Ruth Jones

Ruth Jones

Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Ruth is an experienced Senior Staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things sleep and mattresses. She writes to help people sleep better, from how-tos to the latest deals to mattress reviews, and has interviewed an array of experts who share her passion. She is also our specialist on memory foam — she’s flown around the world to see memory foam being made — and leads our hotel mattress content. She has a deep interest in the link between sleep and health, and has tried enough mattresses, from Helix to Nectar to Simba, to know the right bed really can make a difference to your wellbeing. Before joining the team at Tom’s Guide, Ruth worked as a sleep and mattress writer for our sister website, TechRadar.

Latest articles by Ruth Jones

A woman lying on her back on a bed in the dark. She's wearing an eye mask and a sleep tracker.
This ‘vampire hormone’ reduces 3 a.m. wake ups — an insomnia doctor shares 2 ways to get more of it

By Ruth Jones Published

The 'vampire hormone' is key to helping you fall asleep and sleep through the night. An insomnia doctor explains what it is, why it works, and two key steps to get more of it.

Sleep
A close up of mattress tester Becky George sleeping at night
Study says chatbots are misdiagnosing sleep apnea, so a doctor is sharing 4 symptoms you should never ignore

By Ruth Jones Published

Up to 80% of obstructive sleep apnea cases are thought to remain undiagnosed — Dr. Carleara Weiss explains how AI chatbots can contribute to the problem.

Sleep
The main image shows a white duvet cover on a washing line on a sunny day. In the top right corner is an ident showing a close up of a yellow stain on bedding
I turned my yellowed bed sheets bright white again in one wash without using chlorine bleach

By Ruth Jones Published

Harsh chlorine bleach can damage fabrics but with this gentler 2-step soak you can lift old yellow sweat stains and return your sheets back to right white.

Pillows & Bedding
A close up of a woman lying in bed wearing an Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Series 12 is meant to be its best yet for sleep tracking but is there still a place for these bulky wearables?

By Ruth Jones Published

The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to be announced at today's 'Surprise and Shine' event — but as a sleep tech writer, I'm not getting excited.

Sleep Tech
A woman gets ready to climb into a bed that's been dressed in sheets
3 key items an infection expert bans from her bedroom for cleaner sheets

By Ruth Jones Last updated

According to Dr. Shanina Knighton, these items make your newly-washed bed sheets dirty again after just one night

Mattress Care
A close up of a woman lying in bed sleeping while wearing an Oura Ring. In the right hand side is a screenshot of the Oura app showing sleep tracking data
Is my Oura Ring 100% accurate? No, and I wouldn't expect it to be — here's why I'll keep using it to track my sleep

By Ruth Jones Last updated

A lawsuit alleges the Oura Ring 5 lacks the capability to measure your sleep stages. But how much accuracy do we need from our sleep trackers?

Sleep Tech
The image shows a cluttered bedroom, with clothes piled on the floor and bags hanging off of the door. There is a desk with a laptop at the foot of the bed. Inset, a woman wakes up and check the clock - it's 3 a.m.
I kept waking up at 3 a.m. until a Feng Shui expert noticed 3 things wrong with my bedroom — and I fixed them in 5 minutes

By Ruth Jones Published

Is your bedroom behind why you can't stay asleep all night? Feng shui experts identify 3 common problems and their simple solutions.

Sleep
A woman gets ready to climb into a bed that's been dressed in sheets
Get rid of mattress smells with this 5-second daily habit — no baking soda required

By Ruth Jones Published

You're trapping smells in your mattress every morning without realizing it. Here's the quick 5-second hack that fixes it.

Mattress Care
On the left, a close up of a set of dull, gray bed sheets. On the right, the same sheets on a washing line, looking sparkling white. In the middle, an insert of dish soap, oxygen bleach and vinegar on a kitchen counter
I restored my graying bed sheets back to bright white using this simple 2-step soak

By Ruth Jones Published

Bring those graying bed sheets back to bright white with an oxygen bleach plus vinegar pre-machine laundry soak and dive into brand-new looking sheets tonight.

Pillows & Bedding
A split screen of an anxious woman with insomnia staring at the clock and a woman waking up with a smile because she's well rested.
I asked an insomnia doctor how to stop waking up at night — here's the easy 3-step routine he uses to sleep through

By Ruth Jones Published

Neurologist and author Dr. Pedram Navab reveals the simple routine he uses to calm stress and skip 3 a.m. wake-ups

Sleep
On the left, a woman lies in bed asleep in the dark. On the right, a close up of a reMarkable Paper Pure tablet covered in notes, lying on a mattress
Expert says these 2 factors wake you up at 3 a.m. — but this $0 hack is helping me sleep through the night

By Ruth Jones Published

A sleep expert explains why you find your thoughts racing before bed and the simple hack that can help you reduce stress and sleep through the night.

Sleep
On the left, a close up of a hand holding a pipette adding Reishi mushroom extract to a glass. On the left, sleep writer Ruth Jones sleeps in a dimly lit room. In the bottom right corner is a screenshot of a month of sleep tracking from a Withings Health app.
I replaced my 3 a.m. wake-ups with mushroom adaptogens — did it actually fix my sleep?

By Ruth Jones Last updated

I'm a supplement skeptic but as research into the benefits of adaptogens adds up, I decided to see if reishi mushrooms could actually help me sleep. Here's what happened after testing for a month.

Sleep
On the left, sleep writer Ruth Jones mixes up a Sleepy Girl Mocktail. On the right, she's sleeping soundly in a dimly lit room. In the center is a close up of a 91 Sleep Score.
I made 7 viral snacks TikTok swears will help you sleep and measured the results with my fitness tracker — this is the one that got me a sleep score over 90

By Ruth Jones Published

I can't scroll TikTok without coming across a recipe for the best sleep of my life. I put them to the test and asked a registered dietician if there's any science to back it up.

Sleep
The main image shows a woman in bed asleep. In the bottom right corner is an ident showing a close up of an alarm clock at 3 a.m..
I kept waking up at 3 a.m. with racing thoughts — now I fall back asleep in seconds thanks to this expert-backed method

By Ruth Jones Published

The 'fake blink' method is a simple way to calm busy thoughts and help you feel tired. It helped me fall asleep fast after waking up at 3 a.m. — and here experts explain why.

Sleep
The main image shows a woman inspecting the Purple mattress Protector. Top right, an inset of a hand spilling wine on a mattress. Bottom right, an inset of a person spilling coffee on a mattress. Bottom left, a badge saying 'Tested!'
$21 vs $119 mattress protector showdown: Which one performs best in our 6 spill tests?

By Ruth Jones Published

Every bed needs a mattress protector — to see if you should save or splurge, I put two to the test by throwing everything I had at them (literally).

Mattress Care
A woman lies sleeping in a dark room, wearing a sleep tracker. Superimposed on the right of the screen is a series of charts and graphs detailing sleep tracking metrics and responding interventions.
Wearables that just track your sleep are so 2025 — meet the new school of sleep tech that intervenes, in real-time, to help you skip 3 a.m. wake-ups and other major sleep issues

By Ruth Jones Published

Sleep trackers have exposed our bad sleep habits — what comes next? I asked the experts how the next generation of sleep tech aims to help us sleep better, without lifting a finger.

Sleep Tech
A pillow is shown on a corner of a mattress. A circle overlapping the pillow shows a thermal imaging reading.
I pointed a thermal cam at a luxury cooling pillow to see if it actually helps you stay cool in a heatwave — here are the results, and how it compares to a cheap alternative

By Ruth Jones Published

We pitted a $93 luxury cooling pillow against a $20 down alternative pillow by pointing a thermal imaging camera at both. Here's which one kept our testers from searching for the cool side...

Pillows & Bedding
The main image shows a woman sitting up in bed looking at her phone. In the top left corner is a closeup of monthly sleep tracking data on the Withings Sleep App
Why your daily sleep score could be giving you anxiety — and how to track your sleep instead

By Ruth Jones Last updated

A doctor explains why your monthly sleep score is a better sleep tracking metric than your daily score.

Sleep
On the left, a woman lies in bed sleeping well. On the right, a close up of a fruity drink in the sun
Fall asleep fast in a heatwave with this magnesium-packed bedtime iced tea — here's why it works and how to make it

By Ruth Jones Published

Our fave summer sleep drink uses chamomile, cooling peppermint, and electrolyte-rich coconut water to lower your core temperature from the inside out

Sleep
TG Sleep Senior Writer Ruth Jones sleeps on her stomach on a comfy mattress
From the 'caveman method' to the 'frozen salt water fan trick' — 7 expert-approved ways to cool your bedroom and sleep well in a heatwave

By Ruth Jones Published

Don't let a heatwave ruin your sleep. We've tested 7 ways to stay cool in bed and these were our winners.

Sleep
A woman lies asleep in bed looking comfy, in the bottom right corner is a screenshot of a 92 sleep score from the Withings Health Sleep App
Waking up at 3 a.m. was ruining my sleep score — until I tried the 7:1 sleep rule and now I'm hitting 90

By Ruth Jones Published

From falling asleep faster to sleeping through the night, here's all the ways the 7:1 rule is boosting my sleep tracker data.

Sleep
A woman sits up in bed reading a book in dim lighting
Reading in bed was causing me to wake up at 3 a.m. — until an insomnia expert made this simple routine tweak to help me sleep through

By Ruth Jones Published

Reading in bed might help you destress but it can also cause this one major issue in your sleep. An expert explains why and what to do instead.

Sleep
The image shows a dark haired woman in bed practising cognitive shuffling to fall back asleep quickly, while an inset image of a clock reads 3am
I tried a Chief Medical Officer's hack to fall asleep fast after waking up at 3 a.m. and it worked — here's why

By Ruth Jones Published

It's all about putting the brakes on stressful, anxious thoughts so that you can drift back to sleep quickly

Sleep
On the left, a man lies on his back sleeping. On the right, a close up of a hand holding a phone showing a timer counting down from 20
'I was exhausted after waking up at 3 a.m. each night — until I tried this 20-minute energy reset approved by doctors'

By Ruth Jones Published

Are 3 a.m. wake-ups making you feel exhausted by midday? Try this 20-minute technique to beat the afternoon slump without ruining your nighttime sleep.

Sleep
A woman lying on her side sleeping with a handdrawn thought bubble over her head to show she's thinking
Is dreaming a sign of good sleep? It depends on one key factor, experts say

By Ruth Jones Published

Dreams are a regular part of sleep but are your dream-filled nights a sign your sleep quality is being affected? I asked the experts and this is what they told me...

Sleep
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: