Sleeping easy

Money Matters contributor Jonathan Thompson has found some alternative ways to help you get those precious ZZZs...

The clocks go back in October, disrupting sleep patterns across the country. No big deal? Wrong. More than 10 million sleeping pills are now prescribed in the UK every year, with as many as a third of us suffering from significant sleep difficulties. For up to 15% of the population (that’s 9 million people), that problem has already evolved into chronic insomnia.

‘As a nation, we have become very good at sleeping very badly,’ says leading insomnia expert Dr Guy Meadows, founder of The Sleep School. ‘Sleep is a natural physiological process. Our bodies know how to do it — we’re just getting in the way.’ Why not give your bedroom life an upgrade by picking from this top 10 of the sleep-inducing investments on the market?

The Apha-Stim SCS

This clever sleeping aid actually works by waking you up. The Alpha-Stim’s manipulation of brain waves has already gained it some big fans — the US Army. Essentially, it increases your alpha brain waves, neutralising anxiety and stress, and putting you in a relaxed, yet alert, state. However, if you use it three hours before bed as recommended, you’ll hit the hay relaxed, stress free and ready to sleep.
BUY IT: $299, alpha-stim.co.uk

Sleep phones

Listening to an audiobook is thought to be a good way to lull yourself into sleep. Once your head hits the pillow, put on these soft fleece headphones, which are designed specifically for listening to chilled out, pre-sleep tunes.
BUY IT: from $37, welovesleep.co.uk

Perfect balance pillow

Did you know the optimum bed temperature for sleeping is 16-18 degrees Celsius? The Fine Bedding Company do — they’ve invented a clever, temperature-sensitive pillow containing a special filling to regulate your body heat.
BUY IT: $30, finebedding.co.uk

Renew sleep clock

This is no ordinary alarm clock: it’s a ‘noncontact sleep monitor’ that ‘measures your sleep patterns and wakes you at the lightest moment in your sleep cycle’. The idea behind this? That you wake from slumber more refreshed… and less likely to hit snooze!
BUY IT: $169, renewsleepclock.com

Lifemax dreamate

Polysomnography, the study of sleep, sounds like sci-fi — and insomnia solutions don’t get more space age than the Lifemax Dreamate Sleeping Aid, a wrist-worn gadget that uses ‘double frequency acupressure technology’ to transport you to the land of nod.
BUY IT: $53.99, amazon.co.uk

Yantra mat

It sounds strange, but having a quick lie-down before bed could be the answer to sleeping better, for longer. The Yantra is a specialist sleep acupressure mat, covered in ‘spiked flowers’ to stimulate your body into releasing crucial sleep hormones.
BUY IT: $39.99, hollandandbarrett.com

Zeo sleep manager

It might make you look like Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters, but this tracking device is a prime-time star in its own right. The wireless headband tracks your brainwaves as you sleep, then sends this data wirelessly to your smartphone, where it can be used to devise a personal sleep-coaching programme.
BUY IT: $89, myzeo.co.uk

Breathing relief

This ingenious nasal dilator will help you sleep better and stop snoring. How? It adjusts airflow through your nasal passages to ensure the right amount of oxygen reaches your lungs — silently.
BUY IT: $20, breathingrelief.com

Nightwave sleep assistant

This gadget projects a soft blue light onto the ceiling of your darkened room, which
slowly rises and falls. All you have to do is synchronise your breathing with the moving light, which becomes slower and slower, allowing you to enter Stage One sleep.
BUY IT: from $49, welovesleep.co.uk

Glo to sleep — Sleep Therapy mask

Why count sheep when you can count ‘a pattern of glowing points’ inside a luxurious eye mask? The Glo To Sleep mask uses these points to slow your brain activity down, clear your mind and help you drift into deep sleep.
BUY IT: $29, welovesleep.co.uk 

This Money Matters post aims to be informative and engaging. Though it may include tips and information, it does not constitute advice and should not be used as a basis for any financial decisions. Sun Trust Group accepts no responsibility for the opinions and views of external contributors and the content of external websites included within this post. Some links may take you to another Sun Trust Group page. All information in this post was correct at date of publication.