Frances Daniels

Frances Daniels

Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Frances Daniels is a PPA-accredited journalist and Sleep Staff Writer at Tom's Guide with an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. Her role includes covering mattress and sleep news and writing sleep product reviews and buyer's guides, including our Best Hybrid Mattress 2025 guide. She is interested in the relationship between sleep and health, interviewing an array of experts to create in-depth articles about topics such as nutrition, sleep disorders, sleep hygiene, and mattress care. She is also our specialist on mattress toppers — producing bed topper reviews and taking care of our Best Mattress Toppers 2025 guide — and leads content relating to fiberglass-free beds for a non-toxic sleep. Outside of Tom's Guide, she has written for Ideal Home and Marie Claire.

Latest articles by Frances Daniels

Christmas hot chocolate with marshmallows
No, hot chocolate isn't good for sleep — health expert explains why you should swap it for this 'golden' drink instead

By Frances Daniels Published

Hot chocolate is the quintessential cozy beverage, but a dietician tells us it's not so good for our sleep...

Sleep
The left half of the Saatva Graphite Memory Foam Mattress Topper combined with the Saatva High-Density Foam Mattress Topper to make a whole. A blue wavy line separates the two bed toppers.
Graphite vs High-Density foam: Which Saatva mattress topper is ideal for side sleepers?

By Frances Daniels Published

We've tested both the Saatva Graphite vs High-Density Foam toppers —here's which you should buy based on price, design, and comfort for side sleepers

Pillows & Bedding
A photograph of a stack of mattress toppers pasted onto a paste-blue background with a cobalt-blue pattern.
How much should you pay for a mattress topper? I review them for a living, here's what I think

By Frances Daniels Published

While a bed topper is a cheaper alternative to a new mattress, prices can vary. So, here's how much a mattress topper should cost...

Mattress Toppers
An image of a stack of mattress toppers with a blue Black Friday sleep deals badge in the bottom right-hand foreground.
Black Friday mattress topper sales 2025

By Frances Daniels Last updated

Our guide to the best mattress topper sales of Black Friday 2025 from Tempur-Pedic, Amazon, Casper, and more...

Mattress Toppers
Woman with hair in towel relaxes at night with a bowl of cereal
Doctor warns this common food is wrecking our sleep — and we eat over 30lbs of it a year

By Frances Daniels Published

This popular nutritious ingredient is surprisingly disruptive to your sleep, according to experts. Here's why and what to eat instead...

Sleep Problems
A collage of sleep gifts under $20 on a white blanket and lilac satin sheet.
12 stocking stuffers for under $20 for the person in your life who loves to sleep

By Frances Daniels Published

Does your workplace Secret Santa have strict budget rules? Give the gift of sleep for under $20 with these cozy stocking fillers

Sleep
A collage of nighttime routine products at Amazon.
Build the ultimate nighttime routine for cozy winter evenings with these 12 products

By Frances Daniels Published

Everything you need to build the ultimate nighttime routine and fall asleep fast, from lavender-scented body wash,

Sleep
A four-piece collage featuring different mattress toppers for side sleepers. In the center foreground, there is a Cyber Monday sleep deals badge.
Side sleepers, it's your last chance to soften your mattress for less with these 5 final Cyber Monday bed topper deals

By Frances Daniels Published

Soften a hard bed with these mattress topper deals still live in the Cyber Monday sales — but I expect these discounts will soon disappear.

Mattress Toppers
A stack of mattress toppers on top of a mattress
I'm a mattress topper expert — my top 5 tips for getting a good deal this Black Friday

By Frances Daniels Last updated

Looking for a mattress topper this Black Friday? Here's a quick guide to finding a good deal in the sales

Mattress Toppers
The composite image shows from L-R the Oura Ring 4, Quince gingham bed sheets, Coop Adjustable pillow and the Saatva Classic mattress. In the center of the image is a blue pillow-shaped badge with the text "Tom's Guide Sleep Awards 2025"
Tom’s Guide Sleep Awards 2025: All the winners across every major category

By Frances Daniels Published

We've crowned this year’s best products to help you sleep better, from mattresses and pillows to sunrise alarm clocks and sleep trackers

Mattresses
Our sleep features editor Lauren Jeffries lies on her side on the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress, with her back to the camera. A laser line indicates where her spine would be to show how her body is supported by the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress.
Side sleeper? This is the mattress to buy in the Black Friday sales based on our testing

By Frances Daniels Published

Here's why I'd choose the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress over the cheaper Zinus Green Tea in the Black Friday sales

Mattresses
Two Tom's Guide Sleep Writers lying next to each other on their side on the Saatva Classic mattress
Beginner’s guide to Black Friday mattress deals — 5 key things to remember before you shop

By Frances Daniels Last updated

The Black Friday mattress deals have landed — but before you shop, follow our guide to the 5 things you should know

Mattresses
The Nolah Natural 11 Mattress in a well-lit bedroom with a Tom's Guide Black Friday Mattress Deals badge overlaid
Nolah launches free white glove delivery on mattress orders over $1,450 in the Black Friday sales — here's what that means

By Frances Daniels Published

Nolah is offering free in-home setup and removal for mattresses over $1,450 this Black Friday — here are the beds that include the premium service

Mattresses
The Birch Organic Mattress Topper in beige
Want to put a mattress topper on memory foam? Latex is the answer — here's the Black Friday deal I recommend

By Frances Daniels Published

There’s a 20% Black Friday discount on the Naturepedic Adagio Mattress Topper, but I'd check out this cheaper latex deal first

Mattress Toppers
A close-up image of the bottom left-hand corner of the Tempur-Adapt + Cooling Mattress Topper attached to a white mattress. In the foreground, there is a Tom's Guide Sleep Awards 2025 badge with a crescent moon and a cloud illustration.
Tom’s Guide Sleep Awards 2025: Best Mattress Topper

By Frances Daniels Published

We think mattress toppers should offer luxury for less, and the TempurAdapt + Cooling doesn’t just replicate the premium feel of Tempur-Pedic’s beds — it sleeps cooler, too

Mattress Toppers
Two of our mattress testers sit on the Siena Signature Mattress on a bed frame in our testing studio. On the left, Nicola Appleton sits close to the side of the mattress to test the edge support. On the right, Frances Daniels sits on the sleeping area of the bed to better understand the comfort.
An expensive mattress isn't always best — meet the cheap memory foam bed that outperformed many luxury rivals in our testing

By Frances Daniels Published

We've tested and re-tested the Siena Signature Mattress, and this budget memory foam impressed in these three benefits...

Mattresses
An image of the WinkBed mattress on a bed frame in a bedroom with a Black Friday mattress deals badge in the top left foreground.
Is the WinkBed worth buying in the Black Friday sales? We tested it, here’s our advice

By Frances Daniels Published

There's 30% off the WinkBed this Black Friday, but is this hybrid mattress worth buying? Here's our take on its price, design and comfort

Mattresses
A college of Saatva High-Density Foam Mattress Topper images pasted onto a blue-green gradient background.
Saatva’s best-selling mattress topper isn’t in the Black Friday sale — so I’d buy this cheaper alternative instead

By Frances Daniels Published

There’s no Black Friday deal on the popular Graphite Memory Foam Mattress Topper, so save up to $70 with this cheaper option from the brand instead

Mattress Toppers
A Viscosoft Active Cooling Copper Mattress Topper with an early Black Friday mattress topper deals badge
This cooling mattress topper is always sold out — but it's back and up to $169 off for the Black Friday sales

By Frances Daniels Published

This Black Friday, make your mattress firmer for up to $169 less with this epic deal on the ViscoSoft Active Cooling Copper Mattress Topper

Mattress Toppers
The image shows a collage of four different hybrid mattresses. The top left shows the Saatva Classic mattress on a circular platform. The top right shows a Leesa mattress on a light-colored wooden bed frame. The bottom left displays a Helix Midnight Luxe mattress on a white bed frame with a dark gray base. The bottom right shows a Bear Elite Hybrid mattress on a light-colored bed frame with a blue base.
I track hybrid mattress prices — here are 3 top sales to shop before Black Friday and 1 you definitely should wait for

By Frances Daniels Published

This is my third time covering the Black Friday mattress sales — some are worth buying on the big day, but some great deals are already here

Mattresses
The Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM sunrise alarm clock lighting a dark room with a sunrise-mimicking glow.
I love my $259 sunrise alarm clock — but I'd buy this budget one in the Black Friday sales

By Frances Daniels Published

The Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM sunrise alarm has brightened my mornings. but there's one budget alternative already on sale ahead of Black Friday.

Sleep Tech
A close-up shot of the white and blue cooling gel-foam used in mattresses
What is gel-foam in mattresses?

By Frances Daniels Last updated

Gel-foam mattresses are different to pure memory foam mattresses — here’s what you should know and whether you should buy one.

Mattresses
A woman lying on a Stearns & Foster Estate mattress while reading a book, with a Tom's Guide Black Friday Mattress Deals badge overlaid
This mattress will give you a luxury hotel feel for $300 less with this early Black Friday deal

By Frances Daniels Published

The Stearns & Foster Estate is a luxe hotel-style mattress, and there's $300 off ahead of the Black Friday sales.

Mattress Toppers
Our mattress tester wearing black silk pyjamas laying on her back on the Birch Elite mattress on wooden bedframe in warm lit bedroom with bedside plant, chair, unit, lamp and checkred rug
What is pressure relief in a mattress?

By Frances Daniels Published

Pressure relief is a key factor when choosing a mattress for you. But what exactly is it? Find out more here..

Mattresses
The Birch Elite Natural Mattress on a bed frame in a bedroom. A member of our testing team lies on the left side of the mattress on her back, while another mattress tester sits on the right hand side of the mattress. They're testing the motion isolation, to determine if one person getting into a bed disturbs the other
What is motion isolation in a mattress?

By Frances Daniels Last updated

Good motion isolation is found in a lot of memory foam and hybrid mattresses, but what is it and why do couples need it?

Mattresses
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