.

How to limit your evening screen time

Cutting down on social media time is easier said than done. Here are some tips for adding structure to your evening, with activities that will help you wind down, rather than perk up. 

1. Set an alarm or screen limit

Going in with a vague plan to 'cut down on social media in the evening' isn't going to be effective for most people. Create some self-imposed rules that mean you actually stick to your intentions. "Setting an alarm for bedtime or using screen limit features on apps can help a lot to prioritize sleep," suggests Theresa.

Recommendations for when to stop looking at social media in the evening vary, but a minimum of one hour before you plan to go to sleep is a good starting place. If you have a smart speaker, you can set up an Alexa sleep routine that kicks in at the same time each night and doesn't require screens to switch on or off. 

2. Swap in other activities

"To promote relaxation in the evening, make time for activities that are actually good for you," suggests Theresa. "Be it reading, going for a walk, listening to calm music, connecting with family and friends, yoga or more. Just stay away from activities that are too stimulating or trigger negative feelings."

All of these activities can help the body prepare for sleep, so pick the ones that appeal to you rather than trying to micromanage your sleep based on what others say should help. Using music to help you sleep is something Emma has been looking into specifically recently, and even coming up with its own album of original music that has been scientifically designed to be the perfect sleep playlist.

3. Try a bedtime box

If you're struggling to put your phone down, you could try a bedtime box. This is essentially a box of activities or evening essentials (a book, some sleep tea... whatever appeals to you). Take it out in the evening when it's time to start your nightly routine, then remove the nighttime contents and replace it with your phone or tablet. That then gets put away for the night, to be retrieved in the morning. As well as creating a clear break between 'daytime' and 'sleep time', the idea of having specific activities that you save for bedtime might help turn it into something you look forward to.

Whether you’re a casual exerciser or a seasoned athlete, you probably wouldn’t mind adopting foolproof, healthy hacks to improve your physical abilities. Perhaps you already have a few in your toolkit, such as cross-training and staying on top of your protein intake and hydration status. 

Yet there’s one in particular that’s completely free and proven to improve everything from endurance and reaction time to muscle recovery, as well as providing countless benefits for your overall health. In case you haven't guessed, it’s simply getting enough sleep – and sleeping well, at that (ideally on the best mattress for your sleep requirements).

Read on to discover how the quantity and quality of your sleep can either help or hinder your physical performance and overall fitness regimen.

The relationship between sleep and exercise

A bidirectional relationship exists between sleep and exercise. Not only can exercise improve sleep by helping to regulate your circadian rhythms (aka biological clock or sleep-wake cycles) and assisting thermoregulation to induce sleep, but getting enough shuteye can also benefit your physical performance in a number of ways.

A large body of research demonstrates the benefits of improving sleep duration in athletes. A 2017 review published in Current Sports Medicine Reports notes that increases in sleep duration and quality alike are linked to improved performance, competitive success, and a lower risk of injury and illness in athletes. As such, adequate sleep can optimize health, enhance athletic output, and boost participation during training.

More specifically, a range of studies have investigated the impact of set hours of sleep amongst different types of athletes:

A small 2019 study (of 9 participants) found that cyclists and triathletes maintained better endurance after extending their usual sleep time by 30 percent over 3 nights, concluding that they should sleep more than 8 hours per night to optimize performance.

A small 2011 study (of 11 participants) found that men’s college basketball players who slept for more than 10 hours a night for up to 7 weeks experienced faster sprint times, improved shooting accuracy, increased vigor, and a stronger sense of physical and mental well-being during practice and games.

A small 2015 study (of 12 male and female participants) found that college tennis players who increased their sleep by approximately 2 hours, to sleep at least 9 hours daily (including naps) for a week, significantly improved their serving accuracy.

By and large, athletes and those who train rigorously will require more sleep than most people, due to their extensive output and subsequent heightened requirements for recovery. Still, these results show just how crucial getting enough quality sleep truly is, when linked to various markers of physical performance and well-being.

Frequent sleep issues will take a hit on your health in general, creating a domino effect that can hinder your athletic abilities.

“This could include feeling tired all the time, being more likely to have impaired decision-making and reaction times while working out where you could get hurt, and having trouble with performing at your best both physically and mentally,” says Dr. Harris. “Poor sleep can also disrupt your hormones and weaken your immune system, making it harder for you to get the most out of your workouts and increasing the risk of you getting sick.”

Disturbed sleep can affect everyone from occasional joggers to elite athletes. For instance, a 2022 study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology investigated 10 NBA seasons’ worth of data to see how jet lag affected pro basketball players’ performance and game outcomes. Home teams subjected to eastward jet lag (i.e., in which they ‘lost’ time and played in direct opposition to their biological clock) were linked to:

• Reduced wins
• Fewer points scored
• Fewer rebounds
• Less effective field goal percentages

The researchers concluded that this type of circadian rhythm disruption — which involves impaired sleep quality — may have significant consequences on both game performance as well as recovery.

The bottom line

In short, if you want to improve pretty much any marker of athletic performance as well as facilitate recovery thereafter, it’s imperative to prioritize sleep as best you can. “To stay healthy and perform your best while exercising, it's important to get enough good quality sleep every night,” Dr. Harris reiterates. Doing so won’t only support the likes of vigor, speed, endurance, and reaction time — but also more generally promote hormonal health, immune function, and physical and mental well-being.

Even one night of poor rest can throw your exercise regimen or sports performance off track. In these cases, it’s best not to exert yourself too much as you may heighten the risk of injury and adverse outcomes. “Getting a bad night's sleep can make you tired the next day and affect how well you exercise, but an easy fix for this is to make sure you get enough rest that night and the nights following,” says Dr. Harris.

Of course, sleeping well is often easier said than done, namely if you have a history of sleep issues. In addition to following healthy dietary, lifestyle, and sleep hygiene practices, it’s best to consult your physician or a sleep specialist if you struggle with sleep regularly. This will benefit both your physical performance and overall health, helping  you to score wins at the gym, during sports, and wherever else life takes you.

I've been using an eye mask every night for over a decade, and at this point, I consider a mask almost as essential for good sleep as my bed. Still, while I recognize it's worth investing in the best mattress, I always opt for cheap eye masks. So when offered the opportunity to switch my basic £6 mask for the £160 Aura smart sleep mask I was curious, but skeptical. How much can you really improve an eye mask?

But the Aura mask isn't any old sleep mask. It's a smart mask, fitted with a built-in light and speakers, connecting to the Aura app via Bluetooth to bring you wind-down meditations and wake-up lights. Head to my Aura smart sleep mask review, to learn more about what it does and how it works. It's expensive for an eye mask, but it's also unique. If you want all the benefits of using a sleep mask combined with a meditation app and a sunrise alarm, there's nothing else like the Aura.

Having used the Aura for several weeks, I can definitely see the benefits of this high-tech upgrade. With that said, I'm not ready to write off the cheap-and-cheerful basic masks I've been using for the past 10 years, especially if all you're looking for is a dark environment to help you drift off. Here's are 5 things I've learned... 

• Save 39% on the Aura Smart Sleep Mask via Aura

#1. The Aura does the basics better

Mostly what I want from a sleep mask is for it to keep things dark and stay on my face – two things my £6 eye mask does pretty well. So I was surprised to find that one of the biggest benefits of the Aura eye mask was just how much it improved on the basics.

My regular eye mask does a good job at blocking out light. I have an east-facing bedroom that catches the sun pretty early in the summer, and with my eye mask on, I can avoid being woken up two hours before my alarm is set to ring. 

However, I didn’t realize how much light got around my mask until I switched to the Aura. This was total darkness. With my regular eye mask, I can notice a difference when I hold my hands in front of my face. With the Aura, if I held a pillow over my face there was no change in the light level. It could have been midnight or noon, and I wouldn't have known.

Compared to the elasticated band of a standard eye mask, the Aura also has a more secure and comfortable fit. The wide straps of the Aura come with a slight stretch, a velcro fastening, and an anti-slip design on the interior, and together these features ensure the fit is just right. Ii was also comfortable from the get go (elastic eye masks tend to be too tight at first) and didn't budge during the night even when I tossed and turned (I've woken up with my normal mask around my neck on more than one occasion).

Is this worth the £150 price jump? On its own, no, but it's essential that Aura covers these basics to make the sleep mask functional. The reality is that if you use the Aura overnight, the blackout feature is the one you'll be getting the most use out of. In addition, if the Aura runs out of battery (which I'll cover in more detail below) these basics ensure it remains functional.

#2. In-built light is a major benefit

The main feature of an eye mask is to block out light, a feature I highly appreciate at 5am when the sun floods my east-facing bedroom. But at 7am, when I need light to indicate to my body clock it's time to wake up, this blackout is less desirable. Until now, the only way to deal with unwanted darkness has been to remove my mask when my alarm goes off, press snooze, and doze a few more minutes in the day light.

The Aura, however, neatly navigates the entire problem with an efficient solution. Fitted with an internal LED light, the Aura slowly increases brightness just before your alarm is set to sound, for a natural feeling wake-up similar to the best wake-up lights. While it can't entirely match the sunrise, it's significantly better than the total darkness I usually get when waking up with an eye mask. And because the light is determined by my alarm, it doesn't wake me up before I'm ready (something I can't say about the sun).

By fitting this light, Aura has taken one of the biggest downsides of an eye mask – total darkness in the morning – and turned it into an advantage. With the wake-up light, I had a gentle brightness kicking my body into gear whenever I wanted to get out of bed, and not a minute before.

#3. The sweaty head problem got worse

A sweaty head is a typical downside of the eye mask, and while the Aura can improve on a standard mask in a lot of ways, this is still an issue. If anything, the Aura makes overheating worse. Bigger and bulkier than your usual sleep mask, the Aura adds extra fabric to my face in a way that's particularly noticeable on warm nights.

If you struggle with the night sweats, this is going to be a major disadvantage. Instead of the Aura, you might want to consider a fabric upgrade – a breathable and moisture wicking silk sleep mask can help keep you sleep in hot weather. Otherwise, if you want to use the Aura, expect a few sweaty mornings (and maybe think about investing in one of the best cooling mattresses).

#4. An eye mask can be part of your sleep routine

Putting on my eye mask was always the last thing I did before going to sleep and while I recognized it was essential to my sleep hygiene, I wouldn't have considered it part of my bedtime routine.

But the Aura eye mask makes itself part of your bedtime routine. The built-in speakers play your choice of wind-down meditations and white noise, for an immersive experience beneath the mask. Used in bed, it's great for people like me who struggle with the transition from 'awake' to 'ready for sleep'. You're essentially being forced to into a calm, relaxing headspace.

With the Aura on, you can't do anything but pay attention to what's happening inside the mask. And because of that total blackout and secure fit, you have to make a conscious decision to remove the Aura. With a normal sleep mask, it's so easy to lift the corner, take a quick peak at your phone, and expose yourself to blue light.

Before the Aura, I thought the only role my sleep mask played in my rest was to block out light. The Aura shows that an eye mask can contribute more than just a dark environment, especially for those who might find stress or anxiety keeps them awake (many of the meditations are focused on achieving a calm mind). 

#5. Charging is a pain

To use the Aura sleep mask properly, you need to charge both the mask itself and your phone (for access to the Aura app). A basic eye mask never needs to be plugged in – something I hadn't considered an advantage until I forgot to charge my Aura.

Aura does inform you of the exact battery life when you connect to the app, and I highly recommend checking this when you wake up in the morning. It's very easy to underestimate how much battery you need to get through the night, which is I learned the hard way when the mask died at roughly 4am one morning.

The Aura alerts you when it's powering off and that's not something you want to hear in the midst of your dreams. But it's better than not being informed, and only discovering the mask has shut down when you aren't woken up. Luckily, when it happened to me, I had set my phone alarm to ring a few minutes after the (presumed) Aura alarm, so the loss of power wasn't a huge issue. However, having had it happen once, I can't bring myself to use the Aura without a back-up alarm. Just in case.

Without any power, the Aura is still useful as an eye mask (see the total blackout mentioned above). However, it loses a huge amount of functionality. And while consistent charging is something you'll learn in time, when the Aura loses battery, you miss out on a vital part of your pre-bed routine, plus your morning alarm. And with fewer opportunities to power up (it can't be done overnight because the cable connects to the mask) charging becomes a habit you need to develop fast.

It it worth upgrading your sleep mask?

I'm going to cop out here and say yes and no. It's a major price jump from a simple sleep mask to the Aura smart mask, but you also get a lot of unique benefits, including the speakers and wake-up lights. And the Aura also has the advantage of doing the basics better, which means you're still getting total darkness and an improved fit.

However, if the blackout effect is all you're after, a basic eye mask is almost as good as the Aura and significantly cheaper. Plus, you don't have to worry about charging it. And it won't ever run out of battery when your alarm is set for early the next morning.

A warm shower is a relaxing part of the bedtime routine, and when you're ready to drift off at the end of your wash, who wants the rude awakening of a hot and noisy hair dryer? But before you put your wet head on your best mattress, you need to think about what that water might be doing to your bedding.

Rex Isap, bed expert and CEO at Happy Beds warns that sleeping with wet hair is bad for more than just your split ends. “When your pillows and bedding absorb the water from your hair, it creates the perfect breeding ground for bacterial and fungal growth as they thrive in a damp environment."  

And all that growth doesn't stay tucked up in your pillow. As Rex explains, "this fungi could then be transferred to your scalp or face, putting you at risk of fungal infections." Gross and dangerous – here's why it really is worth grabbing your best hair dryer before bed.

#1. Wet hair can result in a moldy mattress

Going to bed with wet hair might seem like a harmless habit, but it could be causing serious harm to your mattress. “If the water from your hair touches your mattress during sleep, this could cause water damage," warns Rex.

“Water-damaged mattresses are more susceptible to the growth of mold," says Rex. "If inhaled or touched, this could result in an allergic reaction such as red eyes and sneezing." 

Once a mattress is wet, it takes a long time to dry. Beneath the bedding, this moisture can't dissipate, and instead gets trapped within the layers of your mattress. As well as mold, this damp can allow dust mites and bed bugs to thrive, as well as result in staining – "not to mention the fact it could cause an unpleasant smell in your bedroom,” says Rex.

If you've gone to sleep with wet hair the night before, instead of making your bed first thing, pull the sheets back in the morning and give your mattress time to breathe. And if you're worried your previous pre-bed shower routine might have damaged your mattress, we have some advice on how to get rid of dust mites and how to get rid of bed bugs. 

The best mattress protector can help limit harm from wet hair, while investing in the best mattress topper can provide an extra barrier of protection. But keep in mind that if you sleep with damp hair, it isn't just the mattress that will be suffering...

#2. You might end up with neck ache

Going to bed with wet hair and waking up with a pain in the neck? It's not just a coincidence – there's an unexpected connection between the two. “Wet hair can result in the fillings of your pillow being unevenly distributed," explains Rex. "This will affect how supportive it is." 

Instead of gently cradling your head, this uneven distribution can hold your neck at an uncomfortable angle. As Rex says, "this can lead to physical issues such as back and neck pain, as your neck and spine should be aligned when you sleep."

Wet hair is also a reason why pillows can turn yellow, especially if you haven't done a very good job washing out the shampoo and conditioner. And similar damp staining might mean you have a lot of work to do next time you clean your headboard. Although, at least when your headboard gets damp, it isn't against your skin. Which brings us to the next problem...

#3. Damp pillows can cause skin infections

As Rex mentions, going to bed with wet hair turns your pillow into the kind of damp, warm environment that bacteria and fungi love. When you lie on your pillow, this fungi can then transfer to your bare skin, potentially resulting in an infection.

“One of the most common fungal infections of the skin is ringworm, which can cause a dry, scaly, or itchy patch on the affected area. It is frequently spread through contact with items infected with this type of fungi, including bedding, according to the NHS website," says Rex.

Worried about infections? We have some advice on how to clean your pillows, which you should aim to do roughly every six months (even if you always go to bed with dry hair). Additionally, it's worth investing in some pillow protectors – fabric socks that sit between your case and pillow. This added barrier can prevent too much moisture from your damp hair seeping into your pillow.

But the best solution is to simply dry your hair before going to bed. If you don't have a hair dryer, we can help you find one that will make drying your hair as quick and easy as possible – check out our guide how to buy a hair dryer.

What to do if you go to bed with wet hair

Despite your best intentions, do you still find yourself occasionally going to bed with wet hair? Here's what you can do to limit the damage it does to your mattress. 

#1. Get rid of the worst of the moisture

While dry hair is best, if you don't have time for a full blow dry routine, the next best option is to remove the worst of the moisture. Use a microfiber towel or have a quick blast with the hair dryer so your hair isn't sopping wet by the time you get into bed.

#2. Regularly clean your mattress

You should deep clean your mattress twice a year anyway, but if wet hair is causing water damage, you might need to do it more regularly. However, stripping the bed, washing your sheets, and spot cleaning stains once a week gives the mattress a chance to air out and you a chance to deal with small problems before they become major issues. This regular cleaning doesn't have to be a massive chore – you can clean your mattress with household products, and if you wait until the last hours of the weekend for your big tidy, you might even find this so-called Sunday reset helps you sleep. 

#3. Invest in mattress and pillow protectors

It's worth buying mattress and pillow protectors even if you don't go to bed with wet hair, as they help keep your sleep setup as fresh as possible. As well as adding a barrier between you and your bedding, these protectors are significantly easier to wash than a mattress or pillow. So if things do get damp, you can simply whip off the protectors, give them a wash, and keep the mattress beneath clean.

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow: two-minute review

The Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow is the cheapest pillow of the two that Panda makes, but it doesn’t skimp on quality. It’s one of TechRadar’s best pillow selections and offers a luxurious feel with its soft bamboo cover. I’m a huge fan of the Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress, which is rated by TechRadar as one of the best mattresses currently on sale in the UK. But how did the pillow match up?

Like most memory foam pillows, the Panda isn’t going to win any design awards. It’s a lump of memory foam (three layers, to be exact), covered with a mesh polyester internal pillow protector and finished with a bamboo/polyester cover. Pick the pillow up and feel it, and it’s a different story. The bamboo cover feels luxurious to the touch and is really soft – this is a pillow you’ll want to lay your head on. I love the little panda face in the corner as well.

Not everyone is a fan of memory foam and, as someone who loves a soft pillow, I did initially find the Panda way too solid. But over time, I appreciated the neck support. As a lightweight side and back sleeper, the loft suited me perfectly. However, both my husband and I found it difficult to change positions on the pillow and neither of us particularly enjoyed the moulding sensation of the memory foam. However, if you are a fan of the memory foam ‘hug’, the Panda is a great pillow to go for. At under £50 it’s also very good value for a high-quality memory foam pillow.

Panda Bamboo Pillow review: price & value for money

• Mid-range pricing, but a premium feel
• 30-day trial and 10-year warranty
• Rarely discounted

The Panda pillow retails at £44.95 and comes in one size, fitting neatly into the mid-range pricing bracket. With its high-quality bamboo cover, it feels like a premium pillow and looks extremely smart (or, at least, as smart as a lump of foam can look). There’s a 30-day trial period, which is a real godsend if you’re not used to the feel of memory foam and need time to decide if it suits your sleeping style.

The 10-year warranty is particularly generous for a pillow – none of the other pillows in our best pillow round-up have longer than three years. And if you decide during the 30-day trial period that the pillow isn’t for you, you can return it for a full refund. Next day delivery and returns are also both free.

Panda discounts aren’t common. I’ve seen the occasional 10% off, but this is generally only around major sales events. I'd recommend bookmarking our mattress deals page, as it will keep you up to date with when the brand is having a sale. 

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review: design & materials

• Removable and washable cover
• Three layers of visco memory foam
• Internal mesh polyester inner cover

Like most memory foam pillows, the Panda is essentially just a lump of memory foam and not particularly enticing shape-wise. At 12cm deep, 40cm wide and 60cm long, it’s slightly shorter than a standard pillow at 70cm, but it still fits neatly into a pillow case. The 70% bamboo cover is the winning touch here – it feels soft and luxurious, and really adds a premium touch to the pillow.

I also really liked the inclusion of the inner mesh polyester cover, which acts as a natural pillow protector. This is stitched around the pillow to help protect the foam. Speaking of the memory foam, it’s Reach-certified, meaning no harmful chemical were used during manufacturing. And the bamboo cover is naturally breathable, antibacterial and hypoallergenic, making this a great choice for allergy sufferers.

The pillow arrived wrapped in a reusable bamboo bag and a 100% biodegradable box, made from recycled paper that can obviously be recycled again. It was ready to sleep on straight out of the box and, somewhat unusually for memory foam, I didn’t notice any off-gassing at all.

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review: care & allergies

The bamboo cover is removable and can be washed on a cool wash of up to 40 degrees before being hung to dry. The memory foam can only be spot cleaned but, with the two covers in place, it should be well protected.

The memory foam in the pillow is Reach-certified and the pillow conforms to the OEKO-TEX standard, meaning that the whole pillow is free from harmful chemicals that could cause skin irritation. As I already mentioned, the bamboo cover is also naturally breathable, antibacterial and hypoallergenic, making this a great choice for allergy sufferers.

If you join Panda’s mailing list, the brand protects five trees. And the pillow is vegan- and bird-friendly, as well as only using bamboo from FSC approved forests where wildlife habitats are protected and monitored.

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review: comfort & support

• Medium-firm feel
• 12cm loft
• Best suited to back and side sleepers

As I mentioned at the top of this article, I had some quite differing feedback on this pillow from people I asked to test it. Both my husband and I struggled with the ‘hug’ of the memory foam, although it’s clearly not as pronounced as with some memory foam pillows. Despite this, I could see and feel how supportive it was around the neck and do think it would be an excellent choice for those prone to neck pain.

I would describe this pillow as medium-firm, with a medium loft of 12cm. It’s pretty lightweight for a memory foam pillow and overall it retained its shape well after getting up in the morning. But my husband, who weighs more than I do, found it quite difficult to change position during the night, feeling that the memory foam had a tendency to settle in one place, which then made his head just want to fall back into that ‘groove’.

Side and back sleepers should enjoy the feel of this pillow, which is nicely supportive but doesn’t throw the spine out of alignment. But a friend who sleeps on her stomach who tried the pillow felt that her head was being raised too high to keep the spine aligned.

I also gave the pillow to another friend who usually sleeps on a Tempur memory foam pillow. He had quite a different experience. As someone who is used to the heavier Tempur pillow and the more pronounced ‘hug’, he felt that the Panda wasn’t supportive enough for side sleeping. He also felt that the Panda compressed far more than a Tempur pillow and offered less resistance to a sleeper’s head. My feeling is that this makes the Panda pillow an excellent choice for memory foam novices, combining the best of memory foam along with a lighter feel.

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review: temperature regulation

Memory foam is notorious for trapping heat, which can make for an unpleasantly hot sleeping experience. But Panda has been clever here with the inclusion of a bamboo cover.

Bamboo is naturally breathable and helps to encourage airflow. This, combined with the inner mesh cover, meant that I never felt warm on the pillow. Neither did my husband, which is perhaps of more relevance, as he has a tendency to sleep warm. The pillow doesn’t feel cool to the touch but does feel fairly neutral. For context, we were sleeping in a room that was around 14-15C overnight.

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review: specs

Should you buy the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow?

Buy it if...

✅ You sleep on your side or back: The Panda pillow is nicely supportive and does a good job of keeping the spine aligned in both these sleeping positions. And while there is a distinctive memory foam ‘hug’ to the pillow, you won’t sink in too far.

✅ You sleep hot: Memory foam is notorious for trapping heat, but the Panda’s bamboo cover did an excellent job of keeping my husband (a hot sleeper) cool and comfortable through the night.

✅ You suffer from neck pain: Once you get used to the feel of the Panda pillow, you will start to see how supportive it is around the neck. If you suffer with neck pain, this pillow could help to alleviate it.

Don't buy it if...

❌ You’re a stomach sleeper: This pillow’s loft is too high for a stomach sleeper and is likely to throw the spine out of alignment if you’re lying on your front. Instead, consider a low loft foam pillow such as the 8cm Levitex Sleep Posture Pillow.

❌ You change positions a lot: The Panda pillow wasn’t always easy to change sleeping positions on, with the foam wanting to push a sleeper’s head back to their original sleeping position. A more traditional pillow, such as the Simba Stratos Pillow that's filled with down-like fibre clusters, might be a better alternative.

❌ You’re not a fan of the memory foam ‘hug’: Even though the Panda has quite a light memory foam ‘hug’, it still contours and wraps itself around your head to a certain degree. For some people, this will just be a feeling that they can’t get used to; for more bounce and less hug, try the Origin Coolmax Latex Pillow.

How I tested the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow

I slept on the Panda pillow for two weeks and also asked my husband and other friends to try the pillow out for differing opinions. There’s only one style and loft of pillow available. I tested the pillow during both a slightly chilly spell and an unseasonably warm patch, which gave a great indication of how the pillow performed in different temperatures. I also tested the pillow in a variety of sleeping positions to see which were most comfortable and supportive.

Those on the quest for better sleep have probably heard that bright lights and restful slumber are incompatible. Evening screen time can affect how well you sleep, as can light pollution from the street that illuminates your room when you’re tucked under the covers. 

Exposure to either source can throw your circadian rhythm (AKA sleep-wake cycles) off balance, thus standing in the way of falling asleep quickly and achieving quality rest, even if you've invested in the best mattress. However, you may be surprised to learn that a very specific type of light exposure in the evening can actually improve sleep… and it’s none other than the light from a sunset.

Keep reading to learn about the primary benefits of watching a sunset and how doing so can boost your sleep quality and well-being. Plus: what to do to mimic the restorative powers of natural sunlight for better rest.

How light exposure affects sleep

Just as your diet, exercise routine, and general health status can dictate how well (or how poorly) you sleep, so can your exposure to light throughout the day.

“Light is an important modulator of sleep (and wakefulness),” says Nilong Vyas, MD, board-certified pediatrician, sleep coach, and founder of family sleep consulting service Sleepless in NOLA in New Orleans, Louisiana. Again, it holds a massive influence over your circadian rhythm. “When this system is in harmony, it promotes physical and emotional benefits.”

In simple terms, bright light exposure signals wakefulness, which makes it beneficial in the morning. Meanwhile, darkness is conducive to settling down to sleep at night.

“Before the overt use of artificial lights and electronic devices and less frequent outdoor time, the rising and setting sun set people's sleep-wake cycles,” Dr Vyas explains. “However, we now have to put more effort into optimizing our cycles through systematically timed light and dark stimulation.”

These points considered, Dr Vyas says specific light wavelengths can signal to the brain that it’s time to wake or sleep. “Exposing the retinas to light at certain times of day helps set the sleep-wake cycle,” she shares, which is where the benefits of watching a sunset for sleep comes in.

According to a 2020 study published in the journal Current Biology, the light wavelengths at both sunrise and sunset have a major impact on brain centers that regulate not only your internal clock but also alertness, mood, and cognitive function. The researchers explain that the cone photoreceptors in the eyes respond to:

• Short wavelength blue light, such as the kind illuminating your devices and streaming from artificial light sources
• Long wavelength orange and yellow light and contrasting light, which exists at sunrise and sunset

The latter wavelengths can be immensely helpful for your sleep patterns, as it “stimulates the cone photoreceptor inputs to specific neurons in the eye that regulate circadian rhythms.”

3 benefits of watching a sunset

Dr Vyas says that watching a sunset can improve sleep in a few ways.

1. It boosts melatonin levels

“The sunset activates the signal to the brain that it will soon be time for sleep by increasing melatonin levels,” she says. Melatonin is the famed sleep hormone, and its night time release is crucial to facilitate a smooth transition from wakefulness to sleepiness.

(Exposure to blue light and environmental light pollution close to bedtime suppresses the secretion of melatonin, Harvard Health explains — hence why both sources are red flags as far as sleep hygiene is concerned.)

2. It promotes deeper, more restorative sleep

“Increasing exposure to light waves at sunset resets the circadian rhythm, precipitating deeper and more restful sleep overnight,” Dr Vyas continues.

3. It supports relaxation and sleep latency

“If done regularly, watching the sunset can be an activity that creates a relaxation state in the body,” the sleep expert continues. Watching the sunset can inspire a sense of awe, which — when experienced on a daily basis — can reduce stress and help alleviate somatic health symptoms including insomnia and fatigue, per a 2023 article in the journal Scientific Reports.

When your body and mind are at ease — from watching a sunset, enjoying fresh air in nature, or any combination of contributing factors — you set the stage for shorter sleep onset (aka sleep latency), says Dr Vyas. In other words, you’ll have a much easier time drifting off to sleep.

How to mimic a sunset if you can't see one

Though it’s a worthy goal to watch a sunset — for your sleep, relaxation, and exposure to nature’s wonders alike — it might not be possible to catch it regularly. In this case, you have a few options at your disposal.

“If watching the sunset regularly is too difficult, several devices are available for purchase that mimic evening lux values to improve overnight sleep quality and quantity,” Dr Vyas shares. Many of today's best smart lights have settings that can mimic a sunset. 

One option is the TUO Circadian Smart Bulb, which uses patented, UV-free technology based on findings by the University of Washington’s leading vision and neuroscience centers (including the research cited above). This light connects to WiFi and adjusts based on your personalized sleep schedules and lighting preferences, helping to mimic both a sunrise and a sunset.

Other lighting technology such as SAD lights and sunrise lights are also available, though they won’t target the same part of the eye (and elicit the precise benefits of a sunset outlined above).

All the while, there’s no shortage of hacks to optimize your sleep that include but go beyond lighting considerations alone. Some of the most effective and foolproof sleep hygiene tips worth adopting include:

• Limiting screen time in the hours leading up to bed
• Dimming lights as part of your bedtime routine
• Investing in blackout curtains or shades to block light pollution
• Setting a cool and breathable bedroom environment
• Using a white noise machine or app to drown out noise pollution
• Ensuring you have the best mattress for your body type and sleeping position

Hello to the long weekend and an extra big hello to a massive mattress saving – the Nectar Memory Foam mattress is currently 20% off, taking a double down to just £480. That's the cheapest price we've seen for this mattress since we started recording prices in 2022 – we recommend spending your bank holiday weekend snatching up this bargain. That way, by the time the next bank holiday rolls around (May 6th, not that I’m counting), you’ll be able to celebrate your lie-in in style. 

The Nectar memory foam mattress is a hugely popular bed with a versatile sleep surface and a strong all-round performance that has earned it a place in both our best mattress and best memory foam mattress guide. You can learn more about our experience with our Nectar memory foam mattress review. 

Otherwise, keep on reading to see why this Nectar mattress deal should bring some sunshine to your Easter weekend. And if that doesn't catch your eye, you can find the rest of the spring savings with our mattress sales hub.

This deal is for the UK Nectar memory foam mattress – if you're in the US, you can get a queen size Nectar memory foam mattress for just $649 in the Nectar spring sale, which is an equally impressive saving (although, you won't get the long weekend thrown in for free as well).

Buy it if...

✅ You want a mattress that cradles you: The Nectar memory foam mattress doesn't have the deep sink of a softer all-foam mattress, but it's also not a bed you lie on top of. Instead, those cushioned upper layers will gently cradle your body, with an initial softness that gives way to a sturdy support.

✅ You want premium extras: While the Nectar is a mid-range mattress, the extras are undoubtedly premium. You can enjoy a 365-night mattress trial – that's a full year to try out the bed – plus a lifetime guarantee with your purchase. 

✅ You share a bed: Good motion isolation is when a mattress is able to absorb movement on one side so it doesn't disturb a person sleeping on the other. The Nectar memory foam mattress is great at this and, combined with the versatile sleep surface, this makes it a particularly comfortable choice for couples.

Don't buy it if...

❌ You're a side sleeper with a lightweight build: The Nectar mattress has a medium-firm feel without the plush cushioning of other memory foam mattresses. Lightweight side sleepers might prefer the softer surface of the Emma Original – you can learn more with our Emma Original mattress review (and there's 20% off with the Emma spring sale).

❌ You want a more luxurious feel: As a mid-range mattress, the Nectar doesn't deliver the premium sleep experience that you might expect from the very best beds. In our Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress review we noted how this bed suits similar sleep styles (back and combi) while also delivering a luxury finish. There's a rare Panda 25% off sale running right now.

❌ You sleep hot: Memory foam mattresses can sleep hot and while the Nectar isn't terrible in this area, frequent night sweat-sufferers might prefer a more breathable bed, such as the Nectar Premier Hybrid. Our tester was impressed with the overall cooling capabilities during our Nectar Premier Hybrid review, and this bed is in the same Nectar Easter sale, with a double down to just £740.

Browsing our guide to the best hybrid mattresses and wondering whether this type of bed is right for you? Most of the best mattresses around are hybrids, and there are some excellent advantages to this build style. So if you're shopping for a new bed, it's a good place to start.

By definition, hybrid mattresses are multi-layered mattresses that contain at least two different types of materials. It can be any combination of materials, but hybrids usually combine springs with some kind of foam. And while their properties vary depending on their exact design, hybrid beds can be excellent at delivering support, pressure relief, and cooling. 

We've taken a look at the down-sides of buying a hybrid mattress, but now it's time to explore the flip-side: what are the advantages of buying a hybrid bed? And as you're about to find out, there's quite a few of them. Let's get started...

#1. Good temperature regulation

If you tend to wake up sweaty and uncomfortable – even in the middle of winter – then you want to pay attention to this performance factor. A mattress with good temperature regulation stays an even, cooler, temperature throughout the night to prevent you from overheating. And it's an area where hybrids beds can excel. 

The dense structure of mattress foams mean they can cling on to body heat. Manufacturers have come up with all kinds of fancy ways to stop memory foam mattresses from sleeping hot – we’re talking copper-infusions, phase-change materials, perforated air channels, and that’s just the tip of the all-foam cooling iceberg. But if your mattress also contains coils, it's always going to be better at regulating temperature. The gaps between the springs leave space for air to circulate, allowing heat to dissipate.

Of course, some hybrid mattresses are better than others at cooling. If your hybrid has a thick layer of memory foam at the top, it still might run a bit warm. But, overall, we expect the majority of hybrid mattresses to offer better temperature regulation than an all-foam mattress. (If you really struggle with overheating at night, you want one of the best cooling mattresses.)

#2. Stronger edge support

If the center of your mattress feels sturdy but the sides sink as soon as you sit on them, your bed has bad edge support. Edge support refers to how stable the perimeter of the mattress is, and it’s a necessary component if you push against the edge of the bed to get up in the morning (particularly for those with poor mobility). It’s also an important feature for those who share a bed, especially if your partner likes to stretch and you often find yourself clinging to the edges.

Overall, hybrids tend to have better edge support than all-foam mattresses. Hybrid beds can increase edge support by using thicker, stronger coils at the perimeter, adding foam railings to the side, or a combination of the two. If you want to starfish across the full surface of the bed without feeling like you're rolling off, it's worth considering a hybrid.

#3. They’re easy to move around on

The spring layer found in most hybrids makes them more responsive and easier to change position on, compared to a slow-moving foam mattress. With a bouncy hybrid, you can switch sides and the surface will meet your new position almost immediately, allowing you to stay comfortably supported even if you toss and turn. Beds with more sink, like many of the best memory foam mattresses, can be a struggle to move around on, as the foams hold onto your old position.

#4. They suit back and stomach sleepers

We tend to associate hybrid mattresses with a firmer feel and memory foam mattresses with a softer feel. Now, there’s lots of variation within that (there are softer hybrids and firmer memory foam mattresses) but broadly, hybrid beds have a more supportive feel than a cushioned memory foam.

This makes them a good choice for those who sleep on their back or stomach and therefore requires extra support at the hips or lower back. We also recommend hybrids for those with heavier bodies, as the combination of coils and cushion materials can provide head-to-toe support. All the mattresses in our best mattress for bigger bodies guide are hybrids.

#5. Hybrids are versatile

Hybrids are mattresses that combine two types of materials – and that leaves a lot of room for variation. Typically, hybrids consist of springs and foams. Some use more springs and less foam, others opt for more foam, less springs, and some have an even balance of the two. Check out two of our favorite hybrids – the Saatva Classic and the Helix Midnight. In our Saatva Classic mattress review, we noted the thin layer of foam meant this hybrid felt more like an innerspring mattress. Whereas in our Helix Midnight review, we found the multiple layers of foam created a more sumptuous experience.

You can also find a wide range of comfort materials used in hybrids. Some stick with softer memory foams, others use latex (most of our best organic mattresses combine springs with latex), and you can even find natural cushioning materials, such as wool. And there are plenty of spring variations to consider as well. Although many hybrids use just one layer of springs, some have multiple, including layers of responsive micro-coils.

And a hybrid doesn't need to be springs and coils. That might be what we expect from a hybrid mattress, but technically any material combination can count. Check out our Purple mattress review – this bed contains a GelFlex Grid and foams, giving it a completely unique feel.

All this results in a style of bed that suits a vast range of people. So if you're thinking of buying a new mattress, a hybrid is a great place to start trying out different surface feels, to see what you need in a bed.

Can’t start your day without a hearty dose of coffee? Regularly brew a cup of green tea after lunch? While these caffeinated drinks offer health benefits that go beyond helping you perk up and stay focused, relying on them in high quantities and/or drinking up too late in the day could mean bad news for your shuteye come nightfall, and having even the very best mattress may not be enough to lull you off to sleep.

If you can’t bear to part ways with your go-to sources of caffeine, it’ll be in your best interest to at least cap off intake at a certain point in the day; it's also useful to know that the best time in the morning to drink coffee is 10am, not first thing.

We spoke to a dietician to discover if there’s an ideal time to stop caffeinating for the sake of better sleep, and also learned why caffeine and sleep are at odds with each other, as well as finding out about some surprising sources of the stimulant you may also want to steer clear of.

When should I stop drinking caffeine before bed?

“It is suggested that most people should stop consuming caffeine at least six hours before bedtime [to avoid] disruptive effects on sleep,” says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, founder and director of Real Nutrition in New York City.

According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, participants who consumed 400 milligrams of caffeine 0, 3, or 6 hours before their regular bedtime led to significantly disturbed sleep compared to placebo groups.

People who are sensitive to caffeine and/or have ongoing sleep issues may want to cease caffeinating even earlier than the six-hour mark. On the other hand, some may take to a post-dinner shot of espresso just fine and have no difficulty catching their ZZZs within a few hours’ time.

In short, the ideal caffeine cutoff time will be based on the individual, so the six-hour mark is a decent general guideline. “The timing may vary due to the high variability of individual responses to caffeine consumption based on sex, age, diet, health, metabolism etc.,” Shapiro explains. “Depending on the individual, the effects of caffeine consumption can last up to 12 hours.”

The amount of caffeine present in the beverage will also play a role, she adds. For example, a large cup of coffee can pack over 400 milligrams of caffeine, while a bottle of iced tea can offer 20 to 50 milligrams per serving. Caffeine content will vary based on factors such as the size of the drink, brands, and brewing times.

What caffeine does to your body

“Caffeine is a stimulant that increases activity in your brain and nervous system, and increases circulation of neurotransmitters including cortisol and adrenaline,” Shapiro explains. (Cortisol is known as the stress hormone yet it also helps us stay alert. Similarly, adrenaline helps prepare us for fight-or-flight mode and allows us to react quickly.)

Short-term effects of caffeine, she continues, typically include:

• Mental alertness
• Physical energy
• Increased breathing
• Faster heart rate

Caffeine isn’t without its risks. Shapiro warns that high doses, frequent use, or potential adverse effects may include:

• Restlessness
• Excitement
• Tremor
• Anxiety
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Physical and/or psychological dependence

Why caffeine disrupts sleep

Most people reach for caffeine since it helps them stay awake, so it makes sense that it’d be at odds with falling asleep.

“Caffeine acts primarily on receptors in the body that are related to functions of the brain associated with sleep, arousal, and cognition,” Shapiro explains. “Adenosine receptor agonists in the brain generally promote sleep, and caffeine promotes wakefulness by antagonizing [i.e., inhibiting or counteracting] those receptors.”

In other words, caffeine disallows certain sleepiness cues to kick in when they should—which is how coffee, caffeinated tea and the like can prevent a good night’s rest.

In addition to affecting sleep latency (i.e., the time it takes to fall asleep), caffeine may also worsen sleep quality. In a 2021 randomized controlled trial in healthy men, published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, those who had 150 milligrams of caffeine three times in the daytime over 10 days experienced the following sleep issues compared to a placebo group:

• Delays in REM sleep (a sleep stage that heavily influences subjective sleep quality)
• Greater difficulty waking up
• Feeling more tired upon arising

What foods and drinks contain caffeine?

You likely already know that coffee, some teas (namely black and green tea), and energy drinks contain caffeine. However, they’re not the only dietary items that pack the stimulant.

According to Shapiro, additional sources of caffeine you may want to cut off by the afternoon include:

• Soft drinks, such as soda
• Gum
• Some protein bars
• Chocolate/cacao
• Some medications

Moreover, it’s worth remembering that the terms ‘decaf’ and ‘caffeine-free’ aren’t interchangeable. The former indicates that caffeine was removed from a given product and trace amounts will likely remain present. Meanwhile, the latter indicates that caffeine wasn’t in a given product (such as the majority of herbal teas) to begin with.

The takeaway

If you struggle to fall asleep at night, you may find relief by ceasing caffeine intake 6 hours before bedtime. However, since caffeine tolerance varies by the individual, you might need to extend this timeline, sometimes to as long as 12 hours.

It could also benefit your ZZZs to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume (i.e., going from two cups to one cup daily) or perhaps even slowly taper off caffeine entirely.

Last but not least, you can always add items that promote better rest—such as chamomile tea and tart cherry juice—into your nightly regimen.

We might traditionally associate Easter with chocolate and bunny rabbits, but how about bamboo, pandas, and a brand new mattress? With 25% off the Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress, now is the perfect time to treat yourself to a premium sleep experience. But act fast, as Panda sales are rare, and they never last for very long.

The Panda Bamboo Hybrid has earned a spot in our best mattress guide thanks to its overall quality build and highly supportive feel – you can learn more about why we rate this mattress so highly in our Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress review. One of the best hybrid mattress picks, the Panda is perfect for stomach and back sleepers, or anyone seeking a long-lasting, supportive bed.

Not sure if this premium bed is the one for you? Stick around to discover why this spring saving from Panda is one mattress sale you don't want to let pass you by. 

Buy the Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress if...

✅ You want to invest in quality: Our reviewer was impressed with the thoughtful build, overall durability, and luxury feel of this mattress. We think this bed is worth the money at full price, which makes this rare sale an opportunity to grab a bargain.

✅ You sleep on your back or stomach: With a medium-firm feel and strategically zoned springs helping keep the spine aligned, the Panda hybrid is a good choice for stomach and back sleepers. It's firm enough to keep the hips and lower back supported, while the soft bamboo cover and comfort foams add gentle contouring and cushioning.

✅ You want edge-to-edge support: Thanks to its impressive edge support, you can make the most of every square inch of the Panda hybrid surface without sinking. Good edge support also helps those with limited mobility who need to push against the side of the bed to get up. Press against the sides of the Panda and you'll find a stable base.

Buy the Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress if...

❌ You're a lightweight side sleeper: The Panda hybrid is a versatile mattress, but lightweight side sleepers might find it a little too firm at the hips and shoulders. In our Brook + Wilde Elite mattress review, we were impressed by the multitude of firmness options – lightweight side sleepers should opt for 'medium' or 'soft'. You can claim 50% off the Brook + Wilde Elite with the code UPTO60.

❌ You're on a tight budget: The Panda is a premium-priced mattress. While this discount is a big one, it's still not the most affordable bed. Check out our Emma NextGen Premium mattress review for a more budget-friendly hybrid with a similar feel. A double Emma NextGen Premium mattress is just £503.30 in the Emma spring sale. Alternatively, consider a mattress topper. In our Panda Bamboo mattress topper review, we found it was a budget-friendly way to update an old mattress. And it's just £125.96 for a double in the Panda sale.

❌ You're sensitive to strong smells: Our tester noted a strong mattress off-gassing smell that hung around for a week once the Panda Bamboo was set up. This scent should disappear eventually, and ventilating the room can help it clear quicker, but for those first few nights, you might experience a bit of a smell. 

If you want your best hybrid mattress to provide you with supportive sleep for as long as possible, you need to take good care of it. More often than not, that means you have to rotate your hybrid bed.

Rotating a hybrid adjusts where the pressure is placed overnight. Instead of always lying on the same springs and foams, causing them to repeatedly compress and eventually sag, your weight will be distributed to different parts of the bed. Rotating can keep your best mattress at its best. In this guide, we’ll dive into rotating a hybrid mattress, including when you don’t need to do it. For more information on how, when, and why to turn your bed, check out our guide to flipping and rotating mattresses.

Rotating a hybrid can be a little difficult, because the presence of springs mean they tend to be heavy beds (that’s one of the disadvantages of a hybrid mattress). However, it doesn’t need to be done very often, and it’s worth the effort for the comfort regular rotation will deliver. And on the flip side, most hybrid mattresses don’t need to be flipped.

But before you start moving your bed around, keep in mind that you don’t need to rotate all hybrid mattresses. Some hybrids feature zoned layers that are designed to only be used one way round.

When not to rotate a hybrid mattress

Some hybrid mattresses contain zoned support – extra reinforcement where your body needs it most. In many cases, this zoned support is at the center of the bed, so the mattress can be rotated without affecting the feel. However, sometimes this reinforcement is more localized, and rotating the bed will put the support in the wrong place. This will make the mattress uncomfortable to sleep on, and it can also affect the longevity. 

If you’re not sure whether you need to rotate your hybrid mattress, check any information that arrived with the mattress when it was delivered, or head across to the brand website, where you should find the information you need.

Two hybrid mattresses that require rotating

And one that doesn't

I fell asleep at the last press event I attended. It's not as bad as it sounds. In fact, instead of being wildly unprofessional, it was actually what the hosts were hoping for.  

The event was to launch Scores of Sleep, Vol 1 – an album that's been composed specifically to lull you to sleep. Emma (one of our best mattress brands) looked at a study exploring the characteristics of sleep-promoting music, then worked with composer Torben Brüggemann to create a series of original tracks that would provide the perfect bedtime playlist. 

The whole thing was performed live, with Torben on keyboard, along with an electronic artist and string quartet, to an audience tucked up on Emma mattresses. Sure, it's one of the weirder press events I've been to, but it certainly illustrated how effective Emma's album is: I fell asleep during the final tracks, but judging by the (thankfully quiet) snores around, I was one of the last to nod off. 

Not everyone has a string quartet to serenade them off to sleep, but Scores of Sleep, Vol 1 is available to stream for free on Spotify, so you can listen to it from the comfort of your own bed. Perhaps it'll be even more relaxing without an array of strangers snoozing nearby? I couldn't say.

Sleep music characteristics

What makes Emma's sleep album so effective? There have been a few studies exploring how we use music to regulate our behavior in everyday life, but Emma's starting point was a 2023 study from the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus. Researchers analyzed over 220k tracks from Spotify sleep playlists to find common features. 

Compared with other general playlists, they discovered the sleep tracks tended to be quieter, less energetic and less 'danceable', so the listener is less motivated to move to them, as well as being more likely to be acoustic and instrumental. They also found a specific tempo (around 105 BPM) that was most relaxing. These characteristics were used to inform Emma's original compositions.

How to use music in your evening routine

I spoke to neuroscientist and sleep specialist Angela Kondinska, who now works on the Emma product development team, to find out more about the brand's vision for the album. She explained that the idea of releasing it on Spotify was so that people could use it how they want to, whether that's to help them relax before bed, as part of their sleep routine, or as a playlist to actually fall asleep to.

She's also keen to emphasize that one of the most important things when it comes to any aspect of your evening routine is to find something that appeals to you, rather than trying to shoehorn something in just because you've been told it should help. Lots of people find white noise soothing, for instance, but if irritates you it's never going to help you relax and sleep. (In general, Angela thinks it's time to stop micromanaging sleep.)

"The big thing is likability, so people should enjoy the songs they listen to," she says. If Scores of Sleep isn't your thing, it's far from your only choice. In fact, Emma has also curated a range of sleep playlists, in genres from pop to hip-hop, as well as rating popular artist's most sleep-inducing tunes. 

Bedrooms should be a sanctuary for sleep; a place where you can switch off from the world and focus on relaxation. So it's no wonder that sleep experts are united in their dislike of the office bedroom. But for many remote workers, a desk in the bedroom is a necessity for quiet working conditions, even if sleep suffers as a result. 

I'm a hybrid worker, and when I'm at home, my bedroom is my office. However, I really love my sleep and having spent three years working from the same corner of my room, I've found ways to stop my home office from disrupting my dozing. And because I know how important it is to get as much sleep as you need, I want to share my tips with you.

But before we get started – if your office is in the bedroom, it's important that your setup is as comfortable as possible. Our best mattress and best pillow guides ensure your sleep is supported, while our guide to the best office chairs can take care of you during the day.

Why are bedroom offices bad?

Having your office in your bedroom erodes the distinction between 'work' and 'rest', as these two very different activities happen in the same place. This can cause the stresses of the day to follow you into the night, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

Without a clear separation between your office and your sleep environment, you might struggle to switch off at the end of the day. Your desk is just over there, why shouldn't you check a few emails before settling in for the night? But this is a bad idea on several levels. 

As well as exposing yourself to sleep-disrupting blue light, you'll also be exposing yourself to the stress and anxiety associated with the office. (No matter how much you might love your job, answering emails is no replacement for counting sheep.) Rest, relaxation, and work can become jumbled into one big mess, resulting in disrupted nights and a lack of focus during the day.

How I make my bedroom office work

While I'd rather my desk wasn't in my bedroom, unfortunately, it's the only viable place for it to be – and I know many people share the same problem. But after multiple years working from the same corner, I've come up with some tricks to ensure I don't take a day at the office to bed with me:

1. The morning is just as important as the evening

I can talk a lot about how important it is to put away work at the end of the day (and I will do, in a bit). But it's also important to step away from work at the start of the day. During what might be considered my commute, I make a conscious effort to stand back from the 'office' part of my bedroom until my work day officially starts.

The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method recommends stopping work two hours before you go to bed, and I recommend echoing that in the morning. By giving myself at least an hour away from my desk, I can wake up, get ready, and get my brain into gear before starting work. By waiting for my drowsiness to (mostly) clear, I avoid associating sleepiness with checking my emails.

2. Introduce lots of light

My desk is in a corner that doesn’t get a lot of light (and, unfortunately, in a country that doesn’t get a lot of sunshine). This isn’t great for my circadian rhythm, which needs light in the morning to help me feel awake, and dark in the evening to help me drift off. Low light all day means my body clock isn't sure what's going on.

For that reason, on the days when the clouds aren’t cooperating, I use a SAD wake-up lamp to create my own daylight. Giving off a strong white light, the lamp makes it feel like a bright morning, even when my desk is still in the dark. In the afternoon, I either switch it off or swap to a softer, calmer light to get me ready for the evening wind-down. This way, when I go to bed at night, the lighting doesn't remind me of being in the office, and my body clock feels like it has followed the natural rhythms of the day. Which brings me to my next point...

3. Get outside at the end of the day

Remaining active is an important part of sleep hygiene, and exercise can help you sleep. But when I'm working from home, I lose out on a lot of basic activity simply because all my rooms are so close together (my best fitness tracker might barely register triple digit steps). To counter this, I make an effort to get out almost as soon as I finish work every day. Not only does this get me moving, which helps me sleep, it also sets a distinct end to the day, which, again, helps me sleep.

On the occasions when I can't get out for whatever reason, I make sure to leave the bedroom when I put my work down. Even if it’s just to go and stand in the kitchen, stepping back from the office means I can’t pick up my laptop for just a few more minutes that accidentally stretches into an hour. 

4. Stay out of bed

With the bed right behind my desk chair, it can be hard to resist the lure of crawling under the covers with my laptop. But I've tried working from bed and as well as being super uncomfortable (beds are not made to be desks) it's also disastrous for my sleep and my work. During the day, it feels like I should be sleeping. At night, I can't shake off the feeling that I should be at work.

To help me resist bed working (it's harder than you think – I write about mattresses all day), tidying my sheets is an important part of my morning routine. I also quickly declutter my bedroom, so it feels less like a cozy bedtime space, and more like a work environment.

5. Stick to a bedtime routine

I'm a hybrid worker, and the days I'm in the office look very different to the days I spend at home. To avoid this from completely disrupting my schedule and giving me social jet lag, I try to keep to a consistent bedtime routine.

I start my wind-down at roughly the same time every night, whether I've been at home all day or I'm not long off the train. And while my mornings look pretty different depending on where I'm working, I try to keep some consistency by setting my 'at-home' alarm within an hour of my 'in-office' alarm. By giving myself time in the morning to wake up and time in the evening to switch off, my work feels contained, and doesn't encroach on my sleep.

The best hybrid mattresses are among the very best beds around. They're breathable, they provide excellent support and pressure relief, and they suit a wide range of sleepers. So are there any down-sides to a hybrid mattress?

As a general rule, hybrid mattresses are heavier, more expensive beds, with a higher level of motion transfer. But before you assume a hybrid isn't the best mattress for you, check out this guide, where we'll talk you through the down-sides of a hybrid bed (and why they might actually turn out to be an advantage).

Hybrids are usually more expensive

Hybrid mattresses have a reputation for being a more expensive style of bed, and that’s generally accurate. The majority of mattresses in our best luxury mattress guide are hybrids, and when considering how much to spend on a mattress, prepare for a higher price tag if you're set on a hybrid.

But there's a reason why you can expect to pay more. Hybrid mattresses take their name because they’re composed of two or more different materials (typically springs and foams, but there are variations). The price of these different materials, combined with the complexity of the manufacturing process, leads to an increased cost for the consumer.

While hybrid beds might pricier on average than memory foam or innerspring mattresses, you can still get a hybrid on a budget – several are featured in our guide to the best cheap mattresses. 

And at the other end of the spectrum...

Hybrid mattresses have more motion transfer

Motion transfer refers to when movement made on one side of the bed can be felt on the other. If your mattress has good motion isolation, your bed partner can toss, turn, and even get out of bed, and you’ll hardly know they’re moving. The best memory foam mattresses have excellent motion isolation, as the dense foam absorbs the vibrations from tossing and turning.

But because hybrids are often built with coils, they tend to be bouncier, resulting in increased motion transfer. There are ways to limit this. Many hybrid beds use pocket coils rather than a continuous coil, because the individual pocketing helps contain motion. In addition, top layers of cushioned comfort materials (often foams) can absorb movement before it reaches the springs. So even though when comparing memory foam vs hybrid mattresses, memory foams will generally have better motion isolation, hybrids can still be a good choice for couples.

Hybrid mattresses are heavier

With all those weighty springs, hybrid mattresses can be a heavy beds. Take one of our favorite hybrids, the DreamCloud. A queen-size DreamCloud hybrid weighs 78lbs (roughly 35kg). In comparison, in our Nectar memory foam mattress review, we noted a queen weighs only 66lbs (roughly 30kg). Both beds are from the same parent company (Resident Home) but have a noticeable weight difference.

Because of this extra weight, hybrid mattresses can be hard to maneuver. If you live alone, you might want to pay for white glove delivery to get your bed setup (or enlist several helpers). And once it's on the bed frame, you might find it harder to clean the mattress.

This might be where you expect us to explain how sleep brands are reducing the weight of hybrid mattresses – but that’s not really happening. It’s just something you have to expect with a hybrid. But luckily, you rarely need to flip a hybrid mattress, and as they can last for a while, once your bed is in place, it should only need to be moved slightly every few months to be cleaned (and sometimes rotated).

It's Sunday, 3pm, when it hits you: in just a few hours the weekend will be over. You probably want to hide under the covers and pretend it's Saturday morning again, but is the better solution for the so-called Sunday Scaries actually to grab those covers, strip the bed, and get cleaning?

Regular sheet changes are essential to keeping your best mattress and best pillow in tip-top shape, and Sunday afternoon might be the perfect time to wash and change your bedding. "By doing it at this time, you can distract yourself from any negative feelings and, instead, experience the positive outcomes of a tidy space," explains Martin Seeley, sleep expert and CEO at Mattress Next Day.

Known on TikTok as the Sunday Reset, this weekend clean helps banish the Sunday Scaries – the looming stress of going back to work. And Martin thinks he’s nailed the exact time to switch your bedding: 3pm. “The optimal time for a Sunday reset of your bedroom is between 3-5 pm," he says, "aligning with the period when people typically experience Sunday blues.” Here’s what you need to do...

Why change your bedding on Sunday afternoon?

“Cleaning your bedroom and changing your sheets on a Sunday is recommended as this is known by many as the wind-down day of the weekend,” says Martin. He explains that opting for a Sunday reset leaves Saturday free for socializing while ensuring you start the new week without chores lingering over your head. “There's nothing worse than going into a new week with a long to-do list.”

This Sunday declutter can help you sleep for a few reasons. First, you won't lie awake stressing over all the cleaning you meant to do over the weekend, but never got round to. Beyond that, those fresh sheets themselves might also help you drift off. “A study from The National Sleep Foundation found that people sleep better when their bedrooms are comfortable and tidy,” explains Martin. “Starting each week with a fresh and clean bedroom can improve your sleep."

“You must get the best rest before the start of your week, without disrupting your circadian rhythm. Any disruptions can cause sleep disturbances that can impact your cognitive function,” says Martin. By completing your Sunday Reset, you set yourself up for a more productive Monday and a better week overall.

And the good news is, your Sunday Refresh starts off with the simplest step: let your mattress breathe. “Once a week, you should be pulling back your bedding and letting your mattress air,” says Martin. “This gives your mattress the chance to spring back into shape, whilst evaporating any excess moisture.”

Start your Sunday cleaning by doing nothing? That’s just what I like to hear. Then when the Sunday Scaries hit mid-afternoon, move on to cleaning your headboard, then fluff your pillows, and change your bedding. A quick spot-clean should keep you bed looking fresh, but once every six months, it’s time to deep clean your mattress.

With your bed refreshed and your mind successfully distracted, you can enjoy the rest of your evening, satisfied with a job well done. You might even look forward to going to bed on Sunday night – who doesn’t get excited about curling up with fresh sheets?

Emma Original pillow: two-minute review

The Emma Original pillow is a firm yet spongy pillow that capably supports your head whilst maintaining its form and keeping cool. I was a little wary of its firmness when I started using it, but I needn't have worried. During my three weeks of testing I never woke up feeling any discomfort – in fact I slept on it just as soundly as with any of the best pillows on the market.

The pillow holds its shape and firmness thanks to its gel foam, memory foam and soft foam layers. These separate layers mean you can flip the pillow over for a slightly different firmness to support your body frame and sleeping position. Personally, I found the soft gel layer provided slightly more immediate comfort. Both the outer soft and gel layers feel a bit hard when I first lie on them each night, but within minutes my head sinks in comfortably, and feels reliably supported throughout the night.

At full price, the Emma Original Pillow sits in the premium price bracket, but it's fairly common to see a discount that takes it down into the mid-range, making this a high-performance all-rounder that won't break the bank if you catch it at the right time.

If you want to pair this pillow with an equally comfortable bed, be sure to take a look at our guide to this year's best mattresses for all budgets.

Emma Original pillow specs

Emma Original pillow review: price & value for money

• Premium at full price, often discounted into mid-range
• High quality materials
• 2-year warranty and 30-night trial

With an RRP of £69, the Emma Original pillow sits in the premium price bracket, but at time of writing there's a regular discount that knocks 25% off and takes it down into the mid-range price bracket. For that money though you get high-quality materials (this is the brand behind one of the best memory foam mattresses, after all). A 30-night trial (with the security of a money back guarantee if you're not happy with it during that period), a two-year warranty and free delivery further help to cushion the blow if you're working to a budget.

The Original is the most affordable option in this brand's pillow range. Its synthetic stuffed option (details in our Emma Premium Microfibre pillow review) has an RRP of £109 but is often sold at £65, while an option with more advanced foams (covered in our Emma Premium Pillow hands-on review) is a much bigger investment at £115. Yes, they all have confusingly similar names.

Other memory foam pillows might slightly undercut the Emma Original pillow on price, but in terms of performance I'd say the cost and customer service add-ons mean you're getting good value for money, especially when you buy during an Emma sale period.

Emma Original pillow review: design & materials

• Removable and machine-washable polyester cover
• Three different-feeling foam layers
• Foam layers can be removed to adjust loft

The Emma Original pillow is made of three foam layers and a polyester case. One one side, a feather-light Gel Foam layer that's designed to hug your neck comfortably and maintain a stable temperature. In the middle, a Visco Memory Foam layer, which is meant to distribute weight evenly. Finally, on the other side there's the High Resiliency Extra foam layer. This is the softest of the three and is there for extra pressure relief.

The layers tuck inside a polyester cover, which zips open. Depending on how you sleep, any of these layers can be removed to give a lower loft. 

Emma Original pillow review: care & allergies

The pillow's polyester case can be removed and machine washed at up to 60°C (which is the temperature required to get rid of dust mites). The three foam layers aren't washable, and should just be left to dry in the event of anything getting spilled on them. Speaking of the cover, this has been tested by Emma to be hypoallergenic and non-toxic. The cover and foam layer inserts also comply with relevant ignitability regulations.

Emma Original pillow review: comfort & support

• Firm memory foam layers
• Two different sleep feels
• Remains a comfortable temperature overnight
• No need for re-plumping

I used the Emma Original pillow as my main pillow for three weeks for this review. To begin with I was wary of how firm it would be – the first time I tried it out it felt very hard. Fortunately, though, I found the pillow softened and moulded to my head after a few minutes of lying on it, although each night it did still feel hard to begin with.

What’s more, the Emma Original pillow has some flexibility in terms of use. The outer foam layers provide different levels of support, meaning you can flip the pillow over for a more comfortable sleep experience depending on your preference. The spongy gel foam layer is the firmest choice, whereas I found the soft but still somewhat firm foam layer cushioned my head slightly faster.

I slept on my side throughout and felt thoroughly supported every night; not once did I need to turn it over or plump it. The pillow has a high loft, but if the height or comfort are not quite to your taste you can easily adjust either by removing one or two of the three foam layers. I'm primarily a side sleeper, so all three layers together suited me perfectly; back sleepers would benefit from either two or three layers, while stomach sleepers would do best with just one layer.

Emma Original pillow review: temperature regulation

The Emma Original pillow is cool to the touch and remains at a similar temperature throughout the night. I tested it both with and without a pillowcase during the winter months in a heated bedroom and was never woken up by trapped warmth or overheating. Flipping over the pillow for a coolness shot was never required as it stayed at a comfortable room temperature level all night long and did not wake me up.

Should you buy the Emma Original pillow?

Buy it if…

✅ You're sensitive to heat. I found that the Emma Original pillow remained at a consistent temperature all night long and never woke me up with the need to flip it over to the cool side.

✅ You've never tried a memory foam pillow before. This was my first time using one, and while it took a while to get used to the hardness, the 30-night trial would give me the confidence to take a chance on it.

✅ You want some firm support. The three foam layers work together brilliantly to make your head feel cushioned, and pressure is reliably spread to prevent any aches or strains developing while you sleep.

Don't buy it if…

❌ Hardness is an issue. The Emma Original Pillow remains firm night after night, meaning you might want to try something a little softer. Luckily Emma has just the thing in the shape of the Emma Microfibre Pillow, which is in roughly the same price range too.

❌ You're shopping to a budget and can't wait for a deal. Even though the Emma Original pillow is quite reasonably priced, the 25% discount is too tempting to pass up. If you have the time to wait for the discount to come around, hold off on adding it to your basket.

❌ You specifically want a more breathable pillow. While the Emma Original pillow is ideal in terms of temperature, it isn't geared towards breathability. The Emma Premium Foam Pillow has an Ultra-Dry Plus cover which caters to this need and lets your skin breathe during the night.

How I tested the Emma Original Pillow

I tested the Emma Original pillow over the course of three weeks in the winter months. During these nights I had the heating on in order to keep the pillow at room temperature and provide a controlled environment to conduct a fair test. 

Each night I slept on my side, but I can easily see back or front sleepers benefiting from its foam layers too. The pillow was tested both with and without a cover to ensure that I could gauge the coolness accurately.

Achieving consistently better sleep is sometimes a matter of habit. Good sleep hygiene encourages making sleep-positive adjustments to your environment and pre-bed behaviors. By regularly practicing good sleep hygiene, quality rest becomes a matter of routine.

Proper sleep hygiene encompasses your day and night, but while it might seem intimidating at first, sleep hygiene primarily relies on small but significant changes. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes, until sleep hygiene doesn't feel like any effort at all – it's just what you do before bed.

In this guide, we'll explore why good sleep hygiene matters and how to develop your own sleep-friendly routine. For sleep hygiene to be effective, it's important that your environment supports your rest, so make sure to check out our best mattress guide if your bed isn't providing the support you need.

Why is sleep hygiene important?

Sleep hygiene prepares your body and mind for good sleep, and while it relies on consistency to work, it also delivers consistency. By practicing correct sleep hygiene, you should be able to enjoy high quality, high quantity sleep almost every night. Essentially, sleep hygiene turns good sleep into a habit. 

Why is habit important? Studies – plus a lot of anecdotal evidence – show that humans are creatures of habit. We like routine, often doing the same things everyday, sometimes without even realizing. Regularly practicing sleep hygiene teaches our body the routine of going to bed, until good sleep becomes something that happens without thought or effort.

And one of the biggest benefits of proper sleep hygiene is that it’s so easily incorporated into your pre-existing daily routine. It’s not about making a massive, drastic change, but about small, habitual adjustments that should gradually become second nature. 

Without sleep hygiene, you could find your habits are actually holding you back from getting the rest you need. A bad sleep hygiene routine – like bright lights in the evening and big meals before bed – might inadvertently be keeping you awake and accumulating sleep debt. And research shows that frequent lack of sleep can have both short-term and long-term implications on health. Which is why you want to replace those bad sleep habits with a good sleep hygiene routine.

"Establishing a consistent sleep routine and creating a comfortable sleep environment can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night," explains Lisa. "Practicing good sleep hygiene can help prevent or alleviate common sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea."

And while even with the best sleep hygiene it's impossible to guarantee every night is a good night – we can't always avoid busy evenings, stress, or changes to the routine – these good habits will make it easier to return to quality rest after a few nights of disruption.. 

Is sleep hygiene the same for everyone?

While the general rules of sleep hygiene are the same for everyone, it’s important to personalize your routine to suit your needs. Take a gradual approach when determining what proper sleep hygiene looks like for you. For example, move your bedtime by 15 minutes, rather than an hour. The rules we've outlined below should act as a starting point, from which you build your own good habits.

“Adequate sleep is crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system, metabolism, and cardiovascular health," explains Lisa. "By prioritizing sleep hygiene, you can reduce the risk of various health problems."

Sleep hygiene can improve sleep, but it won’t work for everyone. If you’re suffering from severe insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders, consult with your doctor to find the best course of action.

5 rules for sleep hygiene

These overarching rules from the basis of sleep hygiene. They prioritize schedule and repetition, and they aren't just focused on those last few minutes before bed – what you do during the day is also important. As well as behavioral aspects, sleep hygiene focuses on your environment, so make sure to think about your bedroom. And remember that these rules are general, not specific, and need to be personalized to your needs.

1. Set a sleep schedule

A sleep schedule determines when you go to bed and when you wake up, to ensure you're getting as much sleep as you need. If you want to keep a close eye on your schedule, the best sleep trackers provide the exact data. Otherwise, a sleep diary can help you create an overview of just how much shut-eye you're getting, and when.

Find your sleep window
Pay attention to when you feel sleepy and when you feel awake to determine your sleep window. This is the best time for you to sleep and you can use it to schedule your drop-off and wake-up times. Learning your sleep chronotype can also help you build a schedule that suits your natural inclinations.

Wake up at the same time everyday
"Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body's internal clock," says Lisa. If you can’t stick to the exact time, try to roughly wake up in the same time window throughout the week. This can help you avoid the groggy effects of social jet lag; when your weekday and weekend alarms are so far apart they're almost in different time zones.

Get out of bed if you can’t sleep
Lying in bed when you can’t drift off erodes the connection between ‘bed’ and ‘sleep’, so if you can’t fall asleep after 15 minutes, it’s time for a change of scenery. Move to a different room if you can, and pick up a relaxing hobby for a few minutes, before heading back to bed. Known as the 15 minute rule, this technique also works if you wake up in the middle of the night.

2. Have a sleep-friendly bedtime routine

A relaxing bedtime routine prepares the body and mind for rest, lulling you into the perfect headspace for sleep. This routine should be followed nightly and adapted to suit your own needs and interests. 

Set a time to wind-down
There should be a point in your evening when you switch into pre-sleep mode, and it shouldn’t be 10 seconds before you go to bed. Start your wind-down at least 30 minutes before your bedtime, to get you into a calm headspace.

Enjoy relaxing activities
"Engage in activities that help you wind down before bed, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practising relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation," suggests Lisa. Choose the right activities, and your bedtime routine can be the best part of your day.

Put away blue light
"The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your body's natural sleep-wake cycle, so try to avoid screens (phones, computers, TVs) at least an hour before bedtime," says Lisa. At least one hour before bed, put down your smartphone and pick up other sleep-friendly activities.

Save the bed for sleep
Most of your bedtime routine should take place outside the bedroom, so you don't start to associate the mattress with being active. Reserve the bed for sleep and intimacy, and on the weekend, avoid bed rotting.

3. Optimize the bedroom for sleep

Sleep hygiene encompasses environmental factors, not just behaviors. Your bedroom should echo the calm feeling you've created during your bedtime routine, to keep you in that relaxing headspace. "Make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet," says Lisa.

Choose the right mattress
A supportive sleep surface is essential to enjoying pain-free, consistent sleep. Discover your bed needs with our guide ‘how to choose a mattress’, and find the perfect sleep setup with our best hybrid mattress and best memory foam mattress guides.

Don’t forget the pillow
"Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows that don’t make you too hot or cold," advises Lisa. Sleeping on a bad pillow could be the reason why you keep waking up with a pain in the neck. A pillow should cradle your head and help keep your spine aligned through the night. Our best pillow guide can help you one that works for you.

Clean up clutter
A messy room is a catalyst for bad sleep, causing feelings of stress and guilt by reminding us of incomplete tasks. Decluttering your bedroom clears away this anxiety, but if you’re low on time, here’s a quick hack – only clean the parts of the room visible from the bed.

Get the right temperature
“We sleep better when we are a little cooler,” says Dr Lindsay Browning, neuroscientist, psychologist and sleep expert at And So To Bed. “I’d recommend bedrooms are kept cooler than the rest of the house as our core body temperature drops overnight.” Around 16 to 19 degrees Celsius (60 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit), is ideal.

Block out light
Bright light signals to the body clock that it’s time to wake up, while dim light indicates it’s time for sleep. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to keep light out when you’re in bed.

4. Consider your daytime routine

What we do during the day has a direct impact on your sleep, and while you shouldn't spend the entire day waiting to go to bed, you want to avoid bad habits that will have you lying awake all night

Eat well
A healthy diet is important for your sleep, putting your body in the best place to achieve optimum rest. While there are some foods that can help you sleep (such as cashews and pumpkin seeds), don’t think of them as the equivalent of a sleeping pill. Aim to incorporate them into your diet throughout the day, if you want to feel the benefits.

Avoid eating late at night
As well as what you eat, it’s important to consider when you eat. Lisa recommends to avoid: "heavy meals and spicy foods close to bedtime, as they can cause discomfort and disrupt sleep." Eating late at night can keep you up, as your body is focused on digestion, and not sleep. In addition, lying down after eating can cause indigestion, which further contributes to bad sleep.

Choose drinks carefully
Lisa advises to; "avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime, as they can disrupt your sleep." The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method recommends cutting out caffeine 10 hours before bed and alcohol three hours before bed. In general, try to hydrate consistently throughout the day, instead of late at night, so you can avoid waking up to go to the toilet.

Get active
Exercise can help you sleep by regulating your body clock. "Engage in regular physical activity, but try to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime as it can be stimulating," says Lisa. If you have to exercise before bed, keep things light – a relaxing walk or light stretching should work.

5. Keep it regular

Sleep hygiene, much like regular hygiene, isn’t a one and done kind of activity. Consistency is key. Just like you should brush your teeth every morning, you should commit to sleep hygiene every night.

But because sleep hygiene is all about habit, the more frequently you do it, the more natural it becomes. With regular repetition, it won't feel like you're practicing sleep hygiene – you'll just be going through your day-to-day routine.

While sleep hygiene should become habit that doesn't necessarily mean it has to remain static. Over time, you might need to gradually adapt your sleep hygiene to suit life changes, such as aging (our sleep needs change with our age), growing kids, or even a new job. However, with a good basis of routine in place, you should find these small adjustments won't disrupt your overall sleep habits.

The Easter bunny is bringing something very special this year, with a massive 25% off our favourite hybrid mattress in the Simba sale. This huge saving is excellent news for anyone who wants to start their spring cleaning by getting rid of their old mattress and boosting their sleep.

We recently awarded the Simba Hybrid Original the number one spot in our best hybrid mattress guide, and if you take a look at our Simba Hybrid Original mattress review, it's easy to see why. Our tester described the Simba Hybrid Original as "one of the most comfortable mattresses [they'd] ever had", praising how it offered just the right amount of support and softness while still delivering top quality temperature regulation and motion isolation.

Simba mattress sales have undergone a bit of a shake-up recently and we're not seeing the same number of deals we used to. So if you want to save big on a bed from one of the best mattress brands in the UK, I recommend taking a close look at this Simba sale. Read on to find out why the Simba Hybrid Original mattress is my top pick...

Buy it if...

✅ You like to move around in the night: There's a bit of bounce to the Simba Hybrid Original mattress, which makes it easier to switch sides and move around (the mattress won't hold onto you in the way a softer foam can). And the medium-firm feel surface suits a range of positions, so if you're restless, you feel supported no matter how you're lying.

✅ You share a bed: Hybrid mattresses aren't always known for their motion isolation, but the Simba Hybrid Original actually performs pretty well in this category – if your partner moves around, your sleep shouldn't be disrupted. And with edge-to-edge support, two people can stretch out on the bed without it starting to sink at the sides.

✅ You want to save: Simba sales are no longer the permanent presence they once were, so act now if you want a discount on a high quality mattress. When this 25% off sale is over, we don't know when the next one will come along. 

Don't buy it if...

❌ You like to sink into the bed: Although there's an upper layer of foam to the Simba Hybrid Original, it doesn't off the sink-in feel of an all-foam bed. If you like a bed that hugs you in your sleep, take a look at our Emma Original mattress review. There's also 20% off the Emma Original right now.

❌ You're a lightweight side sleeper: The Simba Hybrid Original suits a lot of sleep styles, but lightweight side sleepers isn't one of them, unfortunately. If this is you, consider a bed with a softer sleep surface. In our Brook + Wilde Elite mattress review, we noted this luxury hybrid suits everyone, because you can pick a firmness. Save 40% in the Brook + Wilde spring sale.

❌ You want.a more sustainable bed: Simba is a certified B Corp, and the Hybrid Original has been designed to use minimal foam to limit its carbon footprint. However, if you want a mattress that prioritizes natural materials, consider the recently-launched Simba Earth range. Combining traditional materials with the latest technology, the Simba Earth Source mattress is the most affordable option, and there's 25% off.

Trying to choose between the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress and the Panda Bamboo mattress? You have a tough decision on your hands – these are some of the very best hybrid mattresses on the market. They have some similarly excellent features – top-notch temperature regulation, firm and reliable support, and surprisingly good motion isolation. They're both premium beds, but with the quality to justify the cost. Lucky for you, we're here to help you figure out which is the best mattress for you, and where you should invest your money. 

Our testing team has had a chance to properly try out both these beds, and you can learn more about their experiences with our Panda London Bamboo Hybrid mattress review and Simba Hybrid Pro mattress review. 

Overall, we rate the Panda as the better mattress, although it's a tight call. Both mattresses have a similar feel and price, but while the Simba has the more complex design, the Panda performed slightly better in our tests. Still, if you're a back or stomach sleeper after a bed with a firmer feel, then you're going to want to take a close look at this Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda Bamboo hybrid mattress showdown.

Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda Bamboo mattress: specs

Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda Bamboo mattress: design

• Both are hybrid mattresses featuring spring and foam layers
• Simba has seven internal layers, including wool and micro-coils
• Panda has four internal layers, including bamboo-infused foam

The Simba Hybrid Pro is a 28cm tall mattress, featuring seven internal layers, plus a cover. The design is pretty complex: at the top is a layer of wool, followed by a layer of breathable and cushioning Simbatex foam, then two layers of Aerocoil springs with zoned support, then a layer of stabilizing foam, even more springs for edge-to-edge support, and a final foam layer to create a sturdy base. There's a lot going on.

This complex arrangement of springs and cushioning materials is designed to balance support with comfort. Sustainability is also a consideration for Simba – by using wool and spring in place of synthetic foams, the brand can keep its carbon footprint lower. 

The Panda Bamboo Hybrid is 27cm tall and has fewer layers (four plus a cover), but don't be fooled into thinking it's a simple design. At the top is Panda's uniquely engineered BioCell foam, an open-cell foam infused with bamboo for odour-resistance and enhanced freshness. Beneath this sits OrthoAlign foam (another Panda speciality), a dense foam for optimal spinal alignment. Then there's the coils – a layer of multi-zonal springs offers support across the body. Finally, there's the comfort base, made with stabilizing foam. 

Simba might have the more complex design, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Our reviewer gave the bed 4.5/5 in this area, and noted it didn't feel "especially luxurious" – although it does come with handles, something the Panda lacks, and which improves maneuverability. The Panda Bamboo design, however, did receive full marks from our tester, who was impressed with how the layered design translated into a comfortable sleep surface.

Both companies also have a focus on sustainability. Simba is a certified B Corp company, and the Hybrid Pro was actually redesigned in 2023 with a focus on sustainability. Panda isn't a B Corp, but each mattress is part of the Panda Circle of Life initiative, which includes environmental manufacturing standards, minimal plastic packaging, and a recycling promise. 

Winner: Draw

The Simba has the more complex design, plus those handles, but our tester was so impressed by the Panda they gave the bed full marks.

Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda mattress: price & extras

• Both are premium mattresses with occasional sales
• Simba offers 200-night trial and 10-year guarantee
• Panda offers 100-night trial, 10-year guarantee, free white glove delivery

There's very little difference in terms of price when it comes to the Simba Hybrid Pro and the Panda Bamboo Hybrid. The Simba Hybrid Pro double mattress has an RRP of £1,229, while the Panda Bamboo double has an RRP of £1,290. There's not much in it. 

Simba mattress sales used to be fairly frequent, but discounts happen less often now. You might even need to wait for a major holiday to get a saving. However, signing up for the Simba mailing list will often net you money off your first order, so that's one way to save.

Sales are even rarer at Panda. While we do expect to see money off the Panda Bamboo Hybrid a few times a year, it only tends to happen around the major holidays, and the deals never stick around for long. So even though mattress sales are generally pretty common, with these two beds, expect to pay full price.

In terms of extras, we're again looking at a pretty similar picture. Simba's 200-night mattress trial beats Panda's 100-night, but both offer a 10-year guarantee. And Panda comes out on top when it comes to delivery, providing free white glove delivery and free old mattress removal. Simba does offer free standard next day delivery, but you'll have to pay extra for VIP delivery, and there's an additional charge for old mattress removal.

If you're looking to save money, you might want to consider the more affordable Simba Hybrid – we rated it highly in our Simba Hybrid Original mattress review. But make sure to check out our Simba Hybrid Original vs Simba Hybrid Pro mattress showdown, to see how the budget bed compares to its premium equivalent.

Winner: Simba Hybrid Pro

The prices are similar, but the SImba is just that bit cheaper, plus you're generally more likely to find a sale running at Simba than Panda.

Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda: comfort & support

• Simba rates the Hybrid Pro medium-firm, we rate it firm (8/10)
• Panda rates the Bamboo Hybrid 7/10, we rate it 7.5 (medium-firm)
• Both beds are best for stomach and back sleepers

Simba describes the Hybrid Pro as medium-firm, but our tester felt firm was more accurate, rating it an 8/10 (with 10 being the firmest). This is good for back and stomach sleepers, providing ample support at the hips and lower back. However, it's too firm for most side sleepers and lightweight sleepers, who are likely to need more cushioning.

Panda rates the Bamboo Hybrid mattress as a 7/10, but our tester gave it a 7.5/10, which puts it at the high end of the medium-firm bracket. Again, this is ideal for front and back sleepers. For side sleepers, the results are mixed – our tester felt comfortable, but other side sleepers might prefer something softer. 

Top layers of comfort materials provide both mattresses with a gentle cushioning, so you won't feel like you're lying on a board. But while there's some light contouring, these beds definitely won't 'hug' you the way the best memory foam mattresses do. If you want plenty of cushioning at the shoulders and hips, check out our Emma Original mattress review instead. 

Both mattresses should appeal to those with bigger builds, as the firmer surface offers ample support. Heavier bodies should feel stable, and not like they're sinking through the mattress. However, those with a light build might benefit from a softer cushioning.

Comfort winner: draw

Both mattresses have a similar appeal – back and stomach sleepers – and a similar rating on the firmness scale – 7.5-8/10. While the Panda has a slightly wider appeal due to the medium-firm build, it's really a matter of preference.

Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda mattress: performance

• Both have excellent temperature regulation
• Both provide good motion isolation, although the Panda is slightly better
• Panda has superior edge support, Simba Hybrid Pro is weaker

Hybrid mattresses are generally known for their good temperature regulation. The gaps in the springs provide ample room for air to circulate and cool, especially in comparison to the dense build of a memory foam, which can trap heat.

So it's no surprise to learn that both the Panda Bamboo and Simba Hybrid Pro have excellent temperature regulation. The Panda just edges out on top, scoring 4.5/5 compared to the Simba Hybrid Pro's 4/5. This is thanks to its breathable bamboo infused foam and a surface that never feels hot to the touch.

As well as temperature regulation, we also test mattresses for motion isolation: how much movement travels from one side of the bed to the other. Hybrids aren't always known for their motion isolation properties – the bounce of springs can create a lot of motion transfer – but both the Panda and the Simba Hybrid Pro performed strongly. Again, the Panda mattress takes a slight lead, as the Hybrid Pro is a bouncier bed. But, overall, both mattress offer a quiet night even if you share with a restless partner.

Finally, edge support – and this is where the Panda Bamboo Hybrid pulls out ahead. Edge support refers to how strong the mattress is at the perimeter. Beds with poor edge support tend to collapse and sink at the sides, making it hard push out of bed or sleep across the entire surface.

The Panda Bamboo has strong edge support, with minimal sinkage. Our tester felt stable and supported when sitting on the corners of the bed, and found they could really spread out during the night without ever losing that sturdy base beneath them. 

The Simba Hybrid Pro, however, has average edge support. Our tester felt stable lying on the edge of the bed but they were less sturdy sitting up. While it's not disastrously bad, those with mobility issues could struggle to maneuver off the bed, as those sinking sides don't offer much push back.

Performance winner: Panda

Simba Hybrid Pro vs Panda: which should you buy?

Buy the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress if...

✅ You need time to make your decision: Although Simba doesn't have the best extras on the market (check out our Nectar memory foam mattress review for a bed with a 365-night trial) 200 nights beats the 100 offered by Panda, and provides a long period to adjust to your new mattress and see if it's right for you.

✅ You're hoping to save some money:  Simba has historically been more generous with discounts than Panda, and frequently offers money off for making your first order. So if you're shopping with a tighter budget, Simba is still a better bet for a bargain.

✅ You plan on moving the mattress around: The Simba Hybrid Pro comes with handles, which makes it easier to pick up the bed and move it around. This isn't the most important feature, but if you know a move is on the horizon (remember, a mattress can last for seven to 10 years), it's worth thinking about convenience.

Buy the Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress if...

✅ You need strong edge support: The edges of the Panda Bamboo Hybrid feel just as firm as the center of the bed, meaning you can press, sit, or lie on the edges without the mattress collapsing beneath you. This is best for couples who like their space and those who push against the bed to get up in the morning.

✅ You want to take the hassle out of buying a new bed: As well as tkaing the mattress to the room of your choice, Panda will remove any excess packaging and take your old bed – and it's all for free. No more awkwardly navigating the staircase by yourself with a bulky bed. And in several years time when your Bamboo Hybrid mattress eventually wears out, Panda promises to take it off your hands.

✅ You spend some of the night lying on your side: The Panda has a slightly softer build (we rate it medium-firm) which, compared to the firm Simba, is more preferable for side sleepers. While dedicated side sleepers might want to opt for something softer altogether, combination sleepers who spend the night lying every which way might benefit from the versatile support of the Panda.

Spring is officially here, but for all the pleasures of the season, it can play havoc with your sleep. One minute you're in a cold snap, the next day you wake up sweating. Blossoming flowers bring cheerful buds, weeping eyes, and sniffly noses. Lighter evenings are lovely but bright mornings rouse you at 6am (and April showers mean some days you hardly see the sun at all at all). How can we stop this changeable season from changing our sleep?

While the best mattress supports your sleep whatever time of year it is, you might need a little help snoozing comfortably throughout the night in spring. I asked sleep expert and CEO of Ethical Bedding James Higgins about the challenges of this transitional season – and what you can do about it.

How to sleep better in changeable weather

Brighter mornings, warm but changeable weather, and allergens can all damage your sleep in spring. Here are some tips for maintaining good sleep hygiene throughout the transitional season.

1. Choose breathable bedding

For many of us, spring means hotter days and warmer evenings. That makes it the perfect time to reassess your bedding situation, suggests James. “Consider switching to lighter bedding materials suitable for spring's milder temperatures to avoid overheating.” 

As well as weight, think about materials. As James explains, “moisture-wicking fabrics can help maintain a comfortable sleep environment by drawing away sweat, ensuring you stay dry and comfortable throughout the night." 

2. Keep your bedroom a steady temperature

Transitional seasons like spring tend to have changeable weather patterns, but in your bedroom, you want to keep the temperature even. Our core temperature naturally drops in the evening, indicating to the body that it's time to wind down. James recommends keeping your bedroom "cool and conducive to sleep" – that's around 16-19 degrees Celsius, or 60 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Defeat allergies by keeping things clean

Many of us have to admire the spring blooms through the weeping eyes and running noses of allergies. A nuisance during the day but a major sleep disruptor at night. The best way to prevent allergies from ruining your sleep is to keep everything clean: that means you, your bedding, and the air.

A shower or bath before bed is not only a calming part of the bedtime routine, but a way to ensure any pollen clinging to you doesn’t get stuck to your bedding. For the same reason, make sure to regularly change your sheets – and spring is a great time to deep clean your mattress. If you’re really struggling, invest in one of the best air purifiers, to filter out pollen and other allergens that might be floating around your bedroom.

4. Upgrade your pillow

You can never quite predict what the weather is going to do in spring, so you don't want to completely overhaul your sleep setup. A few warm nights might convince you to swap out your winter duvet, but when the temperatures inevitably drop at some point, you'll wish you'd stuck with the higher tog. But there are some parts of your bedding that can benefit from a spring shake-up

“Replace or adjust your pillows to ensure they provide the right support and cooling comfort for your head and neck," says James. Switching your pillow can prepare you for warmer weather, but it's not so big a change you'll regret it during a cold snap. Our best pillow guide has some excellent options (and I've picked out my favorites below).

5. Block out the early morning light

Mornings are getting lighter and brighter – great when you're alarm goes off, but it can be unwelcome at 6am. “As the transition from winter to spring can bring variable temperatures and increased daylight, ensure your bedroom supports sleep by using blackout curtains to block out early morning light,” suggests James.

During the day, however, you want to spend as much time in the sunshine as possible. "Make it a priority to spend time outdoors during daylight hours to help reset your internal clock," explains James. "This can be especially beneficial as the days start to get longer in the spring."

Our top bedding picks for transitional seasons

For sleepers in the US...

For sleepers in the UK...

For a deluxe upgrade...

What convinces you to go on vacation? Is it a chance to discover new places? The thought of a few weeks spent soaking up the sun? Or are you part of the growing trend of people leaving their best mattress behind and traveling with the aim of getting a good night’s sleep?

The Hilton Trend Report, a survey of over 10,000 travelers from nine countries, has found that the top reason people want to travel in 2024 is to 'rest and recharge'. Sleep tourism – or the chance for a good night's kip – is motivating people’s vacation choices, from what they pack to where they stay. 

A good night's rest drives travel choices

While the promise of a luxury hotel at the end of your journey might be enough to get you sleeping soundly, the Hilton report found travelers are taking relaxation into their own hands.

Because even the best hotels can't promise quiet neighbors, 33 per cent of those surveyed listened to music or a podcast to help them sleep on vacation, while 22 per cent broke out the earplugs. Although, with 10 per cent of travelers taking their own white noise machine with them, perhaps it won't be long before in-room noise machines become standard.

And gone are the days you’d choose a hotel based on the pool, the restaurant, and the proximity to the local cultural sites. Nowadays, it’s all about the bed. Okay, not quite, but 27 per cent of survey respondents said “staying with a trusted brand with a consistently good mattress” was important if they were traveling to relax.

We’ve long praised the virtue of the hotel bed, as luxury hotels have a tendency to kit their room with the best luxury mattresses. (You can actually purchase the Serta mattress used by Hilton hotels for your own home, and while it’s a premium bed, it’s cheaper than paying to spend every night in a Hilton.) 

Beyond the mattress, 18 per cent admitted to bringing their best pillow with them when they traveled. Discerning pillow packers should look out for a pillow menu – a fixture of five-star hotels – which features a selection of pillows for you to take your pick from. 

In response to this survey, Hilton has teamed up with sleep science expert Dr Rebecca Robbins to create a series of Hilton sleep retreats hosted at the Grand Wailea’s Kilolani Spa in Maui. While a vacation to Hawaii probably sounds restful enough to many of us, these retreats take relaxation one step further, aiming to provide an “all-encompassing journey into the science and practice of achieving a restful, restorative sleep”.

If you’re going to have to miss out on the Hilton sleep retreat, there are still ways to improve your sleep when you travel. Avoid the first-night effect with our guide to sleeping better on the go, and consider investing in some white noise for sleep, to prevent other guests from disturbing your slumber. Finally, choose a light-blocking sleep mask, and you won't know where you're falling asleep – maybe you're in Maui after all.

With the correct care and upkeep, the multiple supportive layers of the best hybrid mattresses can provide comfortable sleep for many years. Which brings us to the question: do you need to flip a hybrid mattress?

For the most part, the answer is no. A hybrid mattress is one that includes layers of different materials (usually foams and springs). Few hybrid mattresses need to be flipped as these inner layers are designed to go one way up. Flipping a hybrid mattress will likely lead to an uncomfortable night, and might even damage your mattress. Only double-sided hybrid beds need to be flipped, and these are not very common

Mattress flipping is generally done to distribute pressure evenly across the bed, helping your best mattress stay supportive for longer. But even without flipping, a well-built hybrid mattress should last for seven to 10 years. 

In this guide, we'll explore why you don't need to flip a hybrid mattress, and the rare exceptions to this rule. If you're still unsure about whether your hybrid bed should be flipped, either check the brand website, or any instructions that have been provided.

Many modern hybrids feature multiple different layers of materials. Generally, the softer, more cushioned materials go on the top (there might even be a pillow-top or Euro-top), while the sturdier layers are at the bottom to create structure and stability. If the mattress is flipped, you'll find yourself sleeping on the robust base, while the comfortable cushioning cradles your bed frame. The top side should be clearly labeled, but it you can't spot it, check out the brand website or look for an information leaflet in the delivery packaging.

With all that said, there are some hybrids bed that are designed to be flipped – for example the Layla Hybrid mattress. These generally have a stable layer at the core with a different firmness level either side. However, it's tricky to create two very distinct feels within one mattress, so the difference between the two is likely to be subtle. These flippable hybrids aren't hugely common, and it should be obvious when you purchase that that's what you're buying.

2 hybrid mattresses that don't need to be flipped...

And one that does

Dream of sinking back into a fluffy pillow but the reality is closer to sad pancake? Even the best pillows will eventually start to lose their oomph if they aren't cared for, and you might find your sporadic fluffing attempts have failed to stop the pillow sink. Don't worry, I'm here to help you fix it – but first, grab your tennis balls. 

No, perfecting your serve isn't the key to pillow perfection. Instead, Martin Seeley, sleep expert and CEO of MattressNextDay, recommends placing your pillow in the dryer with a tennis ball or two. The tennis ball should beat out the lumps, returning your pillow to its plumped-up best. And he has some more advice on transforming your home sleep setup into a luxury hotel bed. Follow these tips for finishing your best mattress with the fluffiest five-star pillows.

3 steps for the fluffiest hotel-like pillows

To be clear, I'm mainly talking about pillows that are filled with either down or synthetic fiber stuffing here. Memory foam pillows that contain a solid block of foam are impossible to plump (and don't lose their shape overnight anyway, so it's a moot point). Some of these tips will apply to the kind of pillow that contains shredded or cubed foam stuffing, but not all. 

Another quick bit of housekeeping: to keep it in the best condition for the longest time, don't forget to clean your pillow – this can stop your pillow turning yellow. And consider investing in a pillow protector (it's like a mattress protector, but for your pillow). Now, let's get into how to create unbeatable fluffiness.

1. Fluff your pillows daily

Every morning when you make your bed, make sure to pick up your pillows and give them a quick fluff. Simply hold the pillow at each end and quickly compress and decompress. Do this a few times, until you have the level of plumpness you desire.

As well as giving you that hotel-like feel and appearance, I can recommend this tip for your overall sleep happiness. A few seconds of fluffing gives the pillow its shape back, so your head doesn't settle into the groove you left the night before, and your neck feels more supported.

2. Wash with a tennis ball and sock

When the lumps and bumps have got so bad that even hours of manual fluffing won't make a difference, it's time to break out the big guns: a tennis ball and a sock. Place a tennis ball or two inside your sock and put them into the dryer with your pillow. Then use the dryer on the lowest setting for around 30 minutes. At the end of the cycle, your pillows will be back to top fluffiness. 

The tennis ball will thump around with the pillow, knocking out those lumps, loosening the filling, and bringing back the fluffiness. The sock serves a simpler purpose – it stops the dye from the tennis ball leaking onto your pillows. 

Before you start, make sure your pillow is suitable for tumble-drying, by checking the care label. Not all stuffing types can be tumble-dried, and you don't want to wreck your pillow in the process. And while it probably goes without saying, I'll say it just in case. Make sure you're using a clean tennis ball and clean socks. 

3. Use three pillows

This tip is all about the appearances, but that doesn't mean it's frivolous. A well-made, luxurious-looking bed is much more enticing than a mattress with flat pillows and sheets all over the place. So you'll be more tempted to keep to your bedtime routine and get to sleep on schedule. Three pillows will give your bed that sumptuous and indulgent feel of a five-star hotel room. 

And what do you do with those pillows once you're tucked up in bed? Don't just leave them underneath your head, as you might find this props your neck at an uncomfortable angle. Instead, try tucking a pillow between your knees and hugging one to your chest, to keep you in the best position for sleeping in. 

3 of our favorite pillows for hotel-like comfort

Sometimes it's easy to work out why you can't drift off – a late dinner, a looming test, a noisy neighbor... But other times, it's harder to pinpoint why you're slipping into sleep debt. To avoid letting those bad night's stack up, it's important to identify the cause of those restless nights. If your environment is the problem, choosing the best mattress and best pillow can help. When it comes to behavioral issues, a sleep diary might be the solution.

“Sleep is vital pillar of our health, alongside diet and exercise," explains Lisa Artis, deputy CEO at the Sleep Charity and a sleep diary enthusiast. "But with 40% of the nation struggling with their sleep at any point, it’s important that we educate ourselves on what could be causing those issues, identify patterns and what we can do to improve our sleep. A sleep diary is a great way to achieve this." 

With a sleep diary, you can record the ins and outs of your kip, including how many hours you got, when you went to bed, and how you feel in the morning. By providing a clear overview, you (or your doctor) can use the sleep diary to assess your rest and spot problem areas. Ready to get started? Here's our full guide to creating your own sleep diary.

"By keeping a sleep diary, you can help identify what’s keeping you awake," explains Lisa. "The diary is a useful tool that will help to pinpoint if you’re consistently waking at a similar time, what you’ve done that day, what you’ve eaten etc. to see if there is any pattern." Although a sleep diary can't fix your sleep, it can help you find the source of the problem so you can work towards a solution.

A sleep diary can also give you a different perspective towards your sleep – including identifying misconceptions. For example, you might think your tiredness is due to a lack of sleep, but your sleep diary shows you're getting a good eight hours every night. However, it also reveals your bedtime changes drastically between the weekend and the work week. Thanks to your sleep diary, you can recognize it's not a lack of sleep, but social jet lag from differing sleep patterns that's causing your lethargy.

How long should you keep a sleep diary?

"Start recording your sleep diary as soon as you begin to recognize a problem and complete it over a two-week period," says Lisa. Make sure to keep it consistently during this time period, so you can gather a full picture of your sleep – you don't want gaps that might skew the data.

However, a sleep diary doesn’t have to be a short-term commitment. If you're working towards health and wellbeing goals that might result in an adjustment to your routine, a sleep diary can help you understand what effect these changes are having on your rest. You might even find your sleep diary becomes an enjoyable part of your sleep routine, and a good way to wind-down at night and get going in the morning.

There's room to personalize your sleep diary, so consider what kind of information you want to explore. And don't forget that it isn't just about when you go to bed and when you wake up – a sleep diary is about patterns and routines, so you want to note down what you're doing during the day. Below is a basic outline to get you started with your sleep diary.

Writing a sleep diary: in bed

The bulk of your sleep diary should record the basic data of your sleep, including how many hours you got and when you're getting them. Be honest with your data. If you want to understand your sleep issues, you need accurate information. Make sure to record:

When you went to bed
Importantly, this needs to be the time from when the lights went out and your head hit the pillow, not the time that you planned to go to bed but then sat up for an extra 30 minutes reading. This can help you find when to go to bed based on your internal clock.

How long it took you to fall asleep
In minutes, how long did it take you to fall asleep? You can use a sleep tracker to get a more detailed answer to this question, or make a rough estimate at how long it felt. But avoid watching the clock in your bedroom, as this might keep you awake longer.

How easily you fell asleep
If you’re not sure of the exact timing, this metric is a good way to understand your sleep onset latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep). Were you snoring in seconds? Did you toss and turn before settling down? Or did you lie awake for a while before finally drifting off?

What time you woke up
Although you should try to avoid pressing snooze multiple times, if you did enjoy a few added minutes rest in the morning, record when your alarm went off for the last time – not the alarm you set with the best intentions the night before and ignored (we've all been there).

Did you wake up in the night?
Record how many times you woke up in the night and how long you were awake for. A sleep tracker can help with the details, but it isn’t essential. If you aren’t sure exactly how long you were awake for, record how hard it was to fall back to sleep instead.

What woke you up in the night
Physical, mental, and environmental reasons can all be responsible for nighttime wakings. Were you in pain or uncomfortable? Were you feeling stressed or anxious? Was there too much light or noise? If there was a clear cause waking you up, take note of it.

How many hours you slept for
This is the total number of hours you slept, from when you went to bed right through to getting up in the morning.

Rate your sleep 0-5
With zero indicating terrible and five indicating excellent, note just how well you slept. This should be based on how refreshed you feel in the morning and how comfortable you felt during the night – don't just base it on the hours you've recorded.

Writing a sleep diary: during the day

Your sleep diary shouldn't be confined to what happened during the night. "Sometimes your sleep troubles are a result of bad sleep habits," says Lisa. "For example, drinking too much caffeine before bedtime, not exercising or poor sleep hygiene." Here are the important details to note about your day:

Naps
Naps can be good for your sleep, but if you do doze during the day, make sure to write it in your sleep diary. It will affect the overall amount of sleep you're getting.

Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine consumption
Make sure to note both the quantity and timing of any caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine you consumed. For example: two cups of coffee at 11am, one at 3pm. Timing can be as important as amount when assessing sleep.

Medication
Note down any medications you might have taken during the day, as well as when you took them. Try to be thorough; if you have an aspirin first thing in the morning, you still want to note it in your diary, to get a full picture of your rest.

How active you were during the day
The best fitness trackers can help you get into the details, but if you don't have one, just give a general overview of how much activity you got up to. And don't forget to note the timings: did you exercise before bed, or at another point during the day?

Your bedtime routine
Make a general note of your bedtime routine, including what you did and when you did it. How well did you stick to your planned wind-down?

How you felt during the day?
On a scale of 0-5, with zero being very lethargic and five being energized, how awake did you feel during the day? You might also want to add a journaling aspect to your sleep diary. Noting your emotional wellbeing before going to bed can help you understand how you sleep when you're stressed.

Writing a sleep diary: after two weeks

When you've started to build up data in your sleep diary, it's time to look at it with a critical eye. There are a few important questions you need to ask yourself when assessing the data:

• Do I dedicate enough of my time for sleep?
• Am I consistent in when I go to bed?
• Am I consistent in when I wake up?
• Do I struggle to fall asleep?
• Do I wake up often during the night?
• Do I typically feel well-rested in the morning? Or drowsy?
• How might my daytime activities be impacting my sleep?

While a sleep diary can be a personal thing, a way to assess your own rest, it also has wider applications. If a lack of sleep is having a serious effect on your wellbeing, you might want to speak to a doctor – and your diary can provide much needed data. 

"If you need to see a GP or healthcare professional about your sleep issues, you will have evidence of your sleep-wake pattern which can help with a diagnosis and treatment,” explains Lisa. (The Sleep Charity has it's own sleep diary template you can use as a starting point.)

You wake up and check the clock – 2am, plenty of time left to fall back to sleep on your best mattress. Then you check again and this time it's 3am, then 4am, and now you're just lying there watching the clock tick closer to morning. While monitoring the time may seem like a smart way to ensure you're getting the amount of sleep you need, this clock-watching might actually be the reason you can't drift off.

“Many people feel 'pressure' to sleep, and clocks can have a negative effect when patients are sensitive to this,” explains Dr Jake Deutsch, board certified emergency physician and medical advisory board member for Oura. In our Oura review, we found this smart ring sleep tracker was excellent at monitoring your kip without invasive and anxiety-inducing numbers – and Dr Deutsch's advice is to take the clock out of the bedroom altogether. And yes, this does include your phone. If it tells you the time, it's a clock.

For Dr Deutsch, removing the clock is part of optimizing your environment for good sleep. “My sleep hacks include removing clocks, making the room pitch black, cooling the environment, and taking the phone out of the bedroom."

What to do instead of watching the clock

Whether you're yet to drop off or you've woken up in the pitch black, the best thing to do when you can't sleep is get out of bed. The 15-minute rule encourages getting up if you've been lying awake for more than a quarter of an hour, to prevent your brain and body associating being in bed with anything other than sleep (this is also why bed rotting is a bad idea).

We recognize that this sounds like a slightly contradictory rule to mention here – how do you know if you've been waiting 15 minutes when there's no clock? But 15 minutes should be a general guideline, not a set time period. Instead of counting down 15 minutes, wait until you start to feel anxious or frustrated that you can't sleep. That's your cue to get up, go to another room, and take up your bedtime routine until you feel sleepy again.

Removing the clocks can be one way to limit pre-sleep anxiety, but this isn't your only tool for preventing stress from keeping you awake. Our guides 'how to sleep better when you're anxious' and 'how to sleep when you're stressed' are full of tips and techniques, but if stress is severely impacting your sleep, contact your doctor for advice. 

You need to show your bedtime a little bit of TLC – but not in the way you might expect. The best kind of tender loving care you can give your bedroom is this: temperature, light, and comfort. From taking care of your best mattress to adjusting the thermostat just that little bit, TLC can have a big impact on how well you sleep. 

This is an idea I learned from Silentnight's sleep expert Hannah Shore, courtesy of the Sleep Charity’s Sleep Conference, and decided to explore further. Let's break down how temperature, light, and comfort can affect your bedtime, and what you can do about it.

What is TLC for your bedroom?

Want to give your bedroom a little TLC? Here's how to tackle temperature, light and comfort in your room to create an environment that's just right for sleep.

1. Temperature

A natural lowering of your core temperature in the evening is one of the ways your body knows it's time to sleep. Which is why keeping the bedroom just that bit cooler – between 16 to 19 degrees Celsius or 60 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit – can help you drift off. When you open up the bedroom window you're not just letting in a breeze – good sleep is blowing in with it. 

If you regularly wake up sweaty, you might want to reconsider the mattress you’re using. Memory foam mattresses can sleep warm, while the best hybrid mattresses allow air to circulate to keep you comfortable overnight. And if night sweats are really impacting your sleep, check out our guide to the best cooling mattresses.

2. Light

Light has a huge impact on how well we sleep. Bright light tells our body clock that it’s time to be awake, while dim lights and darkness indicate it’s nearly bedtime. Even small amounts of light can make a difference – it’s theorized that might be the reason why the full moon appears to cause bad sleep.

For the optimum sleep environment, you want your bedroom to be nice and dark. Invest in a pair of blackout curtains to prevent outside light from getting in, or for a budget-friendly solution, get yourself an eye mask. 

Don’t forget about the other side of sleep – waking up. While darkness is preferable in the evening, you should aim to introduce light as early as possible in the morning. The best wake-up lights slowly flood the room with mock-sunshine to naturally rouse you, and once you're out of bed, open the curtains to keep the light flowing.

And – sorry – I can’t not mention blue light. Blue light is that disruptive brightness we get from devices such as smartphones. Removing these screens from the bedroom eliminates the temptation for a late night scroll and a sudden exposure to unwelcome light. 

3. Comfort

While it might sound like stating the obvious – of course you need to be comfortable to fall asleep – it’s an aspect of the bedroom you might not have thought about for a while. Is your mattress still supporting you? Or has it started to sag without you noticing? Next time you clean your mattress, give it a thorough and objective once-over. If you can't afford a new bed, the best mattress toppers make a short-term, budget-friendly solution to an uncomfortable sleep environment.

But comfort isn’t just about the bed. It also relates to how you feel in the room. Remove anything that might cause stress or anxiety, such as items related to work. Decluttering can help you sleep because our brains read mess as an incomplete task. A quick clean up can remove the source of pre-sleep anxiety.

And this piece of advice was aimed at children, but I think it’s relevant for all ages – remove anything that might be a potential ‘scary’, such as that dressing gown that looks just like a person in the middle of the night. It will save you from an unnecessary fright when you wake up at 3am. 

Panda Bamboo Mattress Topper review: two-minute review

The Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper is a luxurious offering that’s up there with the best mattress toppers on the market. The Panda London Hybrid Bamboo mattress is one of the best mattresses currently on sale in the UK, but how did the topper match up?

Like all memory toppers, the Panda is a thick slab of material – in this case, a 5cm-deep slab of memory foam. But despite this unprepossessing start, the Panda topper is a beautifully designed and high-quality piece. The cover is made of 40% bamboo and 60% polyester and feels soft and luxurious to the touch. Panda has also added adjustable straps, which are an absolute godsend if you have a deeper mattress like I do. It was easy to get a perfect fit and the topper stayed in place beautifully. I also love the little touch of the panda head embossed on all Panda London products.

I struggle with memory foam as I don’t enjoy the sensation of being enveloped. And I did find the topper a little too snug. Having said that, I could also appreciate how supportive it still managed to be, even with the distinctive memory foam ‘hug’. And, of course, this hug is nowhere near as pronounced as you’ll get on a memory foam mattress. My husband and friends who I asked to try the topper all really enjoyed sleeping on it, feeling it did a good job of soothing aches and pains. I think it’s ideal for back and side sleepers, but I wouldn’t recommend it to those who sleep on their front, as I feel they will sink too far into the topper and lose spinal alignment.

Customer review average for the Panda topper is 4.8 out of 5, with it being praised continuously for comfort levels and support. This high-quality topper definitely justifies its price tag, which I don’t think is at all outrageous.

Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper review: design & materials

• 5cm deep topper with gel-infused memory foam
• Removable and washable bamboo / polyester mix cover
• Adjustable straps

Panda London rightly prides itself on its eco credentials, with the mattress topper being Reach-certified, meaning no harmful chemicals were used during manufacturing. All bamboo is ethically sourced from organic bamboo, pesticide free and vegan friendly, with the topper being delivered in a recycled and recyclable box. When the topper does reach the end of its life, Panda will also recycle it for you.

The mattress topper is simply designed. There’s a 40% bamboo and 60% polyester soft touch cover that feels luxurious to the touch, with the addition of Panda London’s signature panda face in one corner. Inside is Panda’s proprietary 3rd generation Hydro foam, which is gel-infused memory foam with open-cell cooling technology.

The topper has an anti-slip bottom layer of dotted silicone to help keep it in place, but the cleverest touch in my opinion is the four adjustable straps at each corner that mean you can fit the topper exactly to your own mattress and adjust it for different depths. It’s a simple touch, but one that really makes a difference when it comes to ease of use.

Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper review: price & value for money

• Mid-range pricing, but feels like a premium topper
• 30-day trial and 10-year warranty
• Rarely discounted

The Panda topper comes in an impressive number of sizes. Here’s the RRP for each size:

• UK Single: £99.95
• UK Small Double: £134.95
• UK Double: £139.95
• UK King: £159.95
• UK Super King: £174.95
• EU Single: £104.95
• EU Double: £149.95
• EU King: £169.95
• EU Emperor: £199.95

The Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper sits in the mid-range price bracket, but I think its quality more than justifies its price tag. The cover feels incredibly soft to the touch and it’s extremely comfortable to lie on. Plus the clever non-slip bottom and adjustable straps make this topper a real pleasure to use.

Panda doesn’t discount its products very often and you’ll generally find discounts around major sales events. I’d recommend bookmarking our mattress sales page, as it will keep you up to date with when the brand has any offers available. We have seen the occasional 10% off around the holidays but this isn’t a brand that offers evergreen sale prices. Still, I think the topper is well worth the cost even at full price.

Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper review: comfort & performance

• Ideal for back and side sleepers
• Distinctive memory foam ‘hug’
• Great temperature regulation

Although the Panda topper is made of memory foam, I was quite surprised by how much of a pronounced ‘hug’ the topper has. This is not, by any means, a firm topper. There’s a lot of moulding to the body with the Panda and you can instantly feel yourself sinking into it. Of course, the sinkage is nowhere near the level you’d find in some of the best memory foam mattresses but it is quite distinctive for a topper.

I am not a fan of body-hugging toppers or mattresses, and did find the topper far too soft and conforming for my sleeping preferences. However, I am a bit of an abnormality in that despite being a lightweight side and back sleeper, I much prefer a firmer mattress overall. This is not to say, however, that I couldn’t appreciate the support that the topper gave me. It offers some lovely cushioning around pressure points and my husband and friends who tried it said it helped to soothe aches and pains.

I think this topper would be a great fit for back and side sleepers as it offers excellent pressure relief and cushioning. But stomach sleepers are likely to sink too far into the mattress and lose spinal alignment. Combination sleepers might also struggle a little to change position overnight.

We were sleeping on a firm innerspring mattress when testing and the topper did completely change the feel of the mattress, giving it the aforementioned memory foam ‘hug’. Neither my husband nor I could feel the mattress underneath at all, which isn’t surprising considering that the topper is of a decent depth.

Another member of TechRadar's testing team has also slept on the Panda topper. They, like me, tested it on a firm innerspring mattress and while they were on the whole impressed by its quality of build and materials, they found that the transformation it brought about made things just a little too soft for comfort. They also noted that it got a bit too warm for their liking.

I was concerned that the topper might sleep hot because of its sinkage but in fact it did an excellent job of keeping us cool at night. My husband is generally a hotter sleeper, but he didn’t feel overheated at all on the Panda. I think a lot of this is down to the natural temperature regulating qualities of bamboo, but it’s also helped by the open-cell foam. Panda says that the foam has tiny heat-sensitive capsules that react to your body temperature, with the extra space between the cells helping to release heat. It certainly did a good job, although I can imagine a really hot sleeper might still find it a little warm. I’m a fairly reptilian sleeper who usually uses an electric blanket, which you can use with the topper. Fair warning though, when I did so the topper trapped the heat magnificently and even I found it a little on the warm side.

Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper review: customer experience

• Vacuum packed and rolled into a surprisingly compact box
• Free delivery and returns
• 30-night trial and 10-year warranty

The Panda topper arrived in a relatively small box (delivered by a courier), which initially made me wonder if the topper was going to be a little on the weedy side. But there’s some impressive vacuum packing going on here, as once it was released it expanded quickly to form an impressively thick topper.

There was some initial off-gassing smell, but it dissipated after a day and was nowhere near as strong as you can get with mattresses. The topper inflated to its five cm height quickly, but there were visible lines where it had been folded in the box that took a good few days to disappear completely. The box is completely recycled and recyclable by the way – Panda really prides itself on its environmental commitments.

The topper has a 30-night trial so you can see if it’s the right fit for you, which is generous enough, although we have seen longer trials. The 10-year warranty is generous and gives plenty of protection in case anything goes wrong.

Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper review: specs

Should you buy the Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper?

Buy it if…

✅ You want a memory foam ‘hug’: If you’re looking to add some softness and cushioning support to your existing mattress, the Panda topper offers a proper memory foam ‘hug’ that will help support pressure points.

✅ You sleep on your side or back: The Panda topper is particularly suited to side and back sleepers, as it supports the lumbar region whilst still cushioning shoulders and hips.

✅ You want a topper that stays in place: It might sound like a simple thing, but some toppers slide about overnight and can make sleep uncomfortable. The adjustable straps and non-slip bottom mean that the Panda topper offers a perfect fit on every mattress.

Don't buy it if…

❌ You sleep on your stomach: The Panda topper is made of memory foam and there’s a fair amount of sinkage that means I don’t think it would be supportive enough for a stomach sleeper.

❌ You change positions a lot: It’s by no means impossible to change positions on the Panda topper, but the ‘hug’ of the memory foam does mean that it takes a little bit of effort.

❌ You don’t like the sinkage of memory foam: This topper really does mould around you, so if you’re not a fan of that contouring, look for a firmer topper instead, such as the Emma Flip Topper.

How I tested the Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper

I slept on the Panda topper with my husband for around two weeks at the end of a fairly mild February. There were a couple of chillier nights during the testing period, but we slept under a winter duvet and fake fur throw throughout the two-week period in a bedroom of between 10 and 14C. I also asked a number of friends to try it out to get a better idea of how it performed for different sleeping styles and body weights. 

Read more about how we test

Naps often seem like the enemy of a good night's rest, but when done properly, naps can help you sleep. Excellent news for anyone who likes to spend some quality time with their best mattress. Even better – it might actually be best to take a nap every day.

That's according to Anush Pervez, sleep expert at SleepSeeker. “Napping often gets a negative reputation, with people believing it prevents you from sleeping well overnight. However, napping can be beneficial to your daily routine when properly moderated."

I'm never going to complain about being told to nap more, but I was curious about why napping is best when it's a habit. I asked Anush, and she explained to me that, like your evening sleep routine, it's best to keep things regular when it comes to naps.

Why nap regularly?

“Consistency is key with napping," explains Anush. "If you know napping is something you need in your lifestyle, try and add this to your daily routine. Napping at the same time and for a set interval will help regulate your body clock."

It's no surprise that our body clock prefers rhythmic repetition for good sleep. It's why we encourage you to develop a bedtime routine. But I hadn't considered how this might apply to naps. An unexpected nap at 12 noon can confuse our inner timer – why is bedtime suddenly in the middle of the day, and why is it happening again at night? But when a quick nap at 1pm becomes an everyday experience, your body learns to predict it, and can prepare accordingly.

While daily napping might not sound like the most productive choice, Anush doesn't recommend dozing the day away. “Try to keep your naps short, aiming between 20 to 30 minutes. This will prevent you from feeling overly fatigued when waking up from the slumber and will reduce any interference with your nighttime sleep routine." 

Before taking your daily nap, there's a few things you need to do. First, pick the right time. Early afternoon is a good choice as it's often when we need a refresh, but for a smart approach, Garmin's Forerunner watches can tell you when to nap. Second, set an alarm, to ensure you don't oversleep (a bad idea in the middle of the day). Finally, remember you're in good company – even Super Bowl winning athletes swear by a nap.

And napping shouldn't take priority over a full night's sleep. If you start to find you can't fall asleep at night, then consider cutting out your daytime nap, and see if that helps. You might find you've been oversleeping.

Emma Premium Pillow review: two-minute review

The Emma Premium Pillow is a foam pillow that contains three inserts. One side is a firm, 'ThermoSync' foam designed for hot sleepers, the other is a softer foam, and there's a layer in the middle that can be removed to adjust the loft to suit your frame and sleep style. 

I haven't been able to sleep on it yet, but I did get a chance to poke, prod, and lie on it during a visit to the Emma HQ. In this hands-on review I'll go through my first impressions, who it might suit, and how it compares to the rest of the best pillows on the market.

The overall feel is one of firm, uniform support. The two sides do feel different: the ThermoSync side is a little firmer and slower moving; the other side is a little softer and bouncier. However, neither side is particularly plush, so this isn't the right choice if you want a pillow you sink into.

I was impressed with my first impressions of the cooling properties. It's not possible to assess temperature regulation properly without sleeping on a pillow, but I've also tested this ThermoSync foam more thoroughly for my Emma Premium topper review and was impressed with the cooling there.

With all inserts inside, the loft is high – I suspect too high for most situations. However, the inside sections can be removed to lower the loft, which means it could theoretically suit anyone, from a broad-shouldered side sleeper to a petite back sleeper. 

Price-wise, we're in the premium bracket here. While the adjustability, along with extras like a 30-night sleep trial, help justify that price, there are plenty of lower-cost options that tick similar boxes if it's out of your budget. Read on for my full Emma Premium Pillow hands-on review.

Emma Premium Pillow review: price & value for money

• Premium price bracket
• RRP of £115 for standard size
• Free delivery, 2 year guarantee and 30-night trial

At £115, the Emma Premium pillow sits firmly in our premium price bracket. The extras do help amp up your value for money – you'll get a 30 night sleep trial, for instance. Trials are common with mattresses but rare for pillows. There's also free delivery and a two-year guarantee. 

Still, there are plenty of cheaper, great quality alternatives, which makes the pricing here a little hard to justify. If foam pillows are your thing, our top-rated Rem-Fit 500 Cool Gel pillow is typically around half the price, and the Levitex Sleep Posture pillow is a fair bit cheaper too. 

Emma Premium Pillow review: design & materials

• 3 foam layers, including one cooling foam and one softer foam
• Layers can be removed to adjust height
• Removable 'UltraDry-Plus' cover

The Emma Premium Pillow is an all-foam design with three internal layers. On one side is grey 'Premium ThermoSync' foam, which is designed to be cooling. The other side isn't specifically temperature regulating, and it's softer than the ThermoSync foam, for those who prefer a more plush feel. Sandwiched between the two is a layer of 'HRX (High Resiliency Extra) Foam, which is really just there for extra height. 

The idea is that you can flip the pillow to give different feels and functions, or remove layers to adjust the height. 

On the Emma website, these foam layers are shown in individual casings, but on the pillow I tried out, these were absent – it was just the bare foam. We've noticed inconsistencies with these protective casings when testing other Emma Pillows; it seems to be a bit of a lucky dip whether you get them or not. When they're not there, I think the bare foam feels a little too delicate, and if you were taking the foam inserts in and out, I'd be concerned about them getting damaged, or snagged in the zip.

The whole thing is wrapped in a cover made from 'UltraDry-Plus' fabric, which is 98 per cent polyester and 2 per cent elastane). It looks and feels like the fabric used on Emma's mattresses, and my opinion is that it's fine and functions well, but doesn't seem especially luxurious. The cover can be zipped off and washed at 60C, which is hot enough to kill dust mites. The interior foam layers can't be washed, but that's standard for foam pillows.

Emma Premium Pillow review: comfort & performance

• Very high loft with all inserts inside
• Both sides really quite firm (although soft side is a bit more plush)
• ThermoSync foam is cool to touch

The idea is that you can flip this pillow to give two different feels, thanks to the different foam layers. So let's start with the grey ThermoSync side. I judged this to be a really firm foam. Concentrated pressure – for example from an elbow – went in easily, but if I pressed my whole hand (or head) against it, I struggled to make much of an indentation. 

The feel is fairly responsive; you won't sink into it, but it does take a moment to return to its original shape once pressure is removed. This side was a bit too solid for my preferences.

However, I was more impressed with the temperature regulation properties. There are lots of claims made about cooling foams, but Emma's ThermoSync really seems to work. The surface of the foam actually feels cool to the touch, and beneath my head on when I lay on it in the Emma showroom. The real test of this is to sleep on it, of course, but I'm optimistic based on what I saw during my hands-on time with this pillow, and also based on my time reviewing the Emma Premium topper, which uses the same foam. 

The other side doesn't have these thermoregulating properties and promises a softer feel. The difference in firmness is noticeable compared to the grey side, although I'd still consider it to be medium-firm – don't expect something ultra-squishy. It's also springier and more responsive than the other side. When you remove pressure, it returns to shape immediately. 

There's nothing on the cover to indicate which side is which, so you'll need to figure it out based on touch, or unzip the pillow to peek inside. 

With all three foam inserts in place, this is a high-loft pillow. I found it far too high when lying on my back and stomach, and also too high for side sleeping. For context, I'm 5ft 8, not especially broad shouldered, and I tend to just sleep with one pillow. Broad-shouldered side sleepers might need a pillow of this depth for proper support, but I suspect most people will want to take the central insert out to get it to a comfortable height. The fact that this pillow is easily adjustable is a win, though. 

Because it's foam, it doesn't need re-plumping, and should provide consistent support all night. 

Emma Premium Pillow specs

Should you buy the Emma Premium Pillow?

Buy it if...

✅ You sleep hot: The ThermoSync side of the Emma Premium pillow shows a lot of promise when it comes to keeping the sleeper cool. That's not the case with all foam pillows. 

✅ You prefer a firmly supportive pillow: Although one side is a little plusher than the other, the overall feel here is of firm, consistent support.

✅ You're a broad-shouldered side sleeper: With all the foam inserts in place the Emma Premium pillow is pretty tall. It can be adjusted to make it suitable for different body frames and sleep positions, but should appeal in particular to those seeking a chunky pillow. 

Don't buy it if...

❌ You prefer a squishy pillow: One side of the Emma Premium is softer than the other, but neither is particularly plush. Something like the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow has more give, and you still get those cooling features.

❌ You prefer a traditional pillow: Moulded foam isn't for everyone. If you want a plump-able pillow, check out the Emma Premium Microfibre pillow, which is filled with down-alternative stuffing. You can still remove inserts to adjust the height.

❌ You're on a budget: If the (admittedly high) price tag is a bit much, there are plenty of cheaper options that offer similar features and cost less. Our best pillow guide is a good place to start.

World Sleep Day is here, and other than dressing up as our favourite sleep hack – I'm going as mouth taping – the best way to celebrate is by upgrading your sleep setup. The best mattress can help you achieve consistent high quality rest by providing a comfortable and supportive base every night. And with excellent mattress sales popping up all over the place, today is a great time to buy. 

To help you get the best sleep possible, I've rounded up some of my favourite mattress deals. There's an option to suit every sleeper, whether you lie on your back, side, or like to rotate every which way, and from solo snorers to cuddling couples. Read on to find the best World Sleep Day mattress deals.