If you've recently found yourself wide awake at 3 a.m., wondering how it's possible that yet again you're unable to sleep through the night, frustration is probably running pretty high.

It may be comforting to know you're not alone. A 2025 U.S. News and World Report survey found that, remarkably, 89% of Americans regularly wake up during the night, and 46% had a sleep goal of trying to reduce nighttime awakenings.

But help is at hand, in the form of Dr. Tom Chambers, a certified somnologist and Chief Medical Officer at Theta Sleep, Dr. Shelby Harris, a board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist and psychologist with BetterSleep and Hannah Shore, head of sleep science at Mattress Online.

We've spoken to these three sleep experts to explore the common causes of 3 a.m. wake-ups, the fixes that can help you sleep through the night and when you should consider speaking to your doctor. Read on to find out more...

Why do I keep waking up at 3 a.m.?

Staring at the clock (or worse, getting a dose of bright light from your phone as you check the time) at 3 a.m. while sleep eludes you can prompt one frustrated question: 'Why?'

"There are so many reasons why we might wake up at 3 a.m. or any other time overnight. Sometimes this is completely normal, some times there are things that we can tackle head-on with changes to our sleep routines, and some are suggestive of something more serious and might mean people should speak to their doctor," ESRS-certified somnologist Dr. Chambers explains.

Below are some of the common reasons behind 3 a.m. wake-ups, as explained by the sleep experts we spoke to.

Normal nighttime wake-ups

You might be surprised to know that up briefly during the night is actually very normal, we often don't even remember it. According to research, healthy adults can wake as many as five times a night in between sleep cycles, but likely won't recall them all in the morning.

"It's not uncommon for a proportion of these wake-ups to end up being awake for a little while longer. It's when these wake-ups result in you spending hours awake ruminating on other things that this becomes an issue," Dr. Chambers says.

Wake-ups related to sleep environment and sleep routine

Some causes of nighttime awakenings are related to our sleep space and what we do in the lead up to bedtime (a.k.a our nighttime routine). Dr. Chambers delves into this:

• A room that is too hot or too cold: "This is common during hot summers and cold winters when the need for air conditioning, fans, or heaters makes it tricky to maintain the right temperature overnight."
• Too much fluid before bed: "This will make you wake up needing to pee overnight! [It] can be very common especially in health conscious individuals wanting to make sure they stay hydrated."
• Caffeine and/or alcohol: "Caffeine both disrupts sleep and acts as a diuretic (means you need to pee). Alcohol sometimes gives the illusion of better sleep and helps people fall asleep but it also acts as a diuretic and disturbs you usual sleep cycles."
• A loud room and/or a disturbed sleep environment: "Bed partners snoring or making noise, pets, a loud street, living near train tracks, and loud neighbours all can contribute to waking us up at 3 a.m. when we're in a lighter sleep stage."
• Light: "Even tiny amounts of light can be disruptive to sleep and causing nighttime awakenings."

Stress, hormonal changes and aging

Another cause of nighttime awakenings can be chronic stress or anxiety, which can raise baseline cortisol levels. Since our Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) causes levels of cortisol to naturally rise in the early hours (from around 3 a.m), a stress-induced rise in your baseline cortisol levels may lead to an unwanted wake-up during this process.

"As the night goes on, your sleep naturally gets lighter, so by 3 a.m. it doesn’t take much to wake you. Stress is a major factor in this, because cortisol starts rising toward morning and can kick in early when you’re under pressure," says Dr. Harris.

Hormonal changes — including estrogen and progesterone fluctuating — that occur during perimenopause and menopause can also disrupt sleep.

"Hormonal shifts like perimenopause can bring night sweats," says Dr. Harris, while Dr. Chris Winter, a double boarded sleep specialist previously explained that other impacts of these shifts can include anxiety, temperature changes, and more fragmented sleep.

Both aging and hormonal changes can also contribute to waking at night to use the bathroom.

Shore says that 3 a.m. "is also a common time to urinate, and we find this happens more as we get older due to a reduction in certain hormones, particularly around menopause," though she adds that "changes can happen in men too, and changes to bladder efficiency."

Aging itself can also lead to disrupted nights, as according to the National Institute on Aging, shorter, light sleep in older adults can feature more nighttime awakenings.

Clinical sleep disorders

Dr. Chambers points out that clinical sleep disorders like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and chronic insomnia can also all cause 3am wake-ups, and require medical advice.

"Sleep apnea is incredibly common and often undiagnosed," he says, adding that the broad symptoms of the disorder include snoring, multiple bathroom trips at night, daytime tiredness and waking up feeling unrefreshed or with a headache.

"Often patients will wake up at 3 a.m. because they've stopped breathing during their sleep. They're wide awake as their oxygen levels have dropped, triggering a fight-or-flight response," the somnologist adds.

A paper published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment cited multiple studies that showed restless leg syndrome increased nighttime awakenings in those with the condition, while Dr. Chambers points out that "if you're regularly awake at 3 a.m., not falling asleep for a long time afterwards, and this impacts your daily life, it is almost diagnostic of clinical insomnia."

6 ways to fix your 3 a.m. wake-ups and stay asleep all night

While some causes of 3 a.m. wake-ups can't be addressed by lifestyle changes alone, there are fixes to your sleep environment and nighttime routine that can help you avoid nighttime awakenings and sleep through the night more easily.

1. Don't overdo bedroom temperature control

"Temperature control is very important during sleep and room temperature can have a big impact," says Dr. Chambers.

According a paper published in Frontiers for Young Minds, "a thermal environment that is either warmer or cooler than the optimal range can increase wakefulness during the night."

Research has shown that the ideal bedroom temperature for sleeping sits within the range of 65 to 70 F (18 to 21 °C).

So while it may be tempting to crank up your heating overnights as the weather gets cooler (or, in warmer months, do the same with home cooling systems), Dr. Chambers cautions against it.

"Don't leave your heating or air conditioning on all night," advises the somnologist.

2. Consider a cut-off time for drinking liquids

It's important to "ease up on fluids in the evening," says Dr. Harris.

Although it's essential to stay hydrated, and a relaxing cup of chamomile or peppermint tea may even help your sleep, research shows that volume and timing matter.

One study explored liquid consumption two hours before bedtime, and found that all participants who drank 500ml or more experienced nocturia, and had a higher number of nighttime awakenings than the groups who drank less.

If bathroom trips are waking you up over the course of the night, one option is to give yourself a cut-off time for liquids before bed.

Dr. Chambers says that "in people who are waking up multiple times overnight to pee (and don't have a medical condition causing this) we'll sometimes suggest not drinking fluid after 7/8 p.m. in the evening."

3. Don't overthink it

"I think we have to understand that the 3 a.m. wake-ups are perfectly normal, especially if we are falling back to sleep within 20 minutes," Shore says.

Frustratingly, overthinking a nighttime wake-up is only likely to make it last longer.

"Often people wake up and worry that they are not falling back asleep; they watch the clock and start counting how many hours they have left. This can further drive wakefulness, meaning the body starts producing wake-promoting hormones."

She suggests having a winddown routine you can focus on instead if you wake up during the night, which gives your brain something else to focus on and allows you to relax.

This could include deep breathing exercises like the 4-7-8 technique or box breathing, both of which help to slow heart rate and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Or you could try progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and releasing muscles throughout your body and can help relax you and relieve stress and insomnia.

"It's about trying to distract your brain and switch it off again so you can fall back to sleep easily," says Shore.

4. Keep clocks out of the bedroom

A tip that follows on naturally (and is linked to) not overthinking 3 a.m. wakeups is to not focus on the time itself if you find yourself awake during the night.

"It may also help to remove any clocks from your bedroom; if you can’t see the time, then it's one less thing to worry about," says Shore.

If you can't do without a clock, or your phone, in the bedroom, Dr. Harris has a suggestion: "Turn the clock away so you’re not watching the hours tick by," she says.

5. Reduce or limit caffeine and alcohol

"Caffeine lingers for hours, ultimately making your sleep shallow," says Dr. Harris.

Shore agrees that "Caffeine can drive wakefulness," and adds that "it is also a mild diuretic, meaning it can increase urination." She notes that people who enjoy a cup of caffeinated tea to relax before bedtime may actually be driving nighttime wakeups to take trips to the bathroom.

Shore adds that alcohol "initially has a sedative effect but then can act as a stimulant too, driving wakefulness." Indeed, multiple studies have shown that alcohol can cause wakeups during the later part of the night and early morning.

Not only that, Shore says "it can dehydrate you as well as increase urination, definitely none of the things you are wanting to do throughout the night!"

To avoid all of the above, "stop drinking alcohol three hours before bed and try to cut off caffeine by noon so they both have time to wear off," advises Dr. Harris.

6. Optimize your sleep environment

"The ideal sleep environment is one that is cool, dark, and quiet," says Dr. Chambers.

To avoid middle-of-the-night wake-ups caused by noise, light and overheating, you may need to adjust a few elements of your sleep space.

"Keep pets out of the bedroom where possible," says Dr. Chambers, who also suggests "invest in some ear plugs if you're near noise. There's good evidence showing they improve sleep quality in noisy environments!"

We've discussed bedroom temperature above, but if you're someone who tends to sleep hot anyway, cooling bedding can be a wise investment. The best cooling mattresses are designed to prevent overheating at night, though a cooling mattress topper can be a more affordable way to achieve a temperate sleep.

Similarly, while blackout blinds or curtains are one of the most effective ways to avoid light pollution disrupting your sleep, they're also not cheap. A much more wallet-friendly option is a blackout sleep mask — some, like the Aura Smart Sleep Mask, even include bluetooth-controlled speakers.

Other tips for reducing nighttime awakenings and sleeping better

• "Waking up at the same time every day to ensure your body clock is steady," says Dr. Harris
• "The best thing you can try and do for your sleep is, where possible, maintain a consistent sleep routine. Try and get up and go to bed at roughly the same time every day and get plenty of morning light," says Dr. Chambers.
• "Write down what is stressing you out before bed so they’re not waiting for you at 3am," says Dr. Harris.

Waking up at 3.a.m. — when to see a doctor

Modifying your nighttime routine and sleep environment is a great way to improve sleep and minimize disturbances to your rest, but there are times when it's important to seek medical advice — particularly if you're consistently waking up at 3 a.m. for months on end.

"See a doctor if it’s happening most nights for a few months or dragging down your days. The same goes if it comes with snoring, gasping, night sweats, frequent bathroom trips or low mood," says Dr. Harris.

Shore suggests that if you notice a regular pattern of nighttime wake-ups — she says "3-4 times a week for 3-4 months," is "normally the length of time we give to say it's not just a blip or a stressful moment" — and that they are affecting your daily functioning, it's time to seek help from a medical professional.

Dr. Chambers points out that "clinical sleep disorders are incredibly common and if someone is waking up at 3 a.m. in the night every night for a long period of time they should consider seeing their doctor. At least one in four adults has a sleep disorder like insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome."

Mattress mold is a problem that sneaks up on you. A slightly whiffy bed and small stains can quickly turn to itching, sneezing and watery eyes. And right now is primetime for moldy conditions.

A combination of cold, wet weather outside and warm heating inside increases moisture in the air. Your mattress soaks it up like a sponge and, trapped inside your warm bed, that damp helps mold spores to multiply.

Mattress mold doesn't have to spell the end of your bed, but you need to catch it early. We spoke to Dr Gareth Nye, Biomedical Sciences lecturer at the University of Salford working exclusively with M&S, about how to identify early signs of mold — and get rid of it.

3 signs of mold in your mattress

Mold can completely ruin a mattress, but before you rush off to browse our best mattress guide for a replacement bed, look out for these early indicators of mold.

1. A bad smell

You won't necessarily see early signs of mold in your mattress, but you might be able to smell the problem has taken hold.

Dr. Nye describes the smell of mold as "a persistent musty, damp, or earthy odor" and notes that it can linger "even after the bedding has been washed."

If this new smell is accompanied by an uptick in allergy symptoms when you go to bed (itching, sneezing or watery eyes, for example) mold is the likely culprit. Noticed a sweeter musty smell? It might be bed bugs.

2. Pinpoint stains

Big, dark stains are often a sign that your mattress is past saving. But before you get to that point, Dr. Nye recommends looking for "tiny, clustered pinpoint stains."

These small marks are the signs of an early mold infestation and they can be treated (we'll explore how below). And don't just look on the top surface of the mattress for stains. The underside of the bed as well as the sides can house mold as well.

3. Mold around the bed

Signs of mold aren't always visible on the mattress itself. Look in the surrounding area for indicators your bedroom is growing mold.

Dr. Nye describes "spaces up against a wall or behind units" as 'mold magnets' because they prevent airflow. So if your bed frame is pushed against the wall, move it forward when you clean and check for mold.

He also advices looking in any common sites for condensation, including anything pressed to the "external environment" (like radiators against a window).

"The space under the bed is also a prime spot for mold," says Dr. Nye. And if the mold is under the bed, it might not take long for it to move into the bed.

Why mattress mold is a health risk

Mold is more than just an unwanted stain. Left to grow, mold in your mattress can have serious negative repercussions on your health.

"Mold reproduces by releasing microscopic spores and mycotoxins into the air, which are easily inhaled during the 7 to 8 hours you spend asleep," explains Dr. Nye. "This triggers an immune response, leading to allergic rhinitis (sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes) and significantly exacerbating symptoms for those with asthma."

And the longer the problem is allowed to grow, the worse the impact it can have on your health.

"Prolonged exposure can result in chronic illnesses," says Dr. Nye. "Mold spores can also severely worsen conditions like eczema and trigger contact dermatitis."

How to get rid of mattress mold

We previously asked the experts how to get rid of mattress mold. They advised spot treating any stains with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen: white vinegar and baking soda.

Begin by mixing equal parts white vinegar and water. Spray the solution lightly on the stain and leave for 20 minutes. Blot dry, then apply a thin layer of baking soda. Leave to sit for several hours and then vacuum thoroughly.

Dr. Nye also has advice on preventing mattress mold from becoming a problem in the first place. He recommends:

• "Avoid making your bed straight away, allow the air flow and condensation to lift."
• "Avoid bed frames with solid bases, opt for slatted beds to improve air flow."
• "Protect mattresses with covers to stop body secretions entering the material."
• "Improve humidity in the bedrooms" — a dehumidifier is a good place to start.

Knowing how to return a mattress can make the process a whole lot smoother if your new bed doesn't deliver the comfort and support of the year's best mattresses. But how do you return a mattress?

The good news is that most mattresses can be returned for a refund or a replacement, and we're here to clue you up on the specifics of a mattress's return process. And with the Black Friday mattress sales fast approaching, what better time to learn how to return a mattress?

So, read on to learn more about mattress returns, including the five simple steps for returning a mattress quickly and efficiently, whether you bought your new from a retailer or direct from a sleep brand in this month's mattress sales.

How to return a mattress in 5 easy steps

1. Sleep on your mattress for at least 30 nights

If your new mattress doesn't feel right to you, our guide to on what to do if your brand new mattress is uncomfortable has some useful tips, including this one: sleep on it for at least 30 nights.

That might seem counterintuitive but trust us — it can take that long for your body to adjust to a new sleep surface (and for the materials in the mattress to adjust to you).

And even if you want to return your mattress straight away, many brands will insist you hang on until the end of this mattress break-in period before you instigate a return. So hang on in there, because it may well turn out that your new mattress may yet win you over and save you all the hassle of a return.

2. Check the trial and return policy

If you've made it through the break-in period and you're adamant that your mattress has to go back, it's time to check the returns policy (although ideally you should check it before you buy).

Most mattress vendors provide a sleep trial that enables you to try a mattress at home, decide whether it's right for you and return it if you're not getting on with it. It'll last anything from 30 nights to a whole year depending on where you buy, but 100 nights is the most common offer, giving you plenty of time to decide whether a mattress is right for you.

If you buy from a third-party retailer (such as Amazon or Walmart) you're less likely to get a sleep trial — more on that later. And obviously if you go beyond the length of your sleep trial you won't be able to return your mattress, but you could instead invest in one of the best mattress toppers to up the comfort levels, or see our guide on how to donate a mattress.

3. Fill out the form (and include a picture)

Assuming your sleep trial is still ongoing and you're determined to return your mattress, it's time to start the returns process. Simply go to the sleep brand's support page and find the option to initiate a return. (As an example, here's Helix's request page).

Each brand's process is different, but as a rule you'll need to enter your contact details and explain why you want to return your mattress; you may also be asked to provide photos of your mattress to illustrate defects such as split seams or mattress sagging that dips deeper than 1.5 inches.

Most brands will also insist that you use one of the best mattress protectors during the trial period. This might all seem a bit like unnecessary hoops to jump through, but it can help speed up the returns process.

4. Wait for customer services to get in touch

Once you've provided all the necessary information and photos, you'll have to wait for customer services to get back to you. This could take anything between one and three business days, so don't expect an instant turnaround.

When customer services respond to your request, you'll likely need to confirm that you want to proceed with your return, and verify that you're still within the sleep trial period.

When that's all done, customer services will generally put you in touch with a third-party courier to arrange collection at a convenient date. If you bought a compressed mattress in a box, there's obviously no way it'll go back into the box but don't worry, they'll take it as-is.

5. Make sure your mattress is ready for collection

Before anyone comes to collect your mattress you'll need to strip all the bedding, make sure it's not damaged and check it still has its fire safety labels as it'll probably be donated and require this tag for health and safety reasons. You'll also need to ensure that there's a clear path to your bedroom for the collection team.

After your mattress is collected, you should receive your refund between three and 14 business days later.

Mattress returns FAQs

Got a question that wasn't covered in the above steps? Take a look below to find the answer you're looking for.

Will I need to pay a return fee?

Lots of sleep brands in both the US and UK provide free returns. In the US, brands including Helix and DreamCloud provide free returns. DreamCloud does the same in the UK, as do popular brands such as Emma and Simba.

Some brands will charge a fee for returning your mattress, however. In the US, Saatva and Avocado Green charge a $99 return fee, while Tempur-Pedic charges a $175 return shipping fee. Similarly in the UK, Tempur will charge you £72 for a return, while Eve Sleep will collect for free within the first 40 nights of your trial, but charge a collection fee if you go beyond that.

How long do mattress returns take?

The length of a mattress return process varies, but filling out a form and receiving a return confirmation only takes around one to three business days.

However, a good chunk of time is taking up by the mattress pickup, which can take up to three weeks, and refund processing, which can take up to two weeks.

What mattresses aren’t returnable?

Because returned mattresses are usually donated to charities rather than sent back to the factory, if your mattress is stained, damaged or is missing fire safety labels it'll be deemed unreturnable.

Also, if you bought your mattress from a third-party retailer and it didn't specifically come with a sleep trial, you might find that it can only be returned in its original packaging.

Finally, some mattresses from brands that offer sleep trials aren't covered by the standard return policy if they're marked as final sale. So if you bought the mattress in a clearance sale at, for example, Casper or Tempur-Pedic, it's likely to be classed as final sale and unreturnable.

Can I exchange my mattress instead?

If you've accidentally bought the wrong size mattress (it happens more often than you might think), or chosen the wrong firmness level or even the wrong model, you may well be able to exchange it for the right one. Most sleep brands offer exchanges, with a similar process to returning a mattress: you'll need to be within your trial period and you'll have to fill out a request form, but instead opt for exchange rather than return.

Once the customer service team has contacted you and put you in touch with a third-party logistics company, you can then arrange a pickup and delivery date. If you are exchanging the mattress for a larger size or a more expensive model, you'll pay the difference. If you're exchanging for a smaller size or cheaper model, the price difference will be refunded.

How do I return a mattress to Amazon?

Amazon is a popular option for buying the best mattresses in a box thanks to a wide range of brands and models, low prices and super-fast delivery.

However there are downsides to that: short return windows rather than long sleep trials, fuzzy return policies and fake reviews that make it hard to tell whether a mattress is really worth buying and if it'll be easy to return if you don't get on with it.

We always recommend buying directly from the mattress brand for more straightforward returns, but if you've already purchased an Amazon mattress and want to return, see our guide on how to return an Amazon mattress.

How do I return a mattress to Mattress Firm?

Mattress Firm sells many of best hybrid mattresses for all budgets, and it's worth knowing how to return a mattress there. Mattress Firm provides its customers with a 120-night trial period, starting from the date of delivery.

Trials are valid for one exchange and one return per purchase. Returns are not free, however: you'll have to pay a return processing charge of $249.99.

You can't return or exchange your mattress once the trial period is over, and the retailer is unable to exchange or refund mattresses that are stained, unsanitary, damaged or lacking the original law tag.

How do I return a mattress to Walmart?

We're big fans of the Allswell Mattress at Walmart, and you'll also find beds from many big-name brands at this popular US retailer. While Walmart offers a 10-year warranty on its own mattresses, beds sold by third-party marketplace sellers are a different matter.

This means that if you're buying from a Walmart Marketplace seller, you should check its warranty and return policy. However, most mattresses sold and shipped by Walmart can be returned for free, as Walmart handles the delivery, returns, and customer service for these items.

How do I return a mattress to Costco?

In the US, Costco does not provide a trial period and we advise you to read its US return policy. Costco.com products can be returned to any of its warehouses worldwide, but used mattresses that are contaminated are not eligible for haulaway.

In the UK, Costco does not provide a trial period, and if you want to return a large item such as a mattress, you need to contact its Member Care team; see Costco’s UK return policy for more details.

How do I return a mattress to Saatva?

Saatva makes some of the best luxury mattresses in the business and there's usually a great deal in the Saatva mattress sale, but if you want peace of mind before you buy, here's what you need to know about its returns policy.

There's a generous 365-night trial when you buy from Saatva, and no mandatory trial period (although we'd recommend giving your new mattress a full 30 nights before committing to a return).

Returns aren't free at Saatva: with the exception of the Saatva Crib Mattress, which has a 45-day free return, you'll be charged a $99 processing fee. This is a little disappointing, but considering the quality of Saatva's beds and its competitive pricing, it's a pill we're prepared to take.

You can either return your mattress for a refund (issued to to your original payment method) or opt for an exchange if you'd rather have a different firmness level or a different mattress altogether. Saatva doesn't resell returned mattresses. Rather, it donates them to veterans' shelters or offers them to employees and associates across its network of over 150 delivery centers.

For our take on the best Saatva mattress money can buy, read our official Saatva Classic mattress review.

How do I return a mattress to Nectar?

Nectar mattress returns are free, but you must have had your mattress for at least 30 days (this is the minimum recommended time to fully adjust to a new bed) and for no longer than 365 days. We look at this in detail in our Nectar mattress review.

The mattress also must have its fire safety tag intact, be unstained, and show no signs of wear and tear. All of that means the mattress can be donated. In the UK mainland, you must email a clear photograph of the mattress before the 365-night trial ends. The mattress is then picked up by Nectar’s collection partners, who can refuse pickup if they feel the condition of the mattress is unacceptable.

The exchange policy differs depending on whether you live in the US or UK. The US offers one exchange per purchase, while the UK does not offer exchanges unless the Nectar mattress arrived damaged or defective and needs to be replaced. For the latest Nectar offers, see our round-up of this month's best Nectar mattress deals.

How do I return a mattress to DreamCloud?

Like its sister company Nectar, Dreamcloud's returns policy says that mattresses can only be returned 30 days or more after delivery – and no later than 365 nights – but unopened mattresses can be returned earlier (although bear in mind that leaving a mattress unopened for more than 90 days after delivery is considered misuse of the product and makes it ineligible for warranty claims and returns.)

There’s no fee but to be eligible for a return, your mattress must be clean and undamaged and in a condition where it is suitable for donation. Take a look at our guide to this month's best DreamCloud mattress sales and deals for the latest savings, and if you're unsure which DreamCloud to go for, our DreamCloud Classic Hybrid Mattress review will walk you through our top pick.

How do I return a mattress to Purple?

There are regular Purple mattress sales shaving hundreds off these top-rated memory foam mattresses, so knowing how to return a Purple mattress is a must before you buy You have 100 nights, beginning on your delivery date, to return your Purple mattress. However, you also should have had the mattress for exactly three weeks before you can return it.

You will need to send a photograph of the mattress to prove that it is in clean, undamaged condition. You are also required to prove that the mattress still has its law tag attached. Once you’ve provided proof, Purple (or its collection partners) will arrange a pick up date to collect the unwanted mattress.

Only one exchange is permitted per purchase, and the 100-night trial from the delivery date of the original mattress will continue. However, if the time remaining from the original trial is less than 30 days, Purple will allow you to have a new 30-night trial instead.

How do I return a mattress to Casper?

You can return or exchange your Casper mattress as long as you're not trying to return it before the 30-day adjustment period has ended or after the 100-night trial has ended. Both periods begin the day of delivery, and these terms apply whether you buy in the Casper mattress sale or from another retailer.

Returns are free and you’ll receive a full refund. Casper will arrange a pickup date to remove your mattress from your home. As the mattresses come in a box, the brand does not require you to fit it back into the original packaging. The company’s team also aims to donate the mattress or recycle it.

If you're looking for one of the best cooling mattresses from Casper, then check out our Casper Wave Hybrid Snow mattress review and why we rate it so highly for hot sleepers.

How do I return a mattress to Emma?

Emma provides a 200-night trial for its mattresses, starting on the day your mattress is delivered, with free returns if the mattress doesn't live up to your expectations.

To return a mattress for a refund, simply head to Emma's portal and enter your order number and email address, then select the items you wish to return and hit Confirm. After that Emma's customer service team will get in touch to arrange a free pick-up through its courier service, who will contact you to schedule a collection date. Your refund should be issued within 14 days.

How do I return a mattress to Simba?

Like Emma, Simba provides a 200-night trial on mattresses (such as the top-rated Simba Hybrid Pro)bought from its website; if you purchased from an authorised retailer and want to return your mattress, you should contact the retailer.

To start a return within your trial period, go to Simba's returns page and enter your order number and email address. Simba's customer service team will get back to you within two days.

Be aware that Simba will request photos of your mattress as part of the returns process: you'll need to provide images of the mattress from above without bedding and from both long sides without bedding, as well as photos of your bed base demonstrating the measurement between the slats and, if you're returning the mattress because of a specific issue, a picture showing the issues as clearly as possible.

Returns are free, although Simba states that any delivery charges paid as part of the original purchase will be excluded from the refunded amount. Your refund will be processed once your mattress is on the way back to Simba, and paid within seven days.

Walmart has just dropped an amazing flash mattress deal, and it saves you up to $331 on the most cooling bed I've ever tested. The SweetNight CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress, now down to $339.99 in a queen size at Walmart, delivers cool-to-the-touch comfort for side sleepers at a budget-friendly price.

The CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress may be a low-cost, all-foam bed, but it rivals some of the best mattresses on the market in terms of temperature control and value for money. At SweetNight, the typical sale price of a queen CoolNest is $399.99. so this great Walmart discount saves you an extra $60.

This is one of the best mattress deals I've seen this month, as the SweetNight CoolNest rarely strays from its typical sale price. However, there's no saying how long this deal will last, so I suggest you grab this great saving on a high-quality cooling bed while you can.

Here's why Walmart's flash SweetNight deal is so impressive

One of the main draws of the SweetNight CoolNest is its low price, especially as it's one of the best cooling mattresses on the market.

I've been tracking the SweetNight mattress sales for a while now, so I know that even during big sale events, such as the upcoming Black Friday mattress sales and Cyber Monday mattress sales), a queen-sized CoolNest rarely goes under $399.99. However, sometimes you can get a free pair of pillows thrown in for good measure.

That's why was so impressed with this deal from Walmart, which takes a queen size down to $339.99 ($60 off the typical sale price and $297 off the MSRP).

If you're wondering whether the mattress is worth it or not, I can tell you that I loved testing this bed throughout the summer for my SweetNight CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress review. It provided cool-to-the-touch comfort for side sleeping while supporting me while back sleeping. Stomach sleepers, should look below for a deal that's more suitable for their sleep position...

Not a side sleeper? Here's another budget cooling mattress deal

As someone who goes through periods of experiencing them frequently, I know how frustrating it is to keep waking up at 3 a.m. and not know why. It feels as though while everyone else is sound asleep, you’re staring at the clock or the ceiling, wondering how you’re going to get through another day in a fog of exhaustion.

“Waking up during the night is normal,” reassures Dr. Chris Winter, neurologist and sleep specialist at Chilipad. “We cycle through lighter and deeper sleep roughly every 90 minutes, and brief awakenings between cycles are part of healthy sleep. It only becomes a problem when you’re suddenly alert and can’t drift back off.”

If repeatedly waking up at 3 a.m. and not being able to fall back asleep is stopping you from getting the rest you need, these are the common causes.

• Read more: I was struggling to wake up in the mornings until I found this free feature in the Apple Health app — now I’m sleeping better and waking up energized

Why do I keep waking up at 3 a.m.? 5 common causes

Brief nighttime awakenings are normal. However, they become a problem when they impact the overall quality of your sleep. These are their common underlying causes:

1. Stress and anxiety

Cortisol, the 'stress' hormone, begins rising around 3 a.m. Our bodies produce cortisol to help us feel alert upon waking — this is called our Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR).

However, if your baseline level of cortisol is already high, due to stress or anxiety, this natural climb can be enough to wake you up.

"Cortisol starts its natural morning climb, and stress can push that rise earlier," explains Dr. Winter, a board certified neurologist with over 30 years of clinical experience.

2. Insomnia and underlying sleep issues

Your 3 a.m. wake-ups could be caused by an underlying sleep issue, such as insomnia. This is characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep, as well as waking up at night.

"Other common culprits include needing to urinate, acid reflux, and sleep apnea," says Dr. Winter. "If you’re snoring loudly, waking up gasping, or feeling unrefreshed no matter how long you sleep, talk to your doctor."

3. Temperature fluctuations

Studies suggest that the best temperature for sleep is between 65 to 70° F (18 to 21 °C). When our sleep environment deviates outside of this window, it can cause us to wake up.

"Temperature is a big one," explains Dr. Winter. "Your core body temperature needs to drop to keep you asleep, so a warm bedroom, heavy bedding, or hormonal changes like menopause can pull you out of sleep early."

4. Alcohol, food and caffeine consumption

You might not have connected the dots between your lifestyle habits and waking up at night, but late heavy meals, alcohol and caffeine consumption can wreak havoc on your ability to stay asleep.

"Alcohol plays a role too; as your body metabolizes it, sleep becomes fragmented," explains Dr. Winter, who is a member of Natrol Scientific Advisory Board.

5. Your bedroom environment

Clutter, an uncomfortable mattress and ambient light from your electrical cables can all cause sleep disturbances that lead to 3 a.m. wake ups. To give yourself a fighting chance of staying asleep all night, ensure your bedroom is cool, calm and comfortable (if you're looking for a new one, check out our guide to the best mattress).

3 things you can do to stop waking up at 3 a.m.

Some causes of 3 a.m. wake ups require medical intervention, such as sleep apnea. However, there is also plenty of lifestyle tweaks we can make to lower our chances of waking up at night.

1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule

Overwhelming evidence supports the idea that a regular sleep schedule can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. If you're someone who has a fairly erratic bedtime and going to sleep at the same time initially feels like a struggle, Dr. Winter recommends that you initially focus on the time you wake up.

"Start with a consistent wake time, weekends included," says Dr. Winter. "It anchors your circadian rhythm and makes your sleep deeper and more stable."

2. Make yourself tired

From the moment we wake up, something called our sleep pressure builds. It's also referred to as our homeostatic sleep drive or sleep hunger, and describes how ready we are for sleep. It reaches its pinnacle as we fall asleep, which is when our sleep pressure drops again.

Our sleep pressure is dictated by a neurotransmitter called adenosine. There are certain things we can do in order to produce more adenosine so that our sleep pressure is higher, making falling and staying asleep easier.

This includes daily exercise and mental stimulation. As our sleep pressure builds the longer we stay awake, waking up early and skipping any afternoon naps ensures you're going into bedtime with a healthy amount of sleep pressure.

3. Tackle your stress head on

If, like me, stress is a barrier to a decent night's sleep, it's time to tackle it head on. The cause of your stress or anxiety could be related to hormone fluctuations caused by perimenopause or menopause, which could benefit from seeing a doctor.

However, for day to stress, Dr. Winter recommends spending some time before bed offloading your thoughts onto a piece of paper. "If stress is a factor, spend 15 minutes in the early evening writing down what’s on your mind," says the sleep doctor. "It’s easier to let go of something at 3 a.m. if it’s already on paper."

For me personally, I have found that a combination of short bursts of daily exercise and a regular wind down routine helps stop stress from waking me up at night. I've also tried vagus nerve stimulation, which I do recommend if daily stress is stopping you from sleeping.

How to fall back to sleep fast

In the event that you do wake up at 3 a.m., don't panic. Here's how to fall back to sleep fast.

• Don't watch the clock: "Once you see the time, your brain starts calculating how much sleep you have left, and that worry keeps you awake," says Dr. Winter. "Turn the clock around and keep your phone across the room."
• Trick your mind into switching off: Cognitive shuffling is the practice of visualizing random thoughts to break the cycle of rumination. Pick a word, such as 'sleep' and work through as many objects as you can that begin with each letter.
• Practice the 15 minute rule: If you haven't fallen back to sleep within 15 minutes, Dr. Winter advises getting out of bed. "If frustration sets in, get up, go somewhere dim, and do something calm, like reading a physical book, until you feel sleepy again."
• Kick off a layer: "If you wake up warm, cool down first," says Dr. Winter. "Kick off a layer. A cooler body is a sleepier body."

The clocks have gone back, but for anyone who’s ever found the seasonal shift leaves them feeling sluggish, unfocused or oddly out of sync, the extra hour of sleep may not feel like the win it promises to be.

While gaining an hour in bed sounds like an instant energy boost, changes to routine, meal times and the body’s internal clock can trigger a dip in alertness during the days that follow. Even a small change to your daily routine can throw your body clock out of sync, affecting everything from energy levels to concentration.

The good news? You don't have to simply wait it out. From making the most of morning light to tweaking your workout plan, there are a few easy ways to help your body adjust. Sleep experts Dr Nerina Ramlakhan and Jane Ollis share their expertise to help you stay one step ahead.

5 ways your energy will change this week and how to fix it

While you might fancy that extra hour in bed, a disrupted circadian rhythm means your energy levels take an immediate hit when the clocks go back. Our experts explain what you can do to ease the seasonal transition:

1. You feel tired much earlier

The clocks may have gone back, but your brain is operating in a different time zone, leading to your body clock feeling out of sorts.

“Sunlight impacts our hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain that regulates our 'body clocks', so changes in sunlight hours might leave you feeling sleepier,” explains Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Sleep Expert at Oak Tree Mobility.

“There's something to be said for the earlier sunsets that come with the clock change. A 2020 study found that long-wavelength orange light, typical of a sunset, helps your sleeping patterns, because it stimulates the cone photoreceptor inputs to specific neurons in the eye, helping to regulate your circadian rhythm.”

So consider this your sign to embrace sunsets as your wind down signal for the day, rather than fighting them too hard.

2. You have more energy in the morning… at first

The first fortnight of the clocks going back feels like a honeymoon. Sunrise jumps up an hour earlier, so many of us will feel, albeit briefly, like morning people filled with energy.

Jane Ollis, medical biochemist and founder of SONA, explains, saying, “Light reaching the back of the eye mops up any lingering melatonin and tells your body clock the day has begun. It works alongside the cortisol awakening response, a natural surge that climbs by around half in the first 30 to 45 minutes after you wake.”

Sunlight in the morning triggers the production of your get-up-and-go hormones, cortisol and serotonin. As the sun rises later, you might notice your can-do attitude starting to flag.

“Without that morning light, melatonin hangs around, the fog takes longer to lift, and your body clock drifts gradually later, making each morning a little harder than the last,” says Jane.

3. The afternoon energy slumps hit harder

Lack of natural daylight will mean that your mood, energy and clarity can take a knock thanks to lower levels of serotonin.

As Dr Ramlakhan says, “Daylight impacts so many aspects of our health that are linked to our circadian rhythms. The bottom line is, if you're not getting enough light, the natural production of hormones that help to regulate your health and sleep gets disrupted. It can impact your cognitive performance, mental wellbeing, and make you feel sluggish and irritable."

Looking for a sign you’re feeling this effect? Look at the extra cup of coffee you grabbed at lunch, in an effort to beat the slump.

4. Your overall mood dips, too

Shorter, darker days means that, for many of us, our mood and energy levels start to drop.

For some, our moods can dip even lower. A recent study in Australia identified a new subtype of depression – termed ‘circadian depression’ – highlighting that the clocks going back can hit some harder than others, leading to worryingly low moods. But why?

“As daylight decreases, changes in our body’s serotonin and melatonin rhythms can affect our mood and energy levels, leaving us feeling lower and sleepier,” says Jane.

“For some people, though, it’s more than the winter blues. These seasonal changes can contribute to seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a type of depression that usually comes on in winter. If you notice persistent changes in your mood or mental health, it’s important to speak to your GP and seek support.”

How to boost your energy after the clock change

The clocks may be changing, but feeling sluggish doesn’t have to be part of the deal. A few small changes to your daily routine can make a real difference to your mood and energy, helping you feel more like you as we move further into the colder seasons.

Get plenty of morning sunlight

“Light first, coffee second. Get outdoors within an hour of waking, when your body clock is most receptive to being set. Aim for up to half an hour outdoors,” says Jane.

She continues, advising, “Guard a lunchtime walk too, as it's often the only proper daylight you might see, then reverse the rules in the evening: warm lamps on, ceiling lights off.“

The natural light will help regulate your circadian rhythm, helping to suppress melatonin whilst upping your serotonin. So, wrap up warm, enjoy those crisp autumn walks and soak up some winter sunshine. Your body clock – and your sleep – will thank you for it.

Stick to a consistent sleep schedule

Jane says, “Your body clock doesn't wait to be told, it plans ahead. In the hours before you usually wake, it's already raising your core temperature, lifting cortisol and getting your gut ready for breakfast, like a very organised PA.

“Keep your timings steady, so you wake feeling rejuvenated and your body functioning like you expect. Shift timings around with a late Friday or a Sunday lie-in, and your organs will end up in feeling like they’re in different time zones, leading to a difficult night’s sleep.”

So craft a snooze schedule that works for you, and stick to it. For easier mornings, consider investing in one of the best sunrise alarm clocks to help trigger the key wakeful hormones.

Exercise outside within daylight hours

Whether it’s a brisk walk at lunchtime, run or cycle, exercising produces mood-boosting endorphins, as well as increasing our deep sleep, helping us feeling more energised the following morning.

As Dr Ramlakhan explains, “Feeling tired isn't always about not getting enough sleep. Sometimes we think we need rest, when really, we need to move to give ourselves a boost.

“Regular moderate activity like walking or swimming can help improve both the quality and duration of sleep,” she advises. “But avoid exercise too close to bedtime, as it may end up having a stimulating effect, making it difficult to fall asleep."

Take your workout outside and earn double the benefit with natural daylight, helping to increase serotonin for improved mood and energy whilst tiring you out enough for a good night's kip.

We're barreling towards November and the long, excruciatingly hot summer we endured is now a distant memory. But while record-breaking heatwaves are no longer turning your bedroom into a sauna, your mattress is still feeling the impact of those sweaty nights.

In collaboration with retailer M&S, Dr. Gareth Nye, Biomedical Sciences lecturer at the University of Salford, has shared why this weekend is your final chance to give your pillows, duvets, and blankets a thorough clean.

"The changing of the seasons is the perfect trigger for this chore. I highly recommend washing your duvet at the end of the summer," he urges. Here's how to give your bedding a fall reset plus the health risks that can occur when you leave summer sweat festering in your winter sleep space.

Why your bedding needs to be washed this weekend

We all know that our bed sheets and pillowcases need to be washed often to maintain good sleep hygiene, but our duvets, pillow inserts, and blankets are often overlooked on laundry day.

It's true that these bulkier bedding items don't need to be washed as frequently as sheet sets, but Dr. Nye still recommends washing them at least twice a year.

“A good rule of thumb is to wash pillow inserts every 3 to 6 months and duvet inserts every 6 to 12 months," he advises.

But why is the end of summer such as a good time to wash them?

"Washing your bedding in the autumn months strips out the accumulated summer sweat and dead skin before it sits in storage or on your bed for the winter," shares the health expert.

Dr. Nye describes your bed as a "micro-ecosystem", and if pillows and duvets aren't washed after summer sweat, oils, dead skin cells, and bacteria have built up, it can pose risks to sleep and overall health.

"If duvet and pillow inserts are not washed, there are many things that can grow,” he warns.

The microscopic life forms using sweat-filled bedding as a "warm, nutrient-rich environment" include dust mites, fungi and mold. In fact, research shows that a typical pillow can harbor up to 16 different species of fungi.

And it's not just gross to think about — it directly impacts your health. "The inhalation of dust mite droppings and fungal spores triggers allergic rhinitis and asthma, leading to interrupted sleep, morning congestion, and chronic coughing," warns Dr. Nye.

Plus, drying duvets and pillows is notoriously time consuming. Get them washed now before the coldest, dampest weather sets in.

How to wash pillows, duvets, and blankets

If you're wondering how you can prevent germs from building up on your bedding, there are plenty of simple ways to keep things clean.

"Some advice which may prevent build-up is flipping duvets and pillows regularly and holding off making the bed first thing in the morning to prevent moisture retention,” suggests Dr. Nye.

However, before preventing further build-up, the first thing to do is get rid of the allergens that have already accumulated on your pillows, duvets, and blankets. Here's how...

1. How to wash a pillow

When washing a pillow, the first things you should do is check its care label. Following its care label will ensure you aren't trying any cleaning methods that will damage the inner materials.

For example, while synthetic and feather pillows can be put in the washing machine, pillows made of foam should be hand washed. To find out how to properly care for your pillow, visit our how to wash a pillow guide. Alternatively, you can read our more specific guides on how to wash a memory foam pillow or how to wash a down pillow.

To remove yellow pillow stains, you can also try the hydrogen peroxide pillow cleaning method. I use a simple 3% hydrogen peroxide mix, spray it on the pillow stain, leave it set for 30 minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush, and then wash following the pillow's care instructions.

2. How to wash a duvet

Let's face it: washing a duvet (or any kind of big comforter) is hard. Duvets are bulky things which is why it's a relief that we don't have to wash them as often as our other bedding. But they still need a deep clean every fall.

A good rule of thumb is to put it in the washing machine separately from other bedding and on a cold wash cycle. Remember to check the care label to see if it can be put in the washing machine first, however. You can find out more with our guide on how to wash comforters and duvets.

3. How to wash a blanket

Blankets are much thinner than duvets and pillows, so tend to be easier to clean. Simply check the care label for the most effective way to clean your blanket.

That being said, weighted blankets are a whole different ball game. They're much bulkier than lightweight blankets used in the summer, so if you want to give your weighted blanket a refresh after being stored away for a year, read our guide on how to wash a weighted blanket to keep it in top condition.

The one step you shouldn't miss...

No matter which method you choose to wash your bedding, there's one step you can't skip: making sure your bedding is thoroughly dry before using it (or putting it away for winter). This is essential as fungi and mold "thrives in damp, dark environments", according to Dr. Nye.

If your bedding item is dryer-friendly, use a hot spin and ensure it's fully dry. If not, repeat this step.

If you can't place it in the dryer, use a dehumidifier or place it on a clothesline during warmer and dryer autumnal days. That's why this weekend is the perfect time; before the clock change when we still have some daylight in the afternoon.

How often do you need to wash your sheets in winter?

You need to wash your bed sheets at least once a week, and that's no different in the wintertime. You're still sweating and shedding skin, even when it's cold.

Plus, winter is prime cold and flu season, so you may actually have to wash your bedding more often. In fact, you need to wash bedding every one to two days when you're sick.

This Sunday, 25th October 2026, the clocks go back, marking the end of daylight savings. At 2 a.m. the clocks will shift back one hour to 1 a.m., giving us an extra hour in bed.

However, studies suggest that 34% of us dread the clock change, while 45% find it hard to adjust to the sudden shift from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time.

Sleep disruptions, daytime energy slumps and fatigue are common ways in which your sleep can be affected by the clocks going back — but it doesn't have to be this way. To find out what we can do to sail through the time change, we spoke to Dr. Zoe Williams, NHS GP and Dreams’ Resident Sleep Expert.

• Forget deep sleep — REM sleep is key to longevity and the sleep tracking metric to pay attention to, experts say

How to prepare for the clock change

The days following the clock change are historically a time of increased fatigue, which can even lead to an uptick in car accidents. However, a few steps can help you prepare and adjust for this new time.

1. Move your bedtime (slightly) earlier

“You don’t need to completely change your routine in preparation," says Dr. Williams. "But if you know that changes to your sleep tend to affect you, try gradually moving your bedtime and wake-up time 15 minutes later each day for a few days beforehand."

These small changes are easier on your body than the sudden switch of the clock change. In spring, move in the opposite direction: start waking up earlier and going to bed earlier.

2. Open the curtains first thing

The clock change allows us to enjoy lighter mornings, so make the most of it.

"Exposure to natural sunlight in the morning can help reset your internal clock," advises Dr Tim Mercer, NHS GP Partner & GP Trainer with Opera Beds. "Light is one of the most powerful signals for regulating the circadian rhythm, so spending time outside in the early daylight hours can help your body adjust more quickly."

And if you're feeling sleepy in the early evening, he recommends turning the lights on. This tells your internal clock that it's still daytime, so you don't have to prepare for bed just yet.

3. Keep to your wind-down routine

“It’s the sudden change in routine that can be more noticeable than the hour itself," notes Dr. Williams. Our body clocks thrive on consistency, so even a relatively small shift can temporarily affect when we feel sleepy and alert."

To counteract this, she advises keeping your bedtime routine familiar.

“Try to eat, exercise and wind down at roughly the times you normally would, and make the most of natural light during the day," she says. “Don’t overlook your sleep environment either. Keeping your bedroom dark, cool and comfortable can help create the right conditions for a good night’s sleep."

Sensate vagus nerve stimulator: Review in brief

The Sensate is a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVNS). A smooth, pebble shaped gadget that sends out electrical pulses along the vagus nerve to de-stress the nervous system.

The idea is that during times of stress, you place the Sensate on your sternum, where it rests along the pathway of your vagus nerve.

From here it sends out vibrational pulses and infrasonic resonance (low frequency soundwaves). These help stimulate your vagus nerve, which should lower sympathetic nerve activity (fight or flight) and increase parasympathetic nerve activity (rest and digest).

You do this while listening to a calming soundscape via the app for between 10-30 minutes, as per Sensate’s recommendation.

While there are physiological ways of stimulating your vagus nerve for free (for example, humming, meditation and brief cold water exposure), the Sensate is a low-lift option that produces an immediate calming effect. Do you need it? Probably not, especially not for $299. However, as someone who struggles with underlying stress and subsequent 3 a.m. wake ups, I do recommend it.

I was even strongly tempted to wear it like an oversized necklace to a mildly fraught family lunch. But I abstained. Instead, I’ve been using the Sensate immediately after finishing work in order to decompress and transition into relaxation mode, and then once again before bed.

The combination of my blackout eye mask with soothing soundscapes and vibrational pulses is akin to taking a tranquilizer dart to the neck; I’m yet to use it before bed without falling straight asleep afterwards. Even better? My 3 a.m. wake-ups stopped.

It costs £299/ $299 which is pricey but compared to some other vagus nerve stimulators is pretty average. While the Nuropod, which is a nVNS that sits on your ear, retails at $900/ £599, other nVNS from brands such as Pulsetto and Truvaga cost in the region of £300/ $300.

Sensate vagus nerve stimulator review: Design & comfort

The Sensate is a smooth, pebble shaped device that sits comfortably in the palm of your hands. When in use, you can either rest it directly on your sternum while lying down, or, if you intend to use it while horizontal, you can wear it via its lanyard.

The vagus nerve is a long cranial nerve that runs from the brainstem to major organs, including the heart, lungs and digestive system. This interconnected system means different nVNS can all strive do the same thing, but be placed on different parts of the body.

For example, the Pulsetto nVNS sits around the neck like a collar, the Truvago targets your neck via a handheld device that requires an application gel, while the NuroPod clips on to the tragus of your ear.

In comparison, the Sensate seems like the easiest to use and most comfortable to wear. Placing it on your body isn't a fine science and it doesn't feel at all claustrophobic (I've struggled to get comfortable wearing sleep-inducing headbands before, such as the Elemind). Turn it on, open the app, place it on your chest and you're off.

Score: 4 out of 5

Sensate vagus nerve stimulator review: Performance

To give a 360° analysis of the Sensate, I tested it for a week, using it twice a day, for 10 minutes each time. Here's how I rate its performance.

Set up

The Sensate comes with a USB to USB-C charging cable, a travel pouch, lanyard and instruction pamphlet. Getting started is simple and only takes a few minutes.

First, download the app using the QR code provided. Hold down the button on the Sensate for half a second, and watch the power light turn on. From there, you can connect your device via Bluetooth and start your session.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Features

The Sensate comes in two parts; the pebble shaped vagus nerve stimulator and the accompanying app, from where you can control your 'pebble.'

To start a session turn your device on, connect to the app and choose a soundscape and duration you like. Once the session begins, you will feel the infrasonic resonance as vibrational pulses that work in tandem with the soundscape. You can turn the vibration intensity up and down until you find a level which feels comfortable.

Combining the vagus nerve stimulation with an accompanying soothing sound isn't standard for consumer-focused nVNS but it's incredibly effective. It feels like a more holistic approach to reducing stress.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Stress relief

Alongside a central role in the gut-brain connection, the vagus nerve is the main highway of the parasympathetic nervous system and helps the body manage stress and inflammation.

There are physiological ways you can stimulate the vagus nerve, like humming and deep breathing. However, the Sensate targets the nerve directly, using infrasonic resonance. These low frequency soundwaves trigger a parasympathetic nervous response. This is what helps take you out of fight or flight.

Sensate recommends sessions lasting between 10 and 30 minute during times of stress, or as part of a daily routine. I used mine at the end of my working day and again before bed.

The best way I can describe the Sensate is to say that it feels like lying down with a warm cat purring away on your chest. At the end of a particularly stressful day, I could practically feel my nervous system uncoil with every pulse. And during the night, my stress didn't wake me up at 3 a.m.

The combination of the blackout eye mask I wore during the sessions, the soundscape (which I stream through my Ozlo Sleepbuds 2 to block out any noise that might bring me back to real life) and the vibrational pulsing on my chest is incredibly effective.

In my mind, I follow the vibrational reach of the pulses across my chest, abdomen and even towards my toes. It's almost like I can feel my stress levels dropping in real time.

Curious to see if that was true, I put it to the test. Via my Apple Watch and a third party app, Welltory, I was able to record my stress levels before and after a session. I logged my stress levels before one session: 65% (medium), then again afterwards: 17% (low).

Score: 4

Sensate vagus nerve stimulator review: Should you buy it?

The Sensate is a consumer focused vagus nerve stimulator that offers a non pharmaceutical solution to daily stress. I tried the device for a week and found that it helped reduce my overall stress levels and instil a warm feeling of calm.

There are ways you can stimulate your vagus nerve for free, so I wouldn't say that you need the Sensate. You can almost recreate the relaxing experience through meditation or listening to a soundscape (minus the vibrational pulsing.) However, if daily stress is sabotaging your sleep and if you can afford it, I do recommend the Sensate.

It's a very low-lift option that you can grab, turn on and go. Ten minutes later, you'll likely feel more grounded and relaxed. But if you're not someone who feels stressed on a day to day basis, you can live without it. Try some deep breathing next time your anxiety levels tick upwards.

Sensate vagus nerve stimulator review: Alternatives

The clocks will go back this Sunday, bagging us an extra hour of sleep and a few weeks of brighter mornings. However, daylight savings also mean that our days are about to get shorter, and research has shown that this can lead to night-time awakenings and trouble falling asleep.

That's why I've curated a sleep survival kit to help combat the common side effects of the clocks being pushed back. One sleep gadget that can help you deal with shorter days and darker evenings is the Lumie Dash Light Therapy Lamp, now $152.14 down from $179 at Amazon, a piece of sleep tech that Certified Sleep Coach Claire Davies swears by for "getting the right type of light for winter sleep health".

Here, I've rounded up the five sleep essentials I'll be using to limit disruption to my circadian rhythm. The good news? All these sleep accessories are in this month's top sleep and mattress sales, so you can get through the upcoming clock change with ease and for less.

Review in brief

October is World Menopause Month and one of the key symptoms of this life stage are sudden, intense waves of heat. When hot flushes happen, it's important that you're able to cool your body — especially during the night and your sleep is disturbed.

That's why I, a chronic hot sleeper in her 40s, was keen to test the Original Ice Hybrid mattress, a bed that's been crafted with reliable temperature regulation at the forefront of its design. As I've already tested the Otty Hybrid Mattress, I was keen to see how the cooling upgrade compares to the hugely popular original.

In addition to sleeping on it for three weeks, I’ve tested the Original Ice Hybrid on performance across all key areas including motion isolation, cooling, pressure relief and edge support. But if you’re in a hurry to note the highlights, here’s my review in brief.

Having previously reviewed the mid-price range Otty Original Hybrid, I was keen to see how it compares to the Otty Original Ice Hybrid, which is marginally more expensive.

While there’s a wide range of medium-support mattress options in the Tom’s Guide best mattress edit, what makes the Ice Hybrid design stand out is its cool-to-the-touch cover. This thick knit cover has been specially designed to wick away heat while you sleep, helping to keep your temperatures comfortably regulated while you sleep.

I’m a side and back sleeper and slept on the Otty Original Ice Hybrid over the course of six weeks during the summer months of May and June. Room temperatures varied from 20° C to an unusually hot 30° C when there was a heatwave. While there was no escaping the uncomfortable room heat on the hotter days, the mattress never felt too hot beneath me like some mattresses can.

I shared the mattress with my front-sleeping partner and found that the mattress did well to limit movement from side to side. As a front sleeper he prefers a harder mattress and was pleased to find the medium-firm tension of the Otty Original Ice Hybrid on the firmer side of medium-firm. I’ve tried a number of medium-firm designs that disappointingly turn out to be too soft, but not this one.

I asked two more testers from Tom’s Guide of varying heights to also try out the mattress and tell me what they thought of the overall firmness and comfort. They were both positive about the look and feel of the mattress, and agreed that it felt both supportive and comfortable while sleeping on their front and back and, in particular, on their side. One of the testers who suffers from a bad back was impressed with the pressure relief of the mattress and said that he felt like it was instantly supporting his back. For more in-depth test data, read the full review below.

Price & trial

• The Original Ice Hybrid is a mid-price range mattress in the Otty collection.
• Comes with a 100-night trial
• Includes a 10-year warranty

Founded by athlete and entrepreneur Michal Szlas, Otty was launched 10 years ago with the aim to create high-quality mattresses, pillows, bed frames, and accessories at affordable prices.

Otty delivers its mattresses to mainland UK. There are three main mattress ranges in its collection which, aside from the Natural range that arrives traditionally fully formed, are delivered compressed and rolled up.

The Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress is a step up from Otty’s flagship Original Hybrid model – both of which include memory foam and 2,000 encapsulated pocket springs. The Otty Original mattress costs from £499.99, while the cooler Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress costs from £524.99.

Otty has seasonal sales online throughout the year so if you’re after something specific, it’s worth bookmarking our mattress deals page. You can expect to find deeper Otty discounts on notable sale days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Benefits include a 10-year warranty and 100-night sleep trial with every purchase. Here’s a full breakdown of what you can expect to pay for the Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress:

• Single (UK) - £524.99
• Small Double (UK) - £649.99
• Double (UK) - £674.99
• King (UK) £749.99
• Super King (UK) £849.99

If you can’t buy the mattress outright, you can spread the cost with Otty’s 0% Finance deal. For a king size Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress, you can expect to pay from £60 per month for example.

Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress: Design

• 2,000 16cm encapsulated pocket springs offers medium-firm support and minimises motion transfer
• Reflex foam adds additional support on top of the spring layer
• High density base foam offers a solid foundation

There are lots of designs to choose from in our guide to the best hybrid mattress on the market, but the Original Ice Hybrid stands out for its cooling properties. Marginally more expensive than the Otty Original Hybrid, the Otty Original Ice Hybrid has an enhanced cooling cover with special fibres.

Within its six layers that make up the sumptuous 25cm Otty Original Ice Hybrid mattress is a solid base layer of foam that helps to secure the mattress in place on the bedframe. It also includes a layer of breathable foam around the edges that has been designed to enhance edge support and ensure the maximum usable sleep space from side to side.

Inside there are also 2,000 16cm encapsulated pocket springs that help to provide a comfortable medium-firm tension and minimise motion transfer. This is topped by a layer of high-density support foam, teamed with a layer of heat regulating memory foam and the mattresses' pièce de resistance cooling cover.

Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress: Support and comfort

• A medium firm mattress that holds it shape well
• Gentle contouring and excellent pressure relief
• Comfortable and robust enough for all sleep positions – even front sleeping

This mattress has a tension rating of 7 out of 10 and while it has a cushioned top layer, it errs on the on the firmer side of medium firm. Even though it has a sumptuous top layer, I found it easy to move around and change positions without ever feeling like I was stuck.

I have a petite frame and like a medium-firm mattress, but I was pleased to find out that my 6ft partner who prefers a firm mattress was also content with the tension of this Original Ice Hybrid.

This is testament to just how supportive the overall feel of this mattress is. I asked two other Tom’s Guide testers to give the mattress a try and they were also very impressed with just how balanced their bodies felt when laying on their backs.

We agreed that while the mattress is thick and has a plush finish on top, its surface retains shape effectively so it never makes you feel like you’re stuck.

Support and comfort score: 4 out of 5

Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress: Performance

• Smooth top cover feels soft and tactile underhand
• Minimal motion transfer from side to side
• Side support is impressive, although corners could be more solid

I trialled the king size version of the Original Ice Hybrid over the course of six weeks during the sweltering summer months of May and June. I dressed the bed in Spin & Yarn’s beautifully soft cotton sateen bedding and used the new Groove Air Cooling Pillow, which seemed to work well with the mattress to support my head and neck.

I used the Tom's Guide mattress home testing methodology to get a rounded view of how this mattress performs according to a range of different criteria.

Pressure relief

Tom’s Guide testers agree that the combination of 2,000 16cm encapsulated pocket springs and high-density support foam helps to create a comfortable, medium-firm design.

The mattress provides good pressure relief for front, side and back sleepers and I loved sleeping on my side here as the mattress was sumptuous yet stable. While laying on my side it relieved my shoulders and hips without them feeling like they were dipping in too much.

My partner prefers a pocket-sprung mattress as he finds that they ensure less sinkage while sleeping on his front. He was pleasantly surprised with just how well this mattress does to maintain support across the body, however.

To further test how good the pressure relief is here, I used an 8kg kettlebell and measured the sinkage of this mattress at 1.5” (3.8cm). This is about average for a well-structured medium-firm mattress and same as the measurements I took for both the Otty Original Hybrid and the Simba Hybrid Ultra.

Pressure relief score: 4 out of 5

Motion isolation

If you’re a light sleeper and sharing a bed with a partner, choosing a mattress that limits movement from side to side is key to a good night’s sleep. With good motion isolation technology you won’t be disturbed every time your partner moves or changes position in the night.

Having slept on this mattress for over six weeks with my partner I was pleased with just how well it limited motion from transferring across the surface of the bed. While I could tell he was still sleeping next to me when he was particularly fidgety, there was minimum motion transfer over to my side. This is mostly like due to the mattress’ 16cm encapsulated pocket spring design that provides a stable medium-firm tension and helps to minimise motion transfer.

To illustrate just how effective the mattress is at limiting movement, I conducted a test using an empty wine glass and a 3kg weight. I placed the empty wine glass in the centre of the mattress and dropped the weight 4, 10 and then 25 inches away to simulate someone moving in bed. As you can see the wine glass didn’t falter, which is testament to just how good the motion transfer is here.

Motion isolation score: 4 out of 5

Temperature regulation

To find out how well this mattress could keep me cool during the hotter months of the year, I trialled it over the summer months of May and June. The room temperatures in May never went higher than 23 degrees C. During a heatwave in June, however, I was dealing with an usually high 32 degrees C room temperature that was uncomfortably hot to say the least.

The Ice cover is smooth and I found that it felt noticeably cool when the bed was undressed and this came as a welcome place to rest my head when the room was undeniably hot. I dressed it in soft and breathable Spin & Yarn bedding to ensure air flow was optimum and this helped to make me feel content when it was super hot.

Overall, it’s hard to say if the mattress kept me actively cool at night, but it never got too hot like some memory foam designs can. Overall, I think it did well to provide a comfortable and calming surface during the hottest days of the summer.

Temperature control score: 4 out of 5

Edge support

With reliable support around the bed's edge, it’s easier to utilise every inch of sleep space so you can cosy right up to the sides without feeling like you’re going to fall off. It also helps to ensure the durability of the mattress so that it doesn’t sag at the sides as time goes by.

I have tried a wide range of hybrid mattresses with good and poor side support and this design is definitely one of the more supportive designs. Sturdy edge support meant I could sit on the side comfortably and lay right up to the sides of the mattress without feeling like I was about to roll off. But while the sides felt secure, the corner support was a little less reliable, however.

Edge support score: 4 out of 5

Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress: Delivery and set up

• 100-night sleep trial and 10 year guarantee
• Room of choice delivery and old mattress removal
• 0% interest free finance so you can spread the cost

Like the best mattresses in a box, Otty mattresses come delivered roll and vacuum packed in plastic, which is then placed inside a cardboard box. Upon ordering the mattress, delivery was swift and came within a week. The delivery team carried the mattress up the front steps to my hallway and would have positioned it on the bed if I had wanted them to.

For the purposes of this test, I decided to take it out of the box and see if I could carry it up myself. I tried a king size mattress and while the mattress was compactly rolled up, it was just a little too heavy to carry up myself so my partner shared the load.

As soon as the mattress was positioned on the bed and we sliced open the plastic, it began taking shape speedily. Within five minutes it had expanded, and while the mattress would have been ready to sleep on after four hours, I waited a good 48 hours before sleeping on it just to give it a chance to reach its full size.

I kept the windows shut to see if there was any off-gassing to contend with (which is that new factory smell you can sometimes get with a new mattress), and while there was a little in the air, it quickly dispersed so that the mattress smelt fresh and enticing.

Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress: Customer reviews

On Trustpilot, there are over 11K reviews for Otty, with the majority of customers praising the brands products and delivery service. It has an overall ‘TrustScore’ of 3.8, which is highlighted as ‘Great’.

Many customers have written reviews stating that they are pleased with the mattress they received, and while it’s hard to pinpoint what they are saying about the Otty Original Ice Hybrid exactly, the words they are using to describe Otty mattresses overall are ‘superb’ and ‘comfortable'.

Should you buy the Otty Original Ice Hybrid Mattress?

For a reasonably priced cooling hybrid mattress that’s both supportive and breathable, the Otty Original Ice Hybrid is worth considering. Its cool-to-the-touch cover makes it marginally more cooling than the Otty Original Hybrid mattress, and it’s this all-important detail that gives you extra peace of mind in the summer when things heat up.

The consensus after testing this mattress is that it sleeps cooler than standard memory foam and its tactile top layer feels great against the skin. It’s comfortable for back and side sleepers in particular, but has the supportive structure to make front sleepers feel suitably relaxed too. Its medium-firm tension provides satisfying back support and as it has good pressure relief you won’t get that stuck-in feel you can sometimes get with an all-foam mattress either.

Alternatives

Deep sleep (also known as slow-wave or N3 sleep) is one of four sleep stages we cycle through every night. It's where your body carries out repair work and produces high levels of growth hormone. Essentially, it's where a lot of 'the magic happens'. For most healthy adults, deep sleep should make up 10-20% of their overall nightly sleep.

According to my Apple Watch 12, deep sleep makes up around 23% of my nightly sleep on average, which is already in the upper tier. However, I'm still dealing with stress-fuelled 3 a.m. wake-ups, and because deep sleep is associated with a higher tolerance to stress, I've been wondering if more deep sleep is the answer to helping me sleep through the night.

To test this, I've adopted a new, simple 10-minute daily habit that science says can help you get more deep sleep. After just 6 days this habit has helped me go from 23% to 28% deep sleep (roughly an extra 38 minutes) a night.

The habit? Daily exercise. In fact, a study by the University of Texas indicates that getting as little as 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day could help you get more deep sleep.

Here Dr. Jeffrey Durmer, a neuroscientist, neurologist, and sleep medicine physician explains how it works and why you should try it if you keep waking up through the night.

• Read more: I was struggling to wake up in the mornings until I found this free feature in the Apple Health app — now I’m sleeping better and waking up energized

The daily habit helping me get more deep sleep

At first, I started a daily exercise regime by accident. Walking my son to school four times a week is a 30 minute leisurely round trip through a beautiful wooded valley, or a 15 minute white-knuckle cycle ride that leaves me gasping for air on the uphill leg. Guess which one he prefers.

Once he went back to school in September, our twice-daily cycle ride commenced. And, in a way, I was happy to get the workout. I know I should make time for exercise, but I rarely do — so this felt like a routine I could stick to. Not that I had much of a choice.

However, I soon noticed that these short bursts of exercise were having a positive impact on my sleep. Falling and staying asleep is something that I can struggle with, but I found myself feeling ready for sleep come bedtime and, occasionally, waking up feeling more refreshed than usual.

When I read the study this week that linked a minimum of 10 minutes of daily exercise to longer time spent in deeper sleep, I wanted to compare that to my own experience.

I track my sleep with an Apple Watch, so I was able to see that, compared to a sedentary period in August before starting my daily exercise regime, my time spent in deep sleep had increased by 5% on average.

That sounds like a paltry amount, but for me 5% equates to an extra 38 minutes of deep sleep per night. According to Dr. Durmer, there's a good reason why I — someone who previously rarely exercised — had such a significant uptick in time spent in deep sleep.

"This study shows that even a small amount of exercise can increase deep non-REM sleep, the stage that drives much of the brain and body’s restoration," explains Dr. Durmer, Chief Medical Officer of Happy Health.

"People who don’t usually exercise may see an especially strong effect, because even a short and intense workout raises their adenosine levels beyond what they normally experience."

How 10 minutes of daily exercise helps you get more deep sleep

"Exercise and sleep have a two-way, virtuous relationship: better sleep improves performance, and regular exercise improves sleep," explains Dr. Durmer, who works with elite athletes to help them sleep better in order to unlock better physical performance.

Here, we take a closer look at how regular exercise can help increase the time spent in deep sleep.

1. It increases your 'hunger' or drive for sleep

From the moment we wake up, our sleep pressure begins to build, enabling us to fall asleep at the right time.

Also referred to as our homeostatic sleep dive or sleep hunger, sleep pressure is largely dictated by a neurotransmitter called adenosine.

"When we exercise, our bodies burn ATP, our main energy source, and that releases adenosine," says Dr. Durmer.

"Adenosine naturally builds up over the day, and as it accumulates in the brain, it activates receptors that make us sleepy. Exercise speeds up that build-up, which helps us fall asleep.

"As exercise becomes a habit, it strengthens both the daily adenosine cycle and the regularity of sleep and wake times, reinforcing the virtuous cycle between the two."

• Forget deep sleep — REM sleep is key to longevity and the sleep tracking metric to pay attention to, experts say

2. It reduces stress and anxiety

For me, stress is a big disrupter of my sleep, making it harder to both fall and stay asleep. However, as Dr. Durmer explains, exercise can help reduce stress for better sleep. In turn, we sleep better and we're better equipped to deal with stress, which perpetuates the positive relationship between sleep and exercise.

"Exercise also shifts the body toward parasympathetic, or 'rest and digest,' dominance afterward, so the early stages of sleep tend to be deeper and less disrupted," says Dr. Durmer.

"That deep non-REM sleep is when the body does much of its repair work: releasing growth hormone, calming inflammation, supporting immune function, and improving insulin sensitivity.

"Keeping a regular sleep-wake schedule adds to these benefits by supporting energy storage in the muscles, cardiovascular health, and nervous system balance."

3. It anchors your circadian rhythm

I cycle my son to school in the morning, come rain or shine. In addition to the exercise, part of the benefit of this on my sleep is the sunlight exposure. This helps cement my circadian rhythm, which is my body's internal clock.

Dr. Durmer explains that the harder you work, the better the sleep benefit. But if you can only do one thing, spending time in natural light in the morning is the most important, as this helps regulate key sleep hormones.

"Any exercise is better than none for improving sleep and keeping a regular sleep-wake cycle," he explains. "On days you can’t work out, get outside in the sunlight, especially in the morning, and take a short walk to keep your body moving."

Experts have warned that more bed bugs than ever before are circulating through travel. The current global outbreak reached a crescendo this week, grounding a Qantas plane flying from Rome to Perth, forcing a US school closure and halting a UK rail service when bed bugs were spotted in classrooms and on the train.

“We are at peak bed bug,” Martim Gois, the co-founder of Valpas, a company which produces technology to trap and track bed bugs in hotel rooms, told The Times this week. “Bedbugs correlate with traveller volume. The more arrivals and departures there are, the higher the surge of bedbugs,” said Gois.

With bed bug outbreaks left, right and center, you might be wondering what you can do to protect your home from the critters and derail them from finding their way to your mattress. We spoke to a bed bug prevention and control specialist to find out, plus identify which home and behavior type is most at risk of succumbing to an infestation.

• The clocks go back on Sunday — 3 steps to take tonight to thrive, not just survive, the shift to shorter days

Who is most likely to get bed bugs?

Anyone can fall foul of a bed bug outbreak. However, there are certain habits and circumstances that can increase our risk. They are:

• 1. Frequent travel: Valpas estimates that 1 in 49 hotel rooms has bed bugs.
• 2. Living in a major city: According to current estimates, bed bug populations are swelling in population by 20%-25% each year in major cities like London, Paris and Amsterdam, due to insecticide tolerance.
• 3. Buying secondhand furniture: Particularly soft furnishings like sofas and mattresses, where bed bugs can burrow deep inside
• 4. Living in high turnover housing: Such as college dorms, HMOs and shared rentals in densely populated cities, where people (and, potentially, bed bugs) can frequently come and go.

“Bed bugs are strictly indoor pests, meaning they are entirely unaffected by outdoor weather conditions,” Lyuben Kiryakov, Director of pest control agency Bed Bug Specialist, tells Tom's Guide.

“However, human behaviour changes significantly with the seasons. During the summer months, people travel far more frequently. Staying in infested hotels, hostels, or short term rentals is one of the primary ways people pick up an infestation.

“Bed bugs are purely opportunistic," Kiryakov continues. "Given the first chance, they will crawl directly into luggage, clothing, and personal belongings to be carried home."

Which type of home is most at risk?

According to Kiryakov, there is one particular home type that is most at risk from the current outbreak: “Blocks of flats [apartments] are significantly more vulnerable to bed bugs than single family houses, primarily due to the widespread use of ineffective DIY treatments.”

“Insecticide sprays, powders, and smoke bombs often agitate bed bugs rather than killing them, causing the infestation to scatter through wall voids, electrical sockets, and structural gaps into adjacent flats.

"Residents also tend to leave infested furniture directly outside their building or in communal areas, from where they can easily hitch a ride back inside on other residents and spread the infestation further," says Kiryakov.

How to protect your mattress and bedding

Bed bugs are opportunistic critters that have one goal in mind: to inhabit your mattress. Here, they can hide out of sight while staying close to their food source —you.

At night they'll crawl out and bite you while you're sleeping. Here's how to protect your mattress and bedding from bed bugs:

1. Check for bed bugs now

"Bed bugs reproduce quickly, and an isolated issue can turn into a full scale home infestation," says Kiryakov.

So if you think that you're at risk of bed bugs, don't wait to get bitten before taking action. Inspect your mattress now for signs of bed bugs, paying close attention to any creases or seams, where bed bugs like to hide.

Live insects are reddish brown in color, oval shaped, and measure approximately 5-7mm. Additionally, look out for dark specs (bed bug poop), as well as live eggs. These look like grains of rice.

2. Thoroughly vacuum your mattress

Even if you haven't found signs of bed bugs, giving your mattress a thorough clean with a vacuum is highly recommended.

"Use a high powered hoover to meticulously capture bed bugs and eggs along mattress seams, bed frames, and skirting boards, immediately sealing and throwing away the hoover bag or emptying the canister," says Kiryakov, who notes that bed bugs are becoming resistant to insecticides.

3. Buy a mattress encasement

If you don't opt for full coverage of your mattress during a bed bug outbreak, even the best mattress protectors can leave you vulnerable to infestation.

For proper protection, we recommend buying a fully zippered mattress encasement. If there are bed bugs in your mattress, covering them with a full encasement means they will be starved of their food source (your blood) and die off.

A mattress encasement also provides a barrier to bed bugs taking up residence in your mattress in the first place. So if there's an outbreak in your area, this is your first step to keep your bed safe.

4. Remove outside clothes before entering your bedroom

The urge to come in after a busy day and collapse straight onto your bed might be strong — but don't.

Wearing your outdoor clothes – the ones that have been pressed up against public spaces, such as buses and trains and communal seating – could give bed bugs a one way ticket to their forever home (your mattress).

Instead, change out of your outdoor clothes in a separate room. If you think there's a high chance you came into contact with bed bugs, wash your clothes at a minimum temperature of 60°C (140°F) to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

5. Leave your luggage in the bathtub after travelling

"Prevention is better than cure," says Kiryakov. "When traveling, thoroughly inspect hotel rooms, hostels, or short term rentals before unpacking, specifically checking the mattress, bed frame, headboard, and any soft seating areas."

When you get home, refrain from placing your suitcase directly on your bed to unpack. Instead, put it in your bathtub, where bed bugs can't escape — the sides are too slippery for them. Remove your clothes from there and place them on a hot wash.

6. Hot wash sheets and bedding

Heat and active removal are your best shot at removing bed bugs and their eggs before an active outbreak takes hold in your mattress and bedding.

If you feel at risk of having brought bed bugs home with you, give your bed sheets a hot wash today.

To kill bed bug and their eggs, you need to launder your sheets at 60°C (140°F). Then throw them in the tumble dryer for good measure as "direct dry heat kills bed bugs and their eggs on contact," says Kiryakov.

Pay attention to the care label, as some delicate fabrics won't stand up to very hot washing and machine drying.

What to avoid

❌ Don't use DIY foggers, sprays or powders: "Instead of eliminating the infestation, DIY insecticides agitate the bed bugs and cause them to scatter deeper into wall voids, electrical sockets, and adjacent rooms," says Kiryakov.

❌ Don't immediately ditch your mattress: The temptation to toss every soft furnishing you own will be strong, but moving your furniture around risks spreading the infestation. Instead, a professional can likely treat and save your mattress. However if your bed is over eight years old or shows signs of sagging and deep staining, then a new mattress could be in order. Our best mattress guide contains our latest lab-tested recommendations.

Cozy season is here so it's time to shut the windows and cuddle up. But unless you want to spend the next few weeks itching and sneezing from an influx of dust mites, you need to clean your mattress before you touch the thermosts.

"Mites are ubiquitous so all beds are likely to have a degree of living mites," says Professor George Du Toit, Co-Founding Director and Professor of Paediatric Allergy at the Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE). "It is important for those with dust mite allergy to try to reduce this allergenic load as best possible.”

Dust mites thrive in the dark of your mattress, where they have access to all your yummy body oils and shed skin cells. And in fall, trapped moisture and warm rooms turn your home into mite paradise. The best way to reduce the problem is to remove the food source (the dust in your bed). To do so, you need to follow the 2-inch mattress rule — here's how.

The seasonal dust mite surge doesn't hit everyone equally; if you live in a state with an even temperature year-round, you're unlikely to experience the same uptick. However, dust mites are found almost everywhere humans are, so regardless of the weather, we recommend taking care of your mattress.

Why we're seeing a surge in dust mites right now

“Autumn marks the peak for dust mite proliferation and symptom flares for two key reasons," explains Dr. Du Toit.

First, the dust mite population, which has spent the summer growing, is now dying off. That decline does mean there are fewer dust mites around but before they go, they leave a nasty surprise.

"As autumn arrives and humidity fluctuates, many mites die off, releasing massive loads of dried fecal allergen particles into the indoor air just as people spend more time indoors with windows closed," says Dr. Du Toit.

But before they start dying, there's one last hurrah for the dust mites, caused by our response to the colder weather.

"As homes turn on central heating, indoor air dries out," says Dr. Du Tiot. "While this might sound unfavorable, the rapid temperature drop outdoors combined with sealed windows initially traps high indoor humidity accumulated over summer, creating an optimal breeding surge."

This surge is most prominent in the UK and across the northern and midwest US States. However, if you're planning to close your windows to keep out the coming chill, you are vulnerable to the same issue.

Of course, we don't recommend keeping your windows open and your heating off all winter, even if it will clear those pesky dust mites. But before your hand reaches for the thermostat, take this one step.

The 2-inch mattress rule

The surface of your mattress is grosser than you realize. We lose roughly 500 million skin flakes a day and a lot of them end up in your bed, alongside sweat, oils, hair and crumbs.

Regularly vacuuming your mattress helps remove the surface issues. However, a light vacuum won't tackle the embedded dust and allergens that have settled into the layers of your mattress.

That's where the 2-inch rule comes in. By combing firm, downward pressure from your vacuum with flattening the surface of the bed, you can target the dust and skin stuck deeper in the layers. This removes the dust mites food source, so they're less inclined to settle in your bed.

This also clears dust mite fecal matter, which is the primary cause of your allergic reaction. Yep, when you're coughing and sneezing, it's because of dust mite poop.

How to use the 2-inch mattress rule

Before you start: check your vacuum

Your vacuum must have a sealed HEPA filter for this method to be effective. Without a HEPA filter, compressing the mattress can send micro-allergens through the exhaust motor and back into your bedroom.

Not happy with your current vacuum? Check out our best vacuum cleaner guide for expert approved picks.

1. Prepare the mattress

To begin, remove all bedding, pillows and blankets from your mattress. You want a completely clean surface.

This is a good time to wash your bedding. Dr. Du Toit recommends temperatures of 60°C / 140°F or higher, to effectively kill dust mites. (Always check the care labels to ensure your bedding can handle high temperatures)

Open the window, to allow air to circulate and dust to escape.

For a thorough clean, sprinkle baking soda over the mattress and leave for 30-60 minutes. The powder will absorb moisture and any smells, for an overall cleaner finish.

2. Compress and vacuum

For this technique to work, you need to use your vacuum's narrow upholstery tool or brush tool.

Press your hand into the surface of the mattress until it's compressed by roughly two inches. Place the nozzle of the tool into the dipped area and move in slow, overlapping circles or tight horizontal lines.

Cover the entire surface of the mattress using the same compressing and vacuuming technique.

The weight of compression creates a temporary seal between the mattress surface and the vacuum nozzle. This allows you to draw out the dust and debris that's embedded within the mattress.

Admittedly this is a time consuming task (it's quite the arm workout). We've found it takes around 20-30 minutes to cover a US queen or UK king — so factor this one into your twice-yearly mattress deep cleaning schedule.

The benefits of the 2-inch mattress vacuum rule

There are three big benefits to the 2-inch mattress rule and the first one we've covered: it reduces allergens. Our bedding expert found she woke up with less morning congestion after using this technique.

The other obvious benefit is that you can enjoy a cleaner sleep surface. You know how inviting the bed feels after changing your sheets? Imagine that, turned up to 11.

Finally, it can extend the life of your mattress. We recommend replacing your mattress roughly every 7-10 years but regular cleaning can help you maximize the lifespan by protecting the materials.

Why dust mites in your mattress are bad news

“Humans spend many hours in their bedrooms," explains Dr. Du Toit. "Beds provide an ideal microclimate for dust mites: abundant food (shed skin scales), stable warmth, and high humidity generated by human sweat and respiration."

Dust mites don't bite (unlike bed bugs), opting instead to nibble passively at our dead skin cells. However, the presence of dust mites can still have a negative impact on your health.

"Inhaling airborne dust mite allergens (primarily their potent digestive enzymes found in fecal waste) can trigger chronic allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis and exacerbate asthma symptoms,“ says Du Toit.

How to protect your mattress from dust mites

As Dr. Du Toit points out, it's difficult to stop dust mites altogether, as your bed is simply too appealing. However, by reducing their food source you can cut down the number of mites calling your mattress home.

The best way to do this is with a mattress protector or encasement. These bedding must-haves act as a barrier between you and the mattress. You can find our favorites in our best mattress protector guide.

The benefit of a mattress protector in the fight against in dust mites is two fold. First, your shed skin cells are less likely to become embedded in the mattress. Second, the allergens have less access to you.

• Use allergen-proof encasements: “Enclose mattresses, duvets, and pillows in tightly woven, zip-up barrier covers. There are many such products on the market, but be sure to use those endorsed by allergy societies such as Allergy UK.” (Or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.)
• Wash bedding weekly at 60°C: A high heat removes allergens and kills mites, but always check the care instructions or you might destroy the material.
• Reduce indoor humidity: “Keep relative humidity below 50% using dehumidifiers, extractor fans, and adequate ventilation." Our best dehumidifier guide has an option for every budget.
• Get rid of the bedroom rug: This is a haven for dust and allergens.

Buying a new mattress is a big investment, so it’s important to know to what extent your purchase is protected by your warranty. The best mattresses of the year are all sold with a warranty, but they vary in length and specific level of cover.

Regardless of how much you spend on a new mattress, it’s important to know what your rights are as a consumer when it comes to any faults or defects you might encounter. Mattress warranties tend to range from 10 years to a lifetime, but the fine print differs from brand to brand.

Below, we’ll dig into what mattress a mattress warranty is, what most mattress warranties do and don’t cover, as well as the 10 actions that can accidentally void your warranty.

What is a mattress warranty?

A mattress warranty is a term to describe a brand's guarantee that it will replace, repair or refund a faulty product. This will likely be a structural defect incurred during the manufacturing process, either as a result of workmanship error or damaged materials.

Most mattress warranties are limited warranties that only cover select defects or components. Full warranties protect against all defects in a mattress.

Each brand has its own terms and conditions regarding what's covered. The typical length of a mattress warranty is 10 years, which is within the average lifespan of a mattress.

Mattress warranties are split into three different types:

• Prorated mattress warranty: You may have to foot some of the cost of replacing or repairing the mattress. This is likely to be a small percentage initially and then increase the longer you own the mattress.
• Non-prorated mattress warranty: The company will cover the cost of a replacement or repair for as long as you have the mattress. At most, you may only need to pay for delivery costs.
• Combination mattress warranty: In this case, the mattress warranty will be non-prorated up to a certain point, after which it'll become prorated. This is common with lifetime mattress warranties.

What do mattress warranties cover?

While terms vary from brand to brand, most mattress warranties cover the following manufacturing problems:

• Excessive sagging or indentations (check the brand’s website for precise measurements)
• Broken coils or coils protruding through the mattress
• Material defects (including splits, cracks or bunching of foams)
• Seams coming undone
• Faulty handles
• Faulty zips
• Manufacturing flaws in the mattress cover
• Sizing inconsistencies

9 actions that can void mattress warranties

A mattress warranty offers protection against manufacturing faults or defects. However, there are certain actions that can accidentally void your warranty.

1. Improper support

Not having your mattress on a suitable bed frame or slat setup can result in premature wear and tear, which will void your warranty. That includes placing your mattress on the floor.

2. Removing the law tag

Some US mattress brands, such as Beautyrest, stipulate that removing the white law tag or label from your mattress voids its warranty. These tags include factory codes, which stipulate when and where the mattress was made.

In the UK, the equivalent is the sewn-in British Standard fire safety tag (BS 7177). This label also includes crucial product identification and removing it can often render your warranty void.

3. Stains or soiling

Evidence of stains, spills or soiling will deem your mattress a sanitary risk and the warranty will be void, even if the stain is unrelated to your claim. Attempting to return a stained mattress violates health and safety laws.

4. Exceeding advertised weight capacity

All mattresses come with a weight capacity. For example, the Saatva Classic, the best hybrid mattress we've tested, has a maximum weight capacity of 600lbs (300lbs per person). Exceeding this weight capacity can compromise the mattress's internal support and lead to excessive sagging and dipping.

5. Not having proof of purchase

Whether you've lost your proof of purchase or you bought your mattress second hand, not having a receipt to show exactly when you bought your mattress will render your warranty ineffective.

6. Ignoring care recommendations

All mattresses come with care recommendations, depending on its materials and bed type and not adhering to them can void your mattress warranty.

For example, mattresses with delicate wool or cashmere blend covers should avoid harsh cleaning products that could bleach and damage their cover. Meanwhile, memory foam mattresses can become irreversibly damaged by extreme heat and excessive saturation.

7. Physical abuse or misuse

Essentially, this means using your mattress for anything other than its intended purpose and damaging it in the process. That includes jumping or standing on the mattress. It also includes folding or bending the mattress, which can damage its internal structure.

8. Attempting to return a damaged mattress

Attempting to return a stained or damaged mattress during your sleep trial will often result in automatic disqualification of your warranty. Evidence of damage suggests that the mattress has been subjected to physical misuse or abuse.

9. Leaving a mattress boxed for too long

The best mattresses in a box are factory compressed, rolled and packed up for delivery. Most brands recommend unpacking your new mattress within 30 days of receipt.

Leaving the mattress compressed in the box for too long can result in permanent damage to the structure of the mattress, which can cause slow or incomplete expansion. Exceeding the brand recommended unboxing window will mean your mattress warranty will be void.

10. Removing the mattress cover

While there are some mattress covers that are removable, most warranties become void if you remove or attempt to remove the cover (yes, even if it has a zip). That's because removal of the cover can leave the mattress vulnerable to damage.

Warranty terms at a glance

Warranty terms at a glance

I used to be a great sleeper, nodding off at the drop of a hat and clocking my full eight hours every night. But then I hit 40 and suddenly I’m finding it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep and am often wide awake at 3 a.m.

Throughout my teens and twenties, sleeping was easy. It didn’t matter if I was on my friend’s couch, a plane or with my face pressed up against a bus window. My thirties were punctuated with raising young children, and sleepless nights were part of the gig.

But now that I’m 40+ and my kids no longer disrupt my rest, sleep is something I’m still struggling with. To find out why and what I can do to get the rest I need, I spoke to Dr. Chris Winter, a double boarded sleep specialist and Dr. Shelby Harris, board-certified clinical psychologist at Better Sleep.

• Read more: I was struggling to wake up in the mornings until I found this free feature in the Apple Health app — now I’m sleeping better and waking up energized

How turning 40 impacted my sleep

As a sleep writer and product tester, I have everything I need for a great night’s rest. I’m sleeping on the best mattress for my body type, I have a silk eye mask to block out ambient light and I pop in my sleepbuds every time noise threatens to disrupt my peaceful sleep sanctuary.

And yet, sleep is elusive. Instead of feeling relaxed and ready for rest, anxiety often washes over me and I’m alert, with my heart pounding. On the nights that I do drop off quickly, it’s common for me to then be wide awake at 3 a.m., feeling haunted by some vague worry. It's a problem that's only developed in recent years.

I’m exhausted, frustrated and ready for answers.

4 common causes of sleep disturbances for those aged 40+

"There is no switch that suddenly flips at age 40, but several biological and lifestyle factors can begin converging during this stage of life," explains Dr. Winter, a board certified neurologist with over 30 years of clinical experience.

These are the most common causes of sleep disturbances among those aged 40 and over...

1. Sleep becomes lighter

"Sleep naturally becomes somewhat lighter and more fragmented as we age, making us more susceptible to being awakened by noise, temperature changes or physical discomfort," explains Dr. Winter, who is a member of Natrol Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Harris also highlights the biological shift that occurs as we get older, leaving us more susceptible to nighttime awakenings.

"As we age, we spend less time in deep sleep and more time in lighter stages, making us more likely to notice brief awakenings," explains Dr. Harris, who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine.

Dr. Winter points out that most people wake briefly several times during the night, perhaps without even remembering. "More meaningful considerations are how long someone remains awake, how distressed they feel about the awakening and whether it affects how they function the following day," he explains.

"The key is to look at what is happening around that 3 a.m. wake-up, like temperature, stress, alcohol, medications, snoring, or other symptoms, rather than assuming the clock time itself points to a particular cause," advises Dr. Harris.

2. Hormonal fluctuations

As a 42 year old woman, I can't ignore the hormonal shifts that could be contributing to my sleep disturbances. "As we move into our 40s, several factors can begin to disrupt sleep that may not have been an issue earlier in life," explains Dr. Harris.

"One of the biggest is hormonal change, particularly the fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone that occur during perimenopause and menopause, which can contribute to night sweats, temperature changes, anxiety, and more fragmented sleep," the psychologist adds.

For me, nighttime anxiety has become a significant cause of my sleep disruptions. Knowing that hormonal fluctuations could be behind that shift in my mental health gives me hope that this feeling is temporary.

3. Daily stressors

Those in the 40+ age category are often part of the sandwich generation; we're raising children and caring for ageing parents. Throw in money worries and work pressures and we've created a perfect storm of stress — and that has a knock-on effect on our sleep.

"We tend to become more sensitive to stress as responsibilities around work, family, and caregiving accumulate," agrees Dr. Harris.

Stress can trigger the production of the 'stress' hormone cortisol. Levels of cortisol naturally begin to rise around 3 a.m. as part of our Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), before peaking when we wake up. However, a higher baseline level of cortisol can lead to a stronger CAR, waking you up prematurely.

4. More susceptible to sleep disorders

Studies suggest that as we age, our risk of developing common sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea and nocturia increase.

Dr. Winter concurs with this. He notes that "restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea, the risk of which can increase as we age" are among contributors to disturbed sleep for people in the 40+ age group.

Regardless of your age or stage in life, if you have developed new symptoms that prevent you from getting the sleep you need it's important to discuss this with your doctor.

How to sleep better throughout midlife and beyond

Great sleep can be harder to come by as we advance in years. However, Dr. Winter and Dr. Harris share their top tips for managing age-related sleep disturbances, so you can get the rest you deserve.

• Don't panic: "Don't panic about an occasional bad night; worrying about sleep can actually make the problem worse," says Dr. Harris.
• Stick to a consistent sleep schedule: "Maintaining a consistent wake time each day, even after a difficult night, can help anchor the body’s internal clock," says Dr. Winter.
• Get plenty of morning sunlight: Like a consistent sleep schedule, natural sunlight can anchor your circadian rhythm, helping you to feel tired and alert at the right times.
• Keep a sleep diary: "Keeping a sleep diary for a week or two can help identify patterns involving stress, food, alcohol, exercise, medications or physical symptoms," advises Dr. Winter.
• Optimize your bedroom for sleep: Sleep becomes lighter as we age, which means we're more susceptible to light, sound and temperature-related disturbances, so keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

Warning: what you're about to read will make you itch. Because it turns out bed bugs are everywhere, from our train services to store restrooms. Even worse, they might be growing resistant to insecticides. If you need a minute to scrub your entire body, we understand.

So how worried should we be? Bed bugs are notoriously hard to get rid of and often enter your house on clothes and soft furnishings. While they don't carry disease, they love to bite and the first signs of a bed bug infestation are often itchy red marks.

But that doesn't mean you have to start grocery shopping in a hazmat suit. Staying alert and taking care can prevent bed bugs from turning your home into their sanctuary. Here's what you need to know.

• Don't turn your indoor heating on before vacuuming your mattress — dust mite expert explains why

Bed bugs are all over the place — but you don't need to panic

Two services on Southeastern railway, a major British train operator, were canceled recently following news bed bugs had been seen in driver's carriages. One driver reportedly refused to even board until "provided with a white full-body protection suit." (The Independent.)

Representatives for Southeastern insist bed bugs were only found in drivers cabs, with no passenger carriages impacted. But it's left travelers feeling somewhat jumpy.

Meanwhile, a home in Cardiff, UK, reportedly housed "millions" of bed bugs in what a pest controller described as "horrendous," claiming it was the worst outbreak he'd seen in 38 years (BBC.)

In the US, a trip to the store has become fraught following the news that bed bugs were spotted in several Kwik Trip locations in Wausau. WSAW reports the restrooms were closed for several days as professionals were bought in.

It all paints a gruesome picture. But before you cancel your commute, the risk of picking up bed bugs from trains or stores remains low. The most common source of bed bug outbreaks remains travel destinations — hotels, motels and even 5-star resorts are a bigger risk for bed bugs than taking the bus to the store.

3 ways to keep bed bugs out of your home

The best method of bed bug control is prevention. That doesn't have to be an overwhelming task. Follow a few simple steps to better guard your home against bed bug invasions.

1. Keep outside clothes away from your bed

After a long train journey you might be tempted to collapse straight onto your bed. However, the only clothes that should ever touch your mattress are your pajamas.

Outside clothes and shoe should stay away from the bed. And while you're at it, keep handbags, briefcases, shopping bags and luggage off your mattress. Bed bugs can hide in the seams of these everyday objects, waiting until you put them down on a soft surface to make a bid for freedom.

This is particularly important when returning from a vacation or overnight trip. Place any suitcases in the bath tub and wash any clothes you packed before returning them to your drawers.

2. Stay on top of your cleaning

It's a common myth that bed bugs are drawn to dirty furnishings — they're happy in any dark corner. But they do enjoy being left undisturbed. And once bed bugs have settled into a rarely cleaned mattress, it can take a while to spot an infestation.

So what does a good mattress cleaning schedule look like? Our first tip is to change your bed sheets once a week. Bed bugs dislike heat so washing bedding at a high temperature (fabric permitting, always read the care label) can help kill the early stages of an outbreak.

While your mattress is stripped, break out the vacuum. Concentrate on the seams and tufting, as these hidden corners are a bed bug favorite. If you think you've captured a bed bug, make sure to empty the vacuum outside the house.

Every three to six months, undergo a mattress deep clean. This is when you tackle deep set stains and moisture build up, tackles rarely seen places (including the bed frame) and get everything back to its best.

3. Invest in a high quality mattress encasement

A mattress encasement won't keep out bed bugs entirely. But it does provide an extra layer of protection between the mattress and any creepy crawlies.

Mattress encasements wrap all around the mattress, guarding the top, sides and the often neglected base. This means if bed bugs want to burrow into your bed, they have to work at it, giving you more chances to spot the interlopers.

While encasements don't need to be washed as regularly as your other bed sheets, we recommend cleaning a mattress protector once every one to two months.

Worried bed bugs are already in your home? Try these...

Diatomaceous earth, pest killer and bed bug traps won’t banish an infestation but they can be used to out a halt to an outbreak. If bed bugs have taken control of your mattress, however, we recommend contacting the professionals.

Hatch is the arguably the most recognizable brand name attached to sunrise alarm clocks. The Restore 3 sits at the top of our best sunrise alarm clock guide, but there's now a new version: the Hatch Sleep Clock, which offers contactless sleep tracking in addition to Hatch's usual smart alarm features.

Outwardly, the Hatch Restore 3 and the Hatch Sleep Clock are virtually identical clocks, and their light and audio settings almost match, too. Both have sunrise and sundown simulations and a jam-packed audio library. But for the extra $80 you spend on the new Sleep Clock, Hatch promises 97% accurate sleep tracking.

I've tested both clocks and I'm here to tell you the differences, similarities, pros and cons between the Hatch Restore 3 and new Hatch Sleep Clock. Let's get into it...

Hatch Restore 3 vs Hatch Sleep Clock: Price

• The Restore 3 retails at $169.99 while the Sleep Clock sits at $249.99
• Discounts on both can be found during major sales, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday
• Both come with a monthly subscription fee to access all features, starting at $4.99 per month

Hatch's pricing has always remained pretty stable without any price hikes between new generations. But with the additional sleep tracking functionality, it was inevitable there would be a price increase between the Restore 3 and the Sleep Clock.

The Restore 3 sits at $169.99, while the Sleep Clock is $80 more expensive, at $249.99 — though discounts can be found during major sales, such as Amazon Prime Day. The Restore 3 was also reduced by $30 at Hatch for Black Friday in 2025 (the Sleep Clock was only released in August 2026), so it's likely both devices will be discounted for Black Friday in 2026.

For comparison, the Withings Sleep Analyzer, a similar contactless sleep tracker (a mat that slides under your mattress) sits at $199. However, the Hatch sleep-tracking alarm clock is also going to help you wake up in the mornings too, which will make it worth the extra $50 for some people.

Important to note: No matter which Hatch clock you go for, be prepared to pay a monthly subscription fee starting from $4.99 per month to access Hatch's full range of light and audio programmes.

Hatch Restore 3 vs Hatch Sleep Clock: Design & Set Up

• Practically identical designs and color options
• The Hatch Restore 3 is marginally taller
• Setting up the Sleep Clock requires more thought for the sleep tracking to work

In terms of design, there's not a lot that sets the Restore 3 and Sleep Clock apart. They are perhaps best described as non-identical twins, considering the Restore 3 is marginally (a mere centimeter) taller than the new Sleep Clock, while the Sleep Clock is a touch wider; though these differences are hardly noticeable.

Both are built with a plastic back and chic cloth front, and are available in three neutral colorways (putty, cocoa, greige) that are sure to fit into any modern bedroom aesthetic.

On to set-up: if you possess a reasonable digital IQ, setting up either device should pose no trouble.

Yes, you need to connect them to the compatible Hatch app (what device doesn't come with an app these days?) to pre-set your routine and choose your alarm audio and sunrise color tone. But once that's done, you can leave your phone out of the bedroom night to night thanks to the on-device buttons.

Where the set up process differs with the Sleep Clock is in the positioning of your clock. For the new Sleep Clock to be able to accurately read your sleep metrics, it must be placed level to your bed approximately at chest height. This is because it determines your sleep metrics from your movement and breathing patterns.

This does mean I've had to balance the Sleep Clock on a stack of books while I've been using it as my bedside unit is too high – fine as a temporary measure, but something to think about if you're planning to use the Sleep Clock long-term (I'm already browsing new bedside tables, as I have been loving the wearable-free sleep tracking).

Hatch Restore 3 vs Hatch Sleep Clock: Features

• Sunrise and sunset programmes are the same quality on both clocks
• You can operate both clocks phone-free after set up
• The Sleep Clock tracks your sleep routine too, but can't gauge in-depth biometrics like other sleep trackers

Sunrise simulation

As sunrise alarm clocks go, Hatch undoubtedly does it best. Sure, you can get dupes like the Dreamegg Sunrise Alarm Clock, which I must admit impressed me in testing considering its $59 price tag, but for variety and and quality Hatch is the top dog.

So how does the functionality of the Restore 3 and Sleep Clock compare?

Honestly, if you narrow it down to a sunrise alarm clock's main purpose: to make waking up in the morning easier, the two clocks are on par. It's the additional sleep tracking functionality brought by the Sleep Clock that sets them apart.

I spent last winter with the Restore 3 and this autumn with the Sleep Clock and, sleep tracking aside, I've not noticed a massive difference in features. Both do a great job of simulating a sunrise, gradually flooding my room with light at 5:30am when natural light is absent. I find this helps wake me up more gently so by the time my alarm rings I am not so startled, or indeed frustrated that my night's sleep is over.

The variety of alarm sounds in the Hatch audio library help, too. Waking up to soundtracks like 'Icelandic Valley Morning' and 'Bird Sanctuary' is far more relaxing than the incessant beep of an iPhone alarm.

Sound and light quality of both clocks is strong, and consistent across the wake up features and night time features. Remember, you can play sleep sounds and switch on a sunset simulation on both the Restore 3 and Sleep Clock in the evenings as well.

Sleep tracking

Time to discuss sleep tracking: While the Sleep Clock doesn't go as in-depth as the best sleep trackers on the market (no heart rate, HRV, or blood oxygen readings here), it does track your movement and breathing patterns to deliver your sleep timings and sleep stages.

During testing, I've compared the data the Sleep Clock has given me with that from my Oura Ring 5 (the gold standard in commercial sleep tracking, according to our reviewers) and I'm pleased to report that the data largely matches up, suggesting the Hatch sleep insights are accurate.

Here's a snapshot of said data, and I actually think Oura overestimated my time awake on this particular night.

Hatch's software highlights your sleep patterns across the week to help you identify trends and lifestyle habits that may be hindering (or improving) your rest.

It also plots your intended sleep times against your actual rest, helping you stay accountable to a consistent sleep schedule, and gives you sleep tips too based on your personal data. "When a small adjustment could support your sleep, we'll suggest where to start," states Hatch.

One noticeable difference from other sleep trackers is the lack of sleep score, an intentional move on the part of Hatch ("there are no sleep scores that will cause you to stress rather than rest" they say), but some people may find they prefer having a specific data point to refer to.

Sleep tracking is, of course, absent with the Restore 3, hence it is this feature that could really sway your buying decision here.

Even as a sleep tech reviewer, I do think the less gadgets in the bedroom the better, especially when each one has its own app to connect to, which can become distracting around bedtime and first thing in the morning.

This is the beauty of the Hatch Sleep Clock: it is a screen-free device that wakes you up, monitors your sleep quality, and keeps all your sleep data in one app on your phone.

While the Restore 3 is a brilliant sunrise alarm clock, which will excel at waking you up and sending you to sleep peacefully, I have enjoyed the additional sleep tracking functionality offered by the Sleep Clock. As much as I love my Oura Ring, going to bed completely wearable-free has been liberating.

Hatch Restore 3 vs Hatch Sleep Clock: Which should you buy?

Buy the Hatch Restore 3 if...

✅ You want to spend less: $80 cheaper than the Sleep Clock, the Restore 3 isn't cheap, but it is the more affordable option of the two.

✅ You're not interested in sleep tracking: If you think the sleep tracking functionality would be wasted on you, and you just want help waking up in the mornings, you might as well opt for the cheaper sunrise alarm clock.

✅ You want to quit morning phone use: Once your Restore 3 is set up, you don't really need to use your phone to operate it; whereas with the Sleep Clock you could be tempted to check sleep data first thing in the morning, potentially leading to aimless scrolling.

Buy the Hatch Sleep Clock if...

✅ You want contact-free sleep tracking: Don't like wearing your smartwatch to bed? The Sleep Clock is one of the best value bedside sleep trackers you can buy, and it has the bonus of being a wake-up light, alarm clock, sleep sound machine, and night light, too.

✅ You want to invest in a sleep gadget that does it all: A wake-up light, alarm clock, sleep sound machine, night light, and sleep tracker, the Hatch Sleep Clock is your one-stop purchase to a better sleep routine – and limiting gadgets in the bedroom is always a great shout.

✅ You want to make the most of your Hatch+ subscription: Monthly membership fees are the same for both clocks, so getting core sleep data included in that price, alongside light and audio programmes, seems better value.

Tracking my sleep has been a game-changer for helping me stick to a regular sleep routine, and the sleep tracker I swear by has plunged in price in a new Amazon Prime Day deal. The Fitbit Inspire 3, now £59.99 (was £84.99) at Amazon, comes with 6 months free Premium membership which includes additional features, including a daily readiness score.

While it's the Fitbit Air that ranks highly among the best sleep trackers we've tested, the Inspire 3 is an excellent alternative that I, personally, prefer (I'll dig into why below). Plus, it's the Inspire 3 that has been slashed in price today's Amazon Prime Day sleep deals.

The Inspire 3 boasts an ultra bright screen display, long battery life (10 days per full charge) and reliable sleep and activity tracking. £59.99 doesn't quite match the lowest price we've recorded on this model (that was £49.99 earlier this year), but it's a standout saving in today's sale. Let's take a closer look...

Why the Inspire 3 is the Fitbit I'd buy this Prime Day

I've been wearing Fitbit activity trackers for years and the Inspire 3 is the wearable I swear by for reliable sleep tracking. While my bed and sleep times used to be erratic, I know that a consistent bed and wake time, like the 7:1 sleep rule, can help improve your longevity.

Wearing the Fitbit, with its comfortable, low-profile design and detailed tracking, has helped hold a mirror up to my chaotic routine. The result? I'm going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day.

While it's easy to see the appeal of the newer, screen-free Fitbit Air, I personally prefer having a watch face I can glance at throughout the day for a quick look at my sleep and health stats.

The Inspire 3 has a slightly higher profile than the Air, but it's still incredibly comfortable to wear to bed. And, taking into account today's 29% off deal, it's a more affordable option. (The Fitbit Air isn't on sale and also has an RRP of £84.99.)

The Inspire 3 is laced with sensors that track heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, movement and temperature, which gives you a well-rounded view of your health. The watch face gives you an overview of your stats, but the Google Health app provides a more detailed look at your metrics.

In terms of its sleep tracking, I like to spend a bit of time each morning checking out how long I spent in each sleep stage, how long it took me to fall asleep and how often I woke up at night. All of this builds towards your overall nightly sleep score. I then crosscheck these metrics against the healthy ranges provided in the Google Health app.

This deal includes six months free access to Fitbit Premium, which offers subscribers guided programs to improve your sleep and stick to a regular sleep schedule, as well as a daily readiness score. After the trial period this will cost a monthly fee of £7.99.

Want the latest model and don't mind paying full price?

If you've ditched the nighttime habits that typically ruin sleep — from alcohol to heavy meals and evening exercise — but are still waking up at night, you may be wondering exactly what's going wrong.

Well, those 3 a.m. wakeups may actually be down to your nighttime routine; the period of time you spend winding down before bed.

A good bedtime routine "helps you sleep straight through by training your body clock so you feel sleepy and stay asleep at the same time each night," Dr. Saema Tahir a sleep and pulmonary specialist says.

However, there are a few mistakes you could be making in yours without realizing they're having a detrimental effect on your sleep.

Here, we've spoken to Dr. Tahir, and Dr. Aric Prather, sleep scientist and expert at UCSF and BetterSleep to explore what they are, and how ditching them helps you stay asleep all night.

• Read more: I’m getting 38 minutes more deep sleep a night thanks to this 10-min habit — and it fixed my 3 a.m. wake-ups

4 nighttime routine habits waking you up at night

If you want to sleep through the night, most of us are already familiar with common sleep-destroying habits, such as drinking alcohol or consuming caffeine too late in the day, eating a large, heavy meal.

However, there are other, unexpected mistakes in your nighttime routine that might be keeping you awake at night...

1. Completing one final 'productive' task

Even if your nighttime routine is otherwise gold-standard, you may have allowed a few 'productive' tasks to slip in as the day winds down.

"People have a tendency to squeeze in one more task, to 'complete; the day, but we need an adequate wind down routine to transition to sleep.

"Using that mental energy, which is sometimes paired with stress and anxiety, certainly can delay sleep onset," says Dr. Prather.

In terms of impacting nighttime awakenings, stress and anxiety can increase your baseline cortisol levels, so that when the hormone naturally starts to rise at 3am, levels are high enough to trigger a wakeup.

And, while it can seem like spending the lead-up to bedtime ticking off a few unfinished work tasks could help you sleep more easily, as Dr. Prather points out, "sending that last email" can be counterproductive.

"The content revs your brain up and stressful thoughts linger, dings can nudge you awake later, and the screen light tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime, so you fall asleep later and sleep more lightly."

2. Drinking too much bedtime tea

While a cup of chamomile tea or a Sleepy Girl Mocktail can be a great part of a nighttime routine, your sleep-inducing drinks might actually be negatively impacting your night's rest.

Dr. Tahir explains that "a lot of water right before bed" can "cause one to have to urinate at night often," and research has shown that too much fluid intake can cause nightime wakeups and nocturia (the technical term for needing to pee during the night).

One study found that participants who drank more than 500ml of liquid in the two hours before bedtime experienced lower sleep efficiency, more nighttime wakeups and 100% of them experienced nocturia.

The good news is that this same study found that comparatively, those who drank a moderate (250ml-500ml) or low (less than 250ml) volume of liquid in the two hours before bedtime experienced fewer nighttime awakenings, had higher sleep efficiency and a lower percentage experienced nocturia, with "no significant sleep impairment" between these two groups.

So, you don't need to ditch your fruit tea, tumeric milk or mushroom tea altogether, just be mindful of the volume and even consider, as urologist Dr. Daniel Sadowski previously told us, limiting fluids altogether in the four hours before bedtime.

3. Winding down with the wrong things

"So often, people want some 'me' time before bed, but the activities they engage in may be too activating," Dr. Prather explains.

It might feel relaxing to spend a bit of time online or watching TV, and you may even have justified including it in your nighttime routine, especially if you're not staying up until 2 a.m. scrolling your phone.

"Sure, catching up on the news can be important or checking in your favorite social media feed, but that reward or anxiety, or stress that content can produce, can be detrimental to sleep," Dr. Prather says.

Dr. Ola Otulana previously explained that phone use in particular is mentally stimulating, which can delay the production of melatonin and disrupt your circadian rhythm, leading to restless sleep.

Timing is everything, and the best option is to limit these kind of stimulating activities to before you start your bedtime winddown.

“Turn off news and social media at least an hour before bed,” Dr. Otulana recommended. It's science-backed advice, as one study found that every hour spent on your phone before bed increased the chance of insomia by 59%.

4. Overoptimizing your nighttime routine

Prioritizing your nighttime routine is great, but the growing number of TikTok sleep trends and focus on sleepmaxxing (aiming to perfect sleep by focusing on often elaborate bedtime routines, hacks and sleep tracking) means some of us may be overengineering our pre-bed regimen.

"With the growing focus on optimizing sleep, some people have complicated, intensive routines. This can put a lot of pressure on the sleeper when things don’t go to plan," says Dr. Prather.

In fact, becoming overly focused on the 'perfect' sleep can even lead to orthosomnia, which researchers describe as "obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep metrics based on fitness tracker or mobile phone app data."

Sleep tracking can be a helpful way to understand how you're sleeping and look at ways to improve it, which may even involve adjusting your bedtime routine.

However, as Dr. Prather points out, you don't have to take your windown rituals to the extreme.

"Our bodies crave predictability, and they don’t require elaborate protocols. What often works is to keep it simple, do relaxing things, and do them consistently," he says.

What to do before bed to sleep through the night

A great nighttime routine doesn't have to include dozens of steps — these are simple ways to help you wind down and sleep well.

Ensure your bedroom is sleep-friendly before bed

The foundation of great sleep is making sure you have the best mattress for your sleep style, but outside of that, Dr. Tahir has some other tips for how to prepare your sleep space in the lead up to bed.

"Keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool (around 60–68°F/15.6-20°C), since heat, light, and noise fragment sleep," she says.

If that feels a little cool, one study found that 65 to 70 F (18 to 21 °C) is the ideal temperature range for sleep. On the flip side, if you're a naturally hot sleeper, you might want to consider cooling bedding or even investing in one of the best cooling mattresses as well as keeping your bedroom cool.

Dimming the lights in your bedroom during your nighttime routine and using a light-blocking eye mask in bed can be helpful, as can sleep headphones (which you can even wear during your wind down).

Take a warm bath or shower

While the idea of getting warmer before bedttime might seem at odds with the above advice of creating a cool environment in your sleep space, it's actually surprisingly effective.

Dr. Tahir explains that a "warm bath [before bed] helps by nudging your body temperature down, the signal your body uses to drop into deep sleep."

After heating in the bath (or alternatively, the shower), our bodies experience a drop in core temperature that naturally happens before sleep, helping our brains and bodies recognize that it's time to rest.

In fact, a review of studies found that the ideal temperature for a warm bath or shower ahead of bedtime to improve sleep quality and sleep efficiency was in the range of 104 °F to 108.5 °F/40-42.5 °C and to help you fall asleep faster, it should be taken 1-2 hours before going to sleep.

Swap work for calming activities

When it comes to the best activities for a nighttime routine, Dr. Prather suggests "putting the work away, doing calming and sleep supportive activities — like reading, or doing a meditation, or spending time with loved ones (including pets!)."

"These types of positive, calming behaviors can help transition the body and brain to sleep," he explains.

One study found that reading for as little as six minutes before bed can reduce stress by 68%, while another study found that sleep quality was improved by reading a book in bed.

Sleep meditation can also be hugely beneficial, "Several studies have found that guided meditation programs can improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms," Dr. Leah Kaylor previously explained.

Alternatively, you could opt for gentle stretching, journaling or listening to relaxing music.

"Doing the same calming things nightly... lowers the stress and stimulation that jolt people awake in the middle of the night," says Dr. Tahir.

How quickly can you expect to see improvements in your sleep?

Both experts we spoke to said that making positive changes to your nighttime routine can potentially improve your rest quite quickly, but that lasting change to the quality of your sleep takes time.

"Sleep is a dynamic process, and the journey to enacting meaningful sleep changes is much the same. Establishing a bedtime routine can take some tinkering but likely something that can become anchored within a few nights" Dr. Prather says, suggesting a sleep diary to keep track of what is working well.

"Also, it’s really important to recognize that extra pressure on making sleep perfect is part of the problem," he adds.

"Bigger, lasting change usually takes a few weeks, with real improvement often showing up around the one-month mark and building from there. The key is consistency over time, not one perfect night," says Dr. Tahir.

However, as Dr. Prather explains, "If someone regularly wakes up throughout the night, consistently wakes very early, or feels exhausted despite getting enough time in bed, it's worth looking beyond their nighttime routine."

He points out that persistent sleep disruption can have many different causes, "and sometimes the answer isn't another sleep hack – it's talking to a healthcare professional or sleep specialist."

We've all experienced that bleary-eyed panic of suddenly waking up and thinking you've missed your alarm — only to discover that it's 5 a.m. and you don't need to get up until another two hours.

But for the past few weeks I've waking up hours before my sunrise alarm most mornings, usually between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., leaving me crawling through each day in an exhausted fog.

I was at a loss as to why this kept happening, until a new study revealed the culprit. Here's the surprisingly small thing that kept waking me up way too early, plus the cheap, easy fix that helps me stay asleep all night.

Key takeaways from the new study:

• Researchers at Tulane University have found that light exposure (over 3 lux) from electronic products such as chargers and stand-by lights can cause shorter, disrupted sleep and body clock changes.
• People with the brightest bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night (6.9 hours) compared to people who slept in total darkness (7.7 hours).
• This shorter sleep duration can change the way the heart functions, leading to cardiovascular damage over time.
• To limit nighttime light exposure, experts recommend covering lights from electronics with LED light-blocking stickers, using blackout curtains, and wearing eye masks.

Why I kept waking up hours before my alarm

According to a new study conducted by researchers at Tulane University, exposure to light at night can shorten our overall sleep duration.

This reduced sleep duration over a long period of time can lead to impaired heart health, say scientists — and 50% of that cardiovascular damage is caused by light exposure cutting sleep prematurely short.

The study also found that people with the brightest bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night (6.9 hours) compared to people who slept in total darkness (7.7 hours).

When I first read the results of this study, I found them fascinating — but couldn't see how they were applicable to me. After all, I keep my blinds closed, I don't use a night light, and I put my phone on Sleep Mode so my phone doesn't light up with notifications throughout the night.

However, when I found myself waking up at 5 a.m. again, I looked around the room and spotted the culprit: the light from my laptop charger, making my room look as if it were bathed in blue light.

I must not have spotted the charger's glow when I first turned off the bedroom light, but I could now see the charger light's full disruptive impact once my eyes adjusted to the dark.

How does bedroom light affect sleep and health?

The same study also found that the cardiovascular damage caused by nocturnal light exposure also stems directly from the artificial light disrupting the body's circadian rhythm.

However, the main ramification of light exposure remains shorter sleep, with exposure to light at night (>3 lux) suppresses melatonin, resulting in shorter sleep duration which in turn leads to "cardiac remodelling".

“This is the first study of its kind, and it shows that exposure to higher levels of light at nighttime is linked to cardiac remodelling," says Professor Lu Qi, who led the groundbreaking study.

"Cardiac remodelling" is where the structure and function of the heart changes in response to stress.

"It’s our body’s way of adapting to that stress, but ultimately it weakens the heart and can lead to heart failure.," explains Professor Li.

Of course, this isn't the first piece of research to examine how light exposure during sleep can cause nighttime awakenings.

One 2020 study discovered that those living with heavy light pollution tend to get much less sleep, while a 2021 study found that sleeping in a room with even a small amount of light elevates heart rate throughout the night and lead to disrupted sleep.

How I fixed my nighttime light exposure with this genius $5 product

Fortunately, the study's accompanying editorial provides some guidance on combating nighttime light exposure, and it's pretty simple.

"The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics," writes Professor Thomas Münzel in the commentary.

So, the first thing I did was order something that would block the charging light on electronics. I stumbled upon these Light Blocking Stickers, now $4.98 (were $8.99) at Amazon, which promise to dim up to 100% of electronic light.

I was sceptical, but to my surprise, this $5 product effectively blocks light from my computer monitor, laptop charger, and extension lead switch. I simply choose a sticker (they come in various shapes and sizes) that can effectively cover the light source, stick it down, and then the problem is fixed.

Now, my early morning awakenings have come to a halt — just in time to try out the best sunrise alarm clocks.

3 top-rated products to help block out sleep-disrupting light

There's nothing quite like climbing into bed when your sheets are freshly laundered... but wait, what's that horrible smell? If you've ever washed your sheets only to be met with a musty, sour odor when you come to make your bed, you're not alone.

According to experts, the unpleasant, urine-like stench is a result of a common mistake made during the drying process. And, as infection prevention expert Dr. Shanina C. Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC points out, there's a particular fabric that often falls foul to the so-called 'permastink.'

Below, Dr. Knighton digs into why your not-quite dry bed sheets can smell so stinky, plus how to fix it.

• Time for a refresh? Check out our guide to the best bed sheets for our top tested picks.

Why freshly washed bed sheets smell sour

According to Dr. Knighton, the unpleasant smell you sometimes find in your freshly laundered bedding comes from bacteria that multiplies when your sheets haven't quite dried properly.

"Washing removes most soil, but it does not sterilize, so a small number of bacteria survive every cycle," explains Dr. Knighton.

"When sheets sit damp, those survivors have everything they need: moisture, warmth, darkness and food in the form of skin oils, sweat and detergent residue left in the fibers."

Whether they've been sat in the drum of your washing machine too long, hung on the clothes line on a humid day, or were folded and put away prematurely, damp bed sheets become a breeding ground for bacteria.

"As an infection preventionist, I treat damp laundry the same way I treat damp hands," explains Dr. Knighton, research associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. "Both become a medium that picks up and transfers germs far more easily than dry surfaces."

Why storing your sheets makes the problem worse

You probably won't notice the smell at first. But once folded and put away, the bacteria that survived the wash cycle begin to multiply on your not-quite-dry bed sheets — and that's when the unpleasant smell starts to build.

"Folding and storing damp sheets makes the problem worse because the layers hold moisture against each other and airflow drops to nearly zero," says Dr. Knighton.

"The smell you notice later comes from the waste products of bacteria that have been feeding and multiplying on the fabric the entire time it sat damp."

But why do my bed sheets smell of pee?

To me, the smell of damp bed sheets has a particularly unpleasant stench, almost like urine. And according Dr. Knighton, there's a very good reason for that.

"The sour smell many know well from an overused towel or washcloth and the mal-odor in laundry share the same source: Moraxella osloensis, a bacterium that lives harmlessly on human skin.

"Your nose is not wrong about the urine note. As bacteria break down sweat and skin waste on bedding, they can release ammonia and the compound they produce sits in the same odor family as urine and stale sweat."

How to get your stinky sheets back to their fresh best

Unfortunately, fixing the problem of your smelly sheets isn't as simple as sticking them back in the wash. Once the bacteria sets in, it can be difficult to shift.

"This bacterium is hard to get rid of since it withstands drying, ultraviolet light and even some antimicrobial laundry additives," explains Dr. Knighton.

Below, the doctor shares her top tips to getting your musty bed sheets back to their fresh best, as well as avoiding the issue again.

Clean your washing machine

Before you attempt to re-wash your sheets, clean the washing machine itself. If the bacteria lives in your machine, washing your sheets again will only perpetuate the problem.

"If your washer does not have a self-cleaning option you should run an empty cycle with a washing machine cleaner or vinegar," says Dr. Knighton.

"Wipe the door gasket and leave the door and detergent drawer open between loads. Front load machines are notorious for harboring odor-causing bacteria in the gasket."

If possible, launder sheets at a higher temp

Next, wash your sheets in "the warmest water the fabric can tolerate, ideally 130 degrees Fahrenheit or above for cotton sheets, since cool and cold cycles leave more bacteria behind," says Dr. Knighton.

However, always check the care label first. If a higher temperature isn't an option, rinsing with one cup of white vinegar or baking soda can also work to break down the residue feeding the bacteria, advises Dr. Knighton.

Ditch the fabric softener

If your bed sheets smell bad, you might be tempted to be heavy handed with the fabric softener in order to mask the smell — don't, warns Dr. Knighton.

"Skip fabric softener on this recovery wash, because softener coats fibers and can trap residue and odor," the infection prevention specialist explains.

Dry thoroughly (then dry some more)

"Once the cycle ends, move the sheets to the dryer or the line immediately and do not fold them until every part is bone dry, including thick seams and the elastic corners on fitted sheets, which hold moisture longest," says Dr. Knighton.

"I tell people to wait for your items to cool. Sometimes they can seem dry when very warm, but when they cool off they may still be damp."

How to avoid running into the same problem again

✅Ventilate your laundry closet: "Linen closets are often the least ventilated space in a home and sometimes share a wall with a bathroom," says Dr. Knighton.

"Leave a little air space between laundry stacks and avoid storing linens in plastic bins that trap moisture."

❌Avoid synthetic fabrics: "Synthetics are prone [to trapping bacteria] and polyester and polyester blends are the worst offenders," says Dr. Knighton.

"Research shows odor compounds and odor-causing bacteria cling to polyester wash after wash, which is why athletic wear develops what researchers call 'permastink.'"

✅If you can, opt for cotton sheets: "Cotton is more forgiving because it releases oils and odors more readily in the wash," says Dr. Knighton. However, be mindful that heavy percale or flannel sheets can take longer to dry.

There’s little that’s more frustrating than being desperate for a good night’s sleep, only to find yourself wide awake at 3 a.m. If you’re feeling stressed, you might find yourself assuming cortisol is to blame.

After all, stress causes cortisol levels to rise in the body and if this disrupts your internal body clock, it can lead to interrupted sleep. But, it's not the only cause of nighttime wake-ups.

We’ve spoken to Dr. Shelby Harris, behavioral sleep medicine specialist and psychologist with BetterSleep, who has explained that there are actually a number of ways your habits in the lead-up to bedtime might be preventing you from sleeping through the night, from what you consume to how you move.

Plus, we’ve got easy fixes for these ‘bad’ habits that should help you get an uninterrupted rest.

• Read more: I’m getting 38 minutes more deep sleep a night thanks to this 10-min habit — and it fixed my 3 a.m. wake-ups

4 nighttime habits ruining your sleep

What we do before bedtime can significantly impact our sleep and even cause those dreaded 3 a.m. wakeups. Dr. Harris shares the nighttime habits that may be disrupting your sleep and what you can do instead to help you sleep through the night.

1. Drinking alcohol (especially late at night)

"While alcohol can make you feel sleepy initially, it can disrupt the quality of your sleep as it wears off during the night," Dr. Harris says. "This can lead to lighter, more fragmented sleep and more frequent wakeups, especially in the second half of the night.

Research has shown that this is caused by alcohol metabolizing in your body, causing "sympathetic activation, increased arousability, and sleep fragmentation" — which means waking up more often and for longer.

Plus, the effects of alcohol on sleep were found to more noticeable when it was consumed closer to bedtime. And while you may think a glass of wine or two won't hurt your sleep, one 2024 study found that even light consumption of alcohol can impact sleep health.

The fix

"If you’re drinking, try to avoid having alcohol too close to bedtime and drink water alongside it," says Dr. Harris.

Another option is to try one of these five sleep inducing non-alcoholic drinks — including TikTok favorite, the Sleepy Girl Mocktail. With ingredients including tart cherry juice (which contains melatonin) and magnesium powder (magnesium has been linked to better sleep quality), this popular mocktail is doctor-approved.

2. Eating a large or heavy meal too close to bedtime

We've all been there, a busy day pushes your evening meal later. And as the colder weather sets in, it's more likely you'll be swapping light summer dishes for heavier, richer foods.

But that combination can wreak havoc on your sleep. "Going to bed immediately after a large meal can make it harder to sleep comfortably. Digestion can contribute to discomfort or reflux, and particularly rich, spicy, or fatty foods may worsen those issues and potentially disrupt sleep," says Dr. Harris.

Aside from those issues, the activation of digestion and increase in core body temperature that come with eating a big meal can both "delay sleep onset and lead to more nighttime awakenings," clinical psychologist Dr. Leah Kaylor previously explained to us.

One study found that eating within three hours of bedtime was associated with waking up during the night, while another study reported that people who ate or drank within an hour of bedtime with more likely to wake during the night compared to those who didn't eat or drink during that timeframe.

The fix

Dr. Harris advises that, "When possible, aim to finish dinner a few hours before bed. If you're genuinely hungry later, a small, balanced snack is a better option than going to bed overly full."

Our guide to six healthy nighttime snacks to help you sleep better features nutritionist-approved foods such as cherries and almonds, as well as tips on what to skip if you want to sleep well (spoiler alert — chocolate and spicy foods are best avoided).

You might also want to consider adding a little more protein to your diet, as it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is involved in the production of melatonin (the sleepy hormone).

3. Consuming caffeine too late in the day

Dr. Harris explains that "caffeine has a relatively long half-life, meaning some of it can remain in your system for hours after you drink it."

The half-life of caffeine around 4-6 hours, which means it takes that long for your body to metabolize half of what you've consumed. So, drinking coffee, matcha tea or even eating a bar of dark chocolate, too late in the day can mean there's still plenty of caffeine in your system come bedtime.

Plus, new research shows that "even if you can fall asleep after an afternoon coffee, caffeine can reduce sleep quality and contribute to more fragmented sleep for some people," the psychologist explains.

One meta-analysis of research into the effects of caffeine on sleep found that consuming it led to an increase of 12 minutes in time awake after sleep onset (essentially the length time you wake up at night after falling asleep initially), as well as leading to more light sleep and less deep sleep.

The fix

"Instead, you can set a personal caffeine cut off earlier in the day," Dr. Harris suggests.

The research above advised that you should stop consuming caffeine around nine hours before you intend to sleep — for example, a 1pm cut off time if you plan to go to bed at 10pm.

"If you want a warm beverage in the evening, choose something caffeine-free such as herbal tea," the sleep specialist adds. Chamomile tea is a great option, as it has been shown in studies to help improve sleep quality.

4. Exercising too close to bedtime

There's plenty of research to indicate that exercise improves sleep, but as Dr. Harris explains, "intense exercise right before bed can leave your body feeling energized when it should be winding down."

"Exercise temporarily raises your heart rate, body temperature, and alertness, which can make it harder to fall asleep and, for some people, may contribute to waking up during the night," she says.

One small study found that intense aerobic exercise in the evening led to participants experiencing sleep issues, including increasing the time it took to fall asleep and the number of nighttime awakenings.

And, a meta-analysis of research into morning vs. evening exercise found that workouts in the evening or at nighttime were associated with waking up more at night.

The fix

"If you prefer exercising at night, gentler activities like stretching, walking, or yoga may be less disruptive," advises Dr. Harris.

Certain gentle exercise might even help prevent nighttime wakeups. A review of studies found that yoga, walking and Tai Chi were among the most effective at improving sleep for those with insomnia.

Alternatively, these seven stretches to do before bed include simple poses like a forward fold and child's pose, and can help relax you by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. They shouldn't cause any sleep disruptions!

How important are healthy habits in the lead-up to bedtime?

We've explored the nighttime habits that can be disruptive for sleep, but Dr. Harris explains that "healthy habits in the hours before bedtime play an important role in helping you sleep through the night."

"Sleep depends not only on how tired you are but also on your stress levels, evening routines, and environment," she adds.

The sleep expert suggests sticking to a consistent bedtime, making sure you have a relaxing nighttime routine to allow you to wind down, and limiting activities that will stimulate your brain (think scrolling on your phone or staying up late watching TV). These are all effective ways to signal to your body that it's time to rest.

And though she notes that healthy habits can't prevent nighttime wakeups altogether, "they can support more restful, uninterrupted sleep by making it easier to fall asleep and return to sleep if you do wake up."

How to tell if it is cortisol waking you up at night

If you're not sure whether cortisol is behind your nighttime awakenings, it may be useful to understand how stress impacts cortisol in the body.

Dr. Harris explains that stress "can interfere with sleep by activating the body's stress response, which involves hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline," adding that the brain stays more alert when we're stressed, which makes it harder to maintain the deeper, restorative stages of sleep.

"Although cortisol naturally fluctuates throughout the day and is generally lower at night, ongoing stress can disrupt these patterns and contribute to nighttime awakenings," she says.

As Tom's Guide sleep editor Nicola Appleton recently discovered, cortisol naturally rises from about 3 a.m. as part of our normal circadian rhythm, but if stress has raised your cortisol levels above a typical baseline level, this increase can actually wake you up.

While Dr. Harris says "it can be difficult to determine whether stress or cortisol directly causes nighttime awakenings," she adds that there are patterns people might notice that can suggest stress is contributing to disrupted sleep.

These include waking up with racing thoughts, feeling mentally alert despite being tired, experiencing muscle tension, or noticing that your heart is beating faster than usual. The psychologist adds that "consistently waking up during particularly stressful periods, such as before a major deadline or during a difficult life event, can also be a clue."

However, she points out that waking up at night can also be caused by "uncomfortable sleep environment, alcohol, caffeine, medications, or underlying sleep conditions, so these symptoms alone do not confirm that cortisol is the cause."

Here are Dr. Harris' tips for helping to prevent stress — and therefore cortisol — waking you up at night:

• "Establish a calming, consistent wind-down routine before bed. People can set aside 30 to 60 minutes to transition away from work, limit stimulating screen time, practice deep breathing or gentle stretching, and write down worries or next-day tasks to help clear their minds."
• "Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and creating a cool, dark, and comfortable bedroom can also support more restful sleep."
• "If someone wakes up with racing thoughts, instead of checking the clock or getting frustrated about being awake, they can try slow, steady breathing and gently redirect their attention to the present moment."

As someone who washes their bedding every week, I was surprised to find a yellow pillow stain on laundry day — but I was even more surprised that my nightly dose of retinol was to blame. Yes, the skincare staple is notorious for leaving yellow or orange patches, which is why it's already discolored my almost-new pillow.

Luckily, you can remove a retinol pillow stain as quickly as it forms. After trying a host of viral cleaning methods, I discovered this one-ingredient pre-soak is all you need. A $1 medicine cabinet essential has eliminated the ugly yellow ring left by my skincare routine, restoring my pillow to factory-condition white.

Here's the simple one-ingredient pre-wash that removed retinol stains from my pillow, plus the steps I'm taking to prevent my pillow from turning yellow again.

Retinol stains and the simple pre-wash ingredient that lifts them

Many things can leave yellow stains on pillows, but these unwanted blemishes all boil down to two things: moisture and oil.

Over time, oil and moisture build-up can leave older pillows covered in yellow stains. A retinol mark, on the other hand, can appear quickly, usually as a single yellow or orange patch where your face rests against the pillow.

That's why my Helix Down and Feather Pillow, which I've only been using for a few months, is bright white expect for a small yellow ring on the right-hand side. (Exactly where my cheek sits, as a side sleeper who sleeps on my left side).

Recently I tried viral pillow cleaning methods to remove deep-set yellow stains from old pillows. And when I say "deep-set" and "yellowed", I mean it was near-impossible to tell what the pillows' original colors were.

After trying these stain-removing techniques — from lemons to dollops of shaving foam — one was the clear winner for restoring yellow stains to bright white: the 3% hydrogen peroxide pre-wash.

To use hydrogen peroxide as a safe cleaner, always use a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, avoid mixing it with other chemicals, and protect hands with gloves. As hydrogen peroxide has a mild bleaching effect, avoid using on dark-colored fabrics and delicate materials such as silk, wool and cashmere.

The hydrogen peroxide pre-soak was the only method that brought the grubby discolored pillows back to mint condition. Trying the method on a small, retinol-induced patch was a no-brainer.

And following this simple pre-wash lifted the yellow ring of retinol and restored my pillow to bright white. Here's what you need to do...

How I used hydrogen peroxide to lift retinol yellow pillow stains

As retinol stains tend to form in small, concentrated patches rather than all over the pillow, I poured a small amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide onto a light-colored cloth and dabbed it on the yellow pillow stain. I then let it sit for 30 minutes. I then worked the hydrogen peroxide into the pillow with an old toothbrush.

Following the care label, I placed the pillow into the washing machine on a standard cycle. Once I took the pillow out of the washing machine, I blotted excess water with a towel and made sure it was thoroughly dry by placing it in the dryer on a cool setting.

If your pillow is discolored or has more than one retinol stain, you can spray the 3% hydrogen peroxide all over. Here's a quick demo on how the pillow-cleaning hack works:

And here's a satisfying look at the retinol stain before and after I gave it the hydrogen peroxide treatment:

What you'll need to keep retinol pillow stains at bay

How I'm stopping retinol pillow stains from now on

While the hydrogen peroxide prewash is a simple, low-effort cleaning method, I don't want to add it to my weekly cleaning schedule. After all, while sheets should be washed every week, a pillow deep clean should be scheduled every three to six months. I'm worried frequent hydrogen peroxide applications might start wearing down the fabric.

To keep my pillows fresh and protect them against the oily residue of retinol, I've invested in a zip-up pillow protector. Used under my pillowcases, the protector provides an extra layer of safeguarding and is slightly thicker than my lightweight cotton and silk sheet sets.

Eight Sleep has today launched its new Pod 6 smart mattress cover, priced from $1,999 /£1,799 at Eight Sleep. Pod 6 is designed with 20% faster cooling, nine times more sensors for precise biometric tracking, and a streamlined Hub. It’s the first Pod to come in a twin / single size, opening up the brand’s next-gen wellness technology to solo sleepers for the first time.

Eight Sleep has also filed for FDA clearance for sleep apnea detection and mitigation.

"Our mission is to fuel human potential through optimal sleep. Pod 6 is the strongest expression of that mission so far," says Matteo Franceschetti, Co-founder & CEO at Eight Sleep.

I’ve been testing sleep tech for several years across T3, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide, and I’m hyped about Pod 6. If it can deliver on these new features (we’ve requested a review sample), then the Eight Sleep Pod 6 will break new ground in making lab-grade sleep optimization – tech that’s normally the reserve of million dollar longevity influencers – accessible to everyday people.

I recently spoke to Eight Sleep about the new Pod 6, its redesigned thermal engine, increased sensor count, sleep apnea detection capabilities and more. Here’s what I discovered…

• Read more: We test the Personal Comfort Rejuvenate mattress review, an exceptional dual-zone comfort for couples with one fatal flaw

Eight Sleep Pod 6 highlights

• 20% faster thermal response: Redesigned Thermoelectric Coolers deliver 550W of power per side to clear night sweats and hot flashes faster.
• 9x sensor density: The Cover jumps from 2 to 18 embedded sensors to isolate your biometrics from partners, kids, or pets.
• 50% smaller under-bed Hub: Re-engineered with an integrated "bottomless" water reservoir so it slides directly under standard bed frames.
• New 'Solo' sizes from $1,999 / £1,799: Single-sized covers allow solo sleepers or one partner in a couple to access Pod tech at Eight Sleep’s lowest price point yet.
• Zippable expansion: Two Solo covers can zip together later without requiring a second Hub.
• FDA clearance filed for sleep apnea: Hardware is built to support contactless sleep apnea detection and mitigation (pending FDA and Abu Dhabi HTA approval).
• Replaces Pod 5: Pod 6 completely replaces the previous generation across 37 launch countries.
• Biological age tracking: Uses overnight cardiovascular metrics (HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep quality trends) to calculate your body's age when sleeping compared to your chronological age.
• Autopilot 4.0 AI engine: Learns your sleep patterns over time and factors in real-time room temperature, local weather, and daily activity, etc. to automatically micro-adjust the Cover's temperature to help you sleep better.
• Pregnancy mode: Tailors thermal regulation and biometric tracking to discomfort and overheating related to pregnancy.

The Pod 6 cools 20% faster than previous generations

The promise of significantly faster cooling is music to my ears – overheating is the biggest cause of my middle-of-the-night wake-ups and I’d do anything to eliminate it.

But what does ‘20% faster cooling and heating’ actually mean? “The 20% figure is measured against Pod 5, our previous generation, under the same test conditions,” a spokesperson for Eight Sleep told me.

“Pod 6 is powered by a redesigned thermal engine with more heat-pumping power per side (550 Watts of cooling/heating power vs. 400 Watts on Pod 5) and a more efficient heatsink.

“The heatsink was shaped to move more air with less resistance, then tuned in an anechoic chamber to eliminate stray tones, so the extra output comes with minimal noise even at peak.”

In practice that means the Pod 6 Cover reaches a target temperature – for example when Autopilot reacts to a hot flash or night sweat – about 20% sooner than Pod 5 did. The temperature range (how much you can cool it down or heat it up) is 55.4°F to 109.4°F / 13°C to 43°C on each side.

• Read more: 'You don't need a ring or a band to tell you your sleep was terrible' QALO's new smart band delivers non-stop tracking for better sleep

An 18 biometric sensor array increases spatial coverage of where you sleep

The Pod 6 also sports 18 sensors per cover (nine embedded on each side), as opposed to one sensor on each side of the Cover used in previous versions. In theory this should deliver more precise biometric tracking.

These non-wearable sensors capture the same data of the Pod 5 – clinical-grade biometric sensing of heart rate, HRV, breathing rate, movement and sleep stages – but with nine times more sensors, the spatial coverage of your sleep surface should be far better.

Some smart beds I’ve tested suffer from a similar fatal flaw: data interference from the person sleeping next to you.

My husband is constantly on the move while sleeping, and my four year old son is a bedhog when he climbs in next to me. I’ll be fascinated to see how the higher amount of sensors on the Pod 6 Cover handle separating my biometric data from my son’s, for example, and whether it really can maintain a cleaner feed.

“Readings stay attributed to the right person no matter how close you sleep to your partner, if you move around during the night, or if kids or pets climb in,” Eight Sleep told me.

“That cleaner signal feeds Autopilot 4.0, which uses biometrics plus connected fitness data and in-app tags to make personalized temperature adjustments.”

FDA clearance filed for sleep apnea detection

According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea affects roughly one billion people globally, leading to a continuous cycle of broken sleep and deep daytime fatigue.

Some of us may have it without realizing, and in the last few years I’ve seen an increased number of wearables (Apple Watch, Oura Ring, Withings Sleep Analyzer) baking in sleep apnea detection. The Eight Sleep Pod 6 hopes to join their ranks soon.

“We've filed for FDA clearance in the U.S. for sleep apnea detection and mitigation, and we're pursuing equivalent clearance in Abu Dhabi as well,” Eight Sleep told me.

“Sleep apnea affects an enormous number of people who don't even know they have it, and we think the Pod is uniquely positioned to help with that, since it's already tracking breathing patterns and respiratory rate every night, contactlessly.”

How the Pod 6 delivers sleep apnea detection and mitigation is something Eight Sleep will share more on once they are further along in the clearance process.

“What we can say is that Pod 6's sensor upgrade, nine times more sensors than before, was built with this kind of medical-grade accuracy in mind, so the hardware is designed to support where we're headed.”

That’s reassuring, as the Pod 6 is expensive enough without having to shell out for hardware upgrades further down the line.

A smaller, slimmer central Hub to fit under beds

The Hub has been redesigned by product designer Joe Tan, and is now slim enough to fit under a wide range of bed frames. But shrinking the Hub by half while increasing its thermal performance by 20% is a massive engineering hurdle.

So I was curious as to how Eight Sleep’s engineering team handled heat dissipation and airflow in a cramped under-bed zone where dust and low air movement are common.

“The Hub went from roughly 25,200 cm³ (40.6 cm × 40.6 cm × 15.2 cm) on Pod 5 to 13,860 cm³ (42 cm × 20 cm × 16.5 cm) on Pod 6 — about 50% less volume, low enough to fit under most bed frames,” a spokesperson for Eight Sleep told Tom’s Guide.

“Two design changes made that possible while increasing output: We replaced the removable water-tank fill system with an integrated, ‘bottomless’ reservoir, which removed a large chunk of internal volume."

Secondly, the team redesigned the heatsink and airflow path fin by fin: “it moves more air with less resistance, meaning a smaller package dissipates more heat. The whole assembly was acoustically tuned in an anechoic chamber, so higher airflow doesn't translate to more noise.”

Bringing Eight Sleep to the Scandi Sleep Method crowd

Sleep divorces are still rife, with many couples carving up their beds and splitting bedding in an effort to sleep better – just the way they like it.

I tried the Scandi Sleep Method with my blanket-hogging husband, and it helped us both sleep more peacefully at night.

Having a twin / single size Pod 6 available is excellent for solo sleepers, but also bedsharers where one person wants and needs sleep optimization tech but the other doesn’t.

According to Eight Sleep, the decision to launch a twin/single size was driven by two groups already in the brand’s member base and ‘inbound requests’.

“First, couples where only one partner wants the Pod... Second, people sleeping on Twin / Twin XL (single / individual in other regions) beds — smaller bedrooms, teenagers, dorms — who were previously outside our size range.

“Solo is the same Pod 6 technology (same cooling/heating, same biometric tracking) in a footprint for one sleeper, and it lets us launch Pod 6 at our lowest starting price yet ($1,999 vs. $2,799 for Pod 5)."

And if your partner gets jealous of your smart cover, they can purchase their own solo Pod 6 later and zip both covers together.

If you’re like me, you’ll be wary of sticking anything on top of your mattress for fear of it moving around, pinging off at the corners, and shifting underneath you in the night.

Eight Sleep has thought of this too: “The Pod comes with a strap system that secures it to the mattress, so it stays anchored in place and won't slip or shift during the night, even with movement."

But surely it will create a ridge in the middle of the bed? “Since the Solo Cover is built to the same height and thickness specs as our Standard Cover, when it's placed on one side of a shared mattress, there isn't a noticeable step up or down between the Pod side and the bare mattress side. It's designed to feel seamless whether you're using one side or two.”

Where to buy the Eight Sleep Pod 6

The Pod 6 Pod is built on more than a decade of sleep research by the company, with five previous models paving the way for this latest smart cover system.

It’s backed by more than 50 clinical studies, and is used by pro athletes, entrepreneurs and wellness influencers around the globe.

If you fancy trying it out for yourself, the Pod 6 is available to buy as of today priced from $1,999 / £1,799 at Eight Sleep.

You will also need to purchase an Autopilot Membership – Eight Sleep's software that tracks biometrics and automatically adjusts temperature, elevation, and sound throughout the night.

Autopilot membership covers two individual sleepers per account and is available in three tiers: Standard, Enhanced, and Elite (this top tier membership adds advanced well-being, cardiovascular, and respiratory monitoring).

Length of warranty is tied to the level of Autopilot membership you purchase, and range from two to five years.

From a luxury bed stuffed with horse hair to a Goop-approved $60,000 mattress, I've covered many organic sleep launches over the last three years that have left me scratching my head in amazement. But the new Pine & Pillow Candle, now $26.99 at Naturepedic, is a release that makes perfect sense to me.

After all, Fall is upon us, and nothing will get me into the cozy, autumnal spirit more than a candle that Naturepedic describes as "warm" and "woodsy".

Plus, for health-conscious shoppers, the non-toxic Pine & Pillow Candle sits in a sustainable amber glass jar and is made from pure beeswax and coconut oil. It also uses FSC-certified cherry wood for its wick.

The Pine & Pillow is the first candle to be launched by Naturpedic, a brand more well known for luxury organic mattresses than aromatherapy, in collaboration with luxury candlemaker Fontana.

While lavender tends to be the default scent for sleep accessories like pillow mists, the Pine & Pillow Candle's notes include black pine, black spruce, ho wood, and vanilla.

Now, I know what you're thinking: Where on earth is the French lavender oil?

"We didn’t choose fragrance notes simply because they appeared on a list of 'sleep-inducing' scents," says Emily Prawda Weiss, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Naturepedic. "We tried to create something people would genuinely look forward to lighting at the end of the day — something warm, comforting, and familiar."

While that sounds heavenly to me, I also asked Dr. Tim Mercer, and Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep Science at retailer MattressOnline, to explain the sleep-promoting effects of different scents and whether the Pine & Pillow Candle's notes can really help you wind down for sleep. Here’s their verdict…

Calm racing thoughts with fresh forest scents

Before we delve into whether the green, earthy scents of the Pine & Pillow will promote relaxation, Shore wants us to know what there is no universal sleep scent.

“There is no real research as to a specific scent that will help everyone sleep better," she says. "The scents that evoke calmness in you can help promote relaxation, with chamomile, lavender, and other natural plants being the most common.

"However, if you do not enjoy these scents or they do not evoke calmness in you, then relaxation will not happen," she adds.

According to Dr. Mercer, woody scents, such as the ones found in the Pine & Pillow Candle, are often linked to "nature, clean air, and open spaces".

"This can make the environment feel fresher and more tranquil, which is particularly useful when you’re trying to leave behind the mental clutter of a busy day," says the holistic health care expert.

Dr. Mercer adds that scents like pine and ho wood have a "grounding" quality that "encourages you to slow down, relax your body and prepare for a restul night.

"The crisp quality of pine can also create a sense of freshness in the room, helping to make the bedroom feel clean, airy and peaceful rather than stuffy or overstimulating," he tells me.

Add winter warmth with comforting vanilla

In contrast to the earthy, green notes of pine and black spruce, vanilla is considered a smooth, gourmand scent. And its sweet fragrance can be a source of comfort and take you to different places, according to Shore.

“For example, the scent of coffee and toast is mainly related to breakfast, which can make you feel like you get up and get ready for the day," says the sleep researcher. "If you see vanilla as a calming scent, then this could help you relax, in turn helping you fall asleep easier.

"However, if you smell vanilla and it makes you think of sweet treats, promoting excitement, then this is less likely to make you feel relaxed and therefore will not help you fall asleep.”

According to Dr. Mercer, most people associate the soft aroma of vanilla with "warmth, relaxation, and home comforts.

"Introducing this type of scent as you begin winding down can help create a clear transition between the busyness of the day and getting ready for sleep," he explains. "Over time, using the same calming scent can help build a familiar association with relaxation, making it easier to mentally switch off and settle into bed.”

Where to buy the Naturepedic Pine & Pillow candle

If the clean, refreshing scent of pine and the sweet, comforting aroma of vanilla sound like a relaxing match to you, then the good news is that, right from today, the Pine & Pillow Candle is available to buy for $26.99 at Naturepedic. The candle is non-returnable, and shipping is free.

After looking at its ingredient list and eco credentials, the Pine & Pillow Candle is something I look forward to trying out. (And you best believe I'm first in line; my eyes are glued to my inbox for shipping info.) Considering the glowing reviews we've given to Naturepedic's mattresses over the years, my expectations are sky high for this candle.

"We spend about a third of our lives in bed, and that's why we believe the bedroom is one of the most important places to be intentional about materials and ingredients," says Naturepedic’s Prawda Weiss. "The Pine & Pillow Candle is one example of that belief in practice."

Waking up at 3 a.m. is a recurring sleep problem I can’t seem to shake. Just when I think I’ve kicked the problem for good, I find myself wide awake in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep again.

Exhausted and frustrated, I sought the advice of Dr. Aric Prather, a world-renowned sleep expert and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He instantly identified a key new mistake I’m making in the lead up to bedtime and explained how it could be causing my new wave of middle insomnia (3 a.m. wake-ups).

Here's what Dr. Prather, a published author, discovered, and why he recommends a 'two-hour digital buffer' at bedtime to reduce my chances of waking up at 3 a.m. and feeling exhausted the night day.

My key mistake

The quiet hours in the lead up to bedtime is usually an opportunity for me to catch up on unfinished work. Then I can climb into bed with one less thing to worry about.

But according to Dr. Prather, a sleep expert at BetterSleep, that's my big mistake. And it could be a driver for why I'm waking up at 3 a.m. again. “Working outside of normal hours can be detrimental to sleep when it becomes a regular habit.”

• Research shows that working outside of work hours is associated with worse sleep quality.
• Also, those who work late experience a larger Cortisol Awake Response (CAR), which can lead to 3 a.m. wake ups.

Evidence shows that engaging our brains in work-related activities — even if for a short time — can make it difficult for our brains to then switch off in order to fall into deep, restorative sleep.

“The issue is the difficulty of mentally transitioning from work to rest. Evening emails, deadlines, and unfinished tasks can keep the brain alert, making it harder to detach psychologically from work before bed.

“This can delay sleep, reduce sleep quality, and contribute to fatigue the following day,” says Dr. Prather.

So, although you might only spend a few minutes responding to work queries, the difficulty is ensuring your brain has enough time to disengage from 'work mode' in order to prepare for sleep.

“Even after you close your laptop, your mind may keep processing work-related concerns, making it harder to get restful sleep,” says Dr. Prather. “This can contribute to nighttime awakenings.

Cortisol rising

And there's science to support that thinking. A small month-long study of 58 employees found that checking emails outside of work hours was associated with worse sleep quality.

The same study also highlighted that those who worked in the run up to bedtime had a larger Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). CAR is a term to describe the natural rise in the hormone cortisol that begins around 3 a.m. and reaches its peak upon waking, helping you to feel alert.

But instead of a natural and steady rise, a larger CAR can indicate a surge of cortisol at 3 a.m., waking you up from sleep. Could checking a few emails really cause that?

"A larger Cortisol Awakening Response may also indicate changes in the body's stress-response system, although it is not, by itself, a definitive measure of poor sleep," says Dr. Prather.

"The best way to understand the connection is to track when you work, when you go to bed, and when you wake up over several weeks," advises the sleep expert. "If the 3 a.m. awakenings consistently follow evenings of work, that pattern is worth taking seriously."

The simple routine change

After tracking my own nighttime routine habits and my 3 a.m. wake ups, there's undoubtedly a clear correlation between the stints I work in the evening and the frequency of my nighttime awakenings.

So, instead of working in the run up to bedtime, I've been implementing a 'two-hour digital buffer' to wind down for better sleep.

Here Dr. Prather explains why it works: "Creating a digital buffer is a great strategy, and setting aside the final 60–120 minutes before bed for non-work activities can make a meaningful difference."

Dr. Prather says that the goal is to give ourselves a meaningful window in which to transition from productivity to rest.

"During that time, I would try to engage in calming activities, such as reading, watching light television, taking a warm shower, stretching, and meditating.

"Basically, you are looking for activities that create a feeling of calm. The specific activities are less important," says Dr. Prather.

It's early days, but swapping emails for analogue activities, such as reading in bed, is already lowering the frequency of the dreaded 3 a.m. wake ups.

Other habits I'm using to stop waking up at 3 a.m.

As we shift through sleep cycles, waking up at night is normal. It happens multiple times a night and we rarely remember it. However, waking up at night becomes an issue when we can't easily fall back to sleep.

As someone on an ongoing journey to improve my sleep, I know there's rarely ever really one simple 'fix' to sleeping better.

In addition to avoiding working late into the evening, these are the habits I try to stick to in order to reduce the frequency of my 3 a.m. wake ups:

• Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule: Your circadian rhythm functions best when you stick to a regular sleep routine, helping you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed.
• A comfortable sleep environment: After years of waking up at night due to an uncomfortable bed, I now sleep on the best mattress for my sleep style.
• Create dark and quiet sleep space: Ambient light and noise pollution can lead to nighttime disturbances. To combat those, I wear a blackout eye mask to bed and pop in my Ozlo 2 sleepbuds to drown out any sound.

I've tested a lot of sleep tech over the last three years, and the Oura Ring 5, from $399 at Amazon, is my favorite gadget overall. This top-rated sleep tracker tells me the ins and outs of my sleep night after night, but that wasn't always the case.

When I first started using the Oura Ring 5, a common rookie error cost me a week's worth of accurate sleep tracking. The good news is that fixing my mistake was easy, and now I'm getting insightful feedback on my sleep quality, duration and quality.

Here's the Oura Ring slip-up I made and what I now do to get lab-accurate sleep tracking each night from my smart ring...

The mistake I made

Caught up in the excitement of getting an Oura Ring 5, I forgot to check if there was a certain way I should be wearing it. I thought placing the ring on my index finger, then heading to bed, would be all I needed to do.

For the first few weeks, I wore both my Oura Ring and my Apple Watch Ultra so that I could compare the data captured. And I soon noticed major sleep score discrepancies between the two wearables...

As it turns out, I'd made a significant mistake.

There is a faint white marking (which feels slightly rougher in texture than the rest of the ring) on the outer side of the Oura Ring. This is an alignment indicator, used to ensure the ring's placement is correct.

The alignment indicator should be positioned on the underside of the hand, so it's placed on top of your palm.

The white marking on My Oura Ring was not aligned with my palm, and that was costing me accurate sleep tracking and leading to poor sleep scores.

How to wear the Oura Ring 5 for lab-accurate sleep data

• The Oura Ring 5 has a faint white mark. This should be used as an alignment indicator for correct wear.
• Wear the ring so that the white alignment indicator is placed on the underside of your hand (so it sits on top of your palm rather than the back of your hand).
• The white alignment indicator is positioned above your palm ensures the most accurate reading because it puts the sensor closer to your skin.
• If the alignment indicator is facing outward, the Oura Ring 5's sensor will lose contact with your skin and lead to inaccurate tracking.
• The shape and sizes of our fingers can fluctuate and cause the Oura Ring's placement to shift. Switching to a larger finger can ensure a snugger fit that won't affect accuracy.
• If you find that your Oura Ring is shifting too much on your dominant hand, switch to a non-dominant hand for less movement.
• Hand-washing and creams can cause the Oura Ring's placement to shift. I recommend taking your Oura ring off for this and putting it back on once your hands are dry.

My fingers are highly sensitive to temperature change, and colder weather or excessive AC can cause my Oura Ring 5 shift, twist, and even slide right off.

I wear my Oura Ring on my index finger the majority of the time, but when it's chillier than usual, I switch to my middle finger as it's naturally larger.

Switching fingers won't cause sleep data inaccuracy, as long as you avoid your thumb and stick to your three digits: index, middle, and ring finger.

Wearing the Oura Ring 5 on your dominant hand can cause the ring to shift as your hand goes through more motions. So, if you feel like your ring is shifting around, simply switch to your non-dominant hand.

The Oura Ring's water-resistant design also means you can perform pretty much any activity while wearing it. However, whether you're taking a bath or washing your face, greasy, creamy lotions can cause your Oura Ring 5 to shift.

I now take my ring off during my night-time routine, allowing my skin to dry off before putting it back on.

3 top-rated sleep tracking smart rings

There’s nothing quite like waking up well rested after a good night’s sleep. That’s why it’s so important to find the right mattress, pillow and everything else for your particular sleep position and that’s where we can help.

From hybrid mattresses for side sleepers to mattress toppers designed to instantly upgrade your existing mattress to pillows, sunrise alarms and more, there are plenty of options when it comes to upgrading your bedroom and your overall sleep experience.

For the Tom’s Guide Awards 2026, our team of experts has tested and reviewed all of the latest mattresses, pillows and other bedding gear. Below, we highlight our favorite mattresses, toppers, pillows and other sleep tech to help you get the rest you deserve as soon as your head hits the pillow.

Best mattress

Saatva Classic

If mattresses were Beatles albums, then the Saatva Classic would be Abbey Road; a perennial classic, perfect from start to finish, and impossible to forget.

For the fifth year running, we’ve crowned this luxury hybrid innerspring the Best Mattress of The Year. It’s comfy for every sleeping position, and so breathable it could keep a snowball cool during a heatwave.

The support is superb too – it feels like getting a gentle back massage every night. I climb into bed most nights feeling crooked from a day bent over my desk working, or playing on the floor with my kid, then I wake up each morning feeling straightened out and pain-free.

We developed a new review methodology last year and the Saatva Classic aced every part of it, becoming the highest-scoring lab-tested mattress we’ve reviewed (it scored a 24 out of 25 in our Saatva Classic review). In 2026, the Saatva Classic is still the epitome of sleep comfort.

— Claire Davies, Managing Editor Sleep

Best mattress in a box

DreamCloud Classic

Good sleep needn’t cost the earth, and the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid is the perfect example of that. This hybrid mattress looks like a 5-star hotel bed, yet the price is more attainable at under $700 for a queen on sale.

At the beginning of this year we retested the newly updated DreamCloud Classic Hybrid and watched it ace several of our tests, from pressure relief to temperature control. It delivers a big wedge of comfort and support for the money, outperforming many luxury beds over four times the price.

This newer version of the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid is a little softer than previous models, so the lighter to average weight side sleepers on our review team love it the most. But honestly? We’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy sleeping on this breathable beauty.

At a point in the economy where many of us are counting every cent, the DreamCloud Classic delivers an excellent performance for the price, once again taking home our award for the year’s Best Mattress In A Box.

— Claire Davies, Managing Editor Sleep

Best hybrid mattress

Saatva Classic

A good hybrid mattress offers the contouring support of a cradling foam mattress with the bounce and responsiveness of an innerspring bed. The Saatva Classic delivers all of this and more, earning its title as the undisputed Best Hybrid Mattress of 2026.

We’ve retested this handcrafted innerspring hybrid twice in the last year alone, and no other mattress comes close. It’s breathable, offers proper lumbar support to ease back pain, and uses high-density foam rails around the perimeter so that you can sleep right up to the edge.

The Saatva Classic is ideal for bedsharing couples and families. It reduces heavy motion transfer while still being responsive enough for you to move around easily without getting wedged in the bed — a rare feat for any hybrid we’ve tested.

With three customizable firmness levels and two height profiles, the Classic adapts seamlessly to most body weights and sleeping styles. Add in a feast of natural and organic materials, and free set-up in your bedroom (they’ll even remove your old bed for free), and it’s easy to see why the Saatva Classic’s knock-out luxury package is yet to be rivalled.

— Claire Davies, Managing Editor Sleep

Best memory foam mattress

Nectar Premier

Currently No 1 in our best memory foam mattress 2026 guide, the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress is designed to both support and cushion back and side sleepers. After sleeping on the Premier for three weeks and putting it through vigorous lab testing, we have to say its design delivers what it promises.

The Premier is great at cushioning our pressure points when side sleeping, but it also kept our hips upright when sleeping on our backs. As for the overheating that memory foam beds can be prone to, the Premier’s cooling cover eliminates this problem and dissipates heat well.

Foam layers mean that a restless partner’s movements won’t travel to your side of the bed, too. Gone are the days when a memory foam mattress meant sleeping on a cheap, stuffy slab of quicksand, and the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress proves it.

— Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Best mattress for side sleepers

Helix Midnight Luxe

We’ve tested and retested the Helix Midnight Luxe multiple times over the past two years and it still offers unparalleled support for those who primarily sleep on their sides, fending off some stiff competition (we’re looking at you, Saatva Classic).

The real star of the show here is the plush pillow top layer, which gently contours around the touch points of the mattress to remove pressure from your shoulders, hips and knees. The result? A superbly comfortable bed that you can stay sleeping on your side all night long.

The Helix Midnight Luxe is undoubtedly the best mattress for side sleepers on the market in 2026. However, it’s also comfortable and supportive for back sleepers, too. Which, for co-sleeping couples with different sleep needs, is a dream.

— Nicola Appleton, Sleep editor

Best mattress topper

Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper

The best mattress toppers should offer a literal slice of a luxury mattress, and the Helix Ergo Align Mattress Topper is a prime example.Premium sleep brand Helix adds enhanced lumbar support to its luxurious hotel-style mattresses with the trademark ErgoAlign Layer.

While Helix mattresses featuring the ErgoAlign upgrade can cost over $2,000 in a queen, a queen-sized Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper boasts this back pain-relieving layer for under $350.

Not only is the ErgoAlign Mattress Topper excellent for those waking up to back pain every morning, but it’s comfortable for all sleep positions and will keep hot sleepers cool, too.

Its cooling cover is made from GlacioTex, a heat-dissipating fabric that’s also found in Helix’s most deluxe mattress models. As tester Alison Barretta summarises in our Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper review, ”No matter your sleep position, the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper will add meaningful support and pressure relief to an older or less-than-perfect mattress.”

— Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Best pillow

Helix Talalay Latex Pillow

With two lofts to choose from and crafted from natural materials, the Helix Talalay Latex Pillow is a responsive (read: bouncy) and naturally cooling pillow which suits practically every type of sleeper. Whether you opt for the low or high loft, the pillow immediately adapts to your new shape with every toss and turn — no plumping required.

Design-wise, it’s simple. Its core is a block of natural Talalay latex, which is known for its temperature regulating properties (that’s great news for hot sleepers). This is wrapped in a quilted and breathable Tencel layer, which you can remove to machine wash.

The Helix Talalay Latex Pillow isn’t a pillow that your head sinks into, like you might with a squishy memory foam pillow. Our lead teaser Ruth Jones describes sleeping on it as “a bit like resting your head on a bounce house...but we mean that in the best way possible.”

— Nicola Appleton, Sleep editor

Best sunrise alarm clock

Hatch Sleep Clock

As one of the best sunrise alarm clocks and a sleep tracker rolled into one sleek package, the Hatch Sleep Clock is one of the most exciting launches of 2026. It’s a sunrise alarm clock which delivers circadian lighting for brighter and easier mornings, while simultaneously tracking your sleep.

Lead tester Ruth Jones took the Hatch Sleep Clock for a spin and loved that she could ditch the health wearables and still get an overview of her sleep. Sleep tracking aside, the Hatch does everything you would expect from a sunrise alarm clock of this pedigree, with a vast library of sounds and light options at your fingertips.

In addition to helping you wake up, it actively helps you drop off, too. We love how you can program your own turndown service to activate on command, which initiates a sunset simulation with lights and sounds of your choosing.

— Nicola Appleton, Sleep editor

Best sleep tracker

Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring 5 was launched this summer, promising more accurate sleep data and a slimmer design than the 4th generation. As we were blown away by the previous model’s sleep tracking, we started testing the Oura Ring 5 as soon as it became available.Three months of testing later, and we’re already convinced it’s the best sleep tracker we’ve tested..

Its improved sensor precision and extended week-long battery life are the new standout features, but we also love its streamlined, stylish build that’s much more comfortable to wear than chunky smart watches.

While the ring itself is screenless, the Oura Ring 5 has an intuitive accompanying app which presents visual breakdowns of sleep duration and stages via easy-to-read charts.

The smart ring also measures sleep debt, nighttime breathing, and heart rate, while the app’s library of bedtime stories and guided meditations is a nice touch beyond key sleep metrics.

— Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Watching your once snow-white pillow develop a multitude of yellow pillow stains is pretty gross – and your bedtime routine and laundry habits are high on the list of culprits for why pillows turn yellow.

From sleeping with wet hair to skipping regular bedding washes, there are five common habits that cause moisture and oils to seep into your pillow where they then oxidize and turn yellow.

The good news? Making a few simple changes to your routine will stop this discolouration from happening in the first place and keep your pillow brilliant white for longer.

Top 5 reasons why your pillows turn yellow

• 1. Sweat and natural body oils – breaks down pillow fibers overnight.
• 2. Going to bed with wet hair – trapped dampness causes bacterial growth and yellowing.
• 3. Skincare and makeup – transfers directly to the pillow, causing yellowing (retinol is notorious for this).
• 4. Not washing your pillow and pillowcases enough – stains set deeper and look more yellow.
• 5. Not replacing your pillows often enough – over time, pillows naturally decay and yellow.

1. Sweat and natural body oils

The two main culprits behind yellow pillow stains are moisture and oil, which we pump out hour by hour when sleeping.

Dr Shamsa Kanwal, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at MyPsoriasisTeam explains it further: "Sweat, natural skin oils, saliva, dead skin cells, and moisture from wet hair gradually soak through the pillowcase and into the pillow, creating that familiar yellow discoloration over time."

All of this oxidizes when exposed to air. And when sweat and sebum react with oxygen, yellow pillow stains form — and overheating while sleeping can make the stains worse.

2. Going to bed with wet hair

I've all been guilty of this one, especially at the end of a long day when I'm tried and desperate to hop into bed.

But going to be with wet or damp hair not only makes your pillow feel soggy, it can also cause excess moisture from your hair to seep through your pillowcase and oxidize just like sweat and saliva does.

The result? Yellow staining on your pillow. If you keep doing this, your pillow will become yellowed regardless of whether you use a pillow protector.

3. Skincare and makeup

From skin-smoothing retinol to plumping overnight lip masks, beauty sleep products are a dream for our skin but a nightmare for our pillows.

Applying these skincare products right before bed means that the products' moisture and oils are still sitting on your skin, ready to transfer down into your pillow.

Same goes for sleeping with your make-up on.

The result? Yep, you guessed it: yellow stains. "Products that have not fully absorbed before bed can transfer onto the pillowcase and eventually seep into the pillow," says Dr Kanwal.

"Rich moisturizers, facial oils, leave-in conditioners, and other oily or pigmented products are more likely to leave residue, especially when combined with sweat and body oils."

4. Not washing your pillow and pillowcases enough

Skipping laundry day can mean that moisture and oils that have accumulated and oxidized on your pillow have a chance to really dig in to the fabric, causing deep staining that's harder to remove.

One survey found that 24% of adults admit to only washing their pillowcases every three to four weeks. While another found that only 15% of people wash their pillows on a regular basis.

To keep your pillow clean, fresh and free of yellow stains, you should aim to wash your pillowcase once a week and wash your pillow monthly. Keep in mind that removing yellow stains from a memory foam pillow requires its own specific method.

5. Not replacing your pillows often enough

If you've noticed that your yellowest pillow is also flat and unsupportive, it's no coincidence – yellow stains are one of the key signs that your pillow needs replacing.

The average lifespan of a pillow is up to two years, but one survey found that only 18% of 2,200 respondents knew this.

Meanwhile, the same study found that the average person keeps their pillow for around 14 months after the recommended time to replace it.

5 ways to stop your pillow turning yellow in the first place

• 1. Wash your pillow every 3 months – regular deep washes prevent sweat and oils from seeping deep down into the fill.
• 2. Use a pillow protector – this fabric barrier stops the majority of moisture and skincare from transferring to your actual pillow
• 3. Apply skincare routine an hour before bed – gives your products time to seep in, so your skin is dry when you lie down on your pillow.
• 4. Use breathable pillowcases – encourages better airflow and less nighttime sweating (a major cause of yellowing).
• 5. Replace your pillow every two years – ensures you're never sleeping on a decaying pillow that's yellow from natural old age.

1. Wash your pillow every 3 months

The first way to prevent your pillows from turning yellow? Start washing them more.

"I would wash pillowcases at least once a week, and more often if you sweat heavily, have oily or acne-prone skin, or use a lot of hair and skincare products," advise Dr Kanwal.

"Many washable pillows can be cleaned every 3 to 6 months, but always follow the care label because foam, latex, feather, and synthetic pillows need different cleaning methods," she adds.

For advice on how to clean your pillow, visit our guide on how to wash a pillow.

2. Use a pillow protector

Along with washing your pillowcases regularly, you can also try adding an extra layer of pillow protection.

"Using a washable pillow protector also helps keep sweat and product residue from reaching the pillow itself," explains Dr Kanwal.

While you can get pillow protectors that act as a pillow encasement, you can also get a waterproof pillow protector for more safeguarding.

3. Apply skincare routine an hour before bed

If skincare is a crucial step in your night-time routine, make sure that you've taken off your make-up and applied any lotions at least an hour before bedtime.

Dr Kanwal says that making skincare the first step of your evening regimen gives the products enough time to be absorbed by your skin and less likely to be absorbed by your pillowcase.

4. Use breathable pillowcases

Sweat is a big cause of yellowed pillows, so the more things you can do to sleep cool and dry the better.

This can mean switching your current pillow with a pillow featuring cooling tech like GlacioTex, or making sure that the fabric of your pillowcase is breathable.

Ditching heat-trapping synthetic bedding material like polyester or satin for naturally cooling, moisture-wicking materials like cotton, bamboo, linen, silk, or Tencel can help limit night sweats and overheating, meaning less discoloration from moisture build-up.

5. Replace your pillow every two years

As surprising as it sounds, I can understand why some people may want to hold onto their ageing yellow-stained pillow. It's comfortable, it's familiar, and if it ain't broke, why fix it?

However, even if you're happy to camouflage the yellow stains with a pillowcase, the truth is that an old pillow that's over two years old and covered in yellow stains needs to be replaced.

Trust me, it's much easier to invest in one of the best pillows every two years than to struggle with allergies, neck pain, and tension headaches from an old, unsupportive yellowed pillow.

Top 3 products to prevent yellow pillow stains

The hottest summer on record has turned my pristine white sheets into a yellowed mess. Even increasing my laundry schedule hasn't been able to banish yellow marks from my white duvet cover.

My first instinct was to grab the chlorine bleach. This strong chemical would effectively remove yellow sweat stains and turn my white sheets sparkling again. However, chlorine bleach is harsh on fabrics as well as stains, and overuse risks wearing holes in your duvet cover. That's even worse than stains.

The solution is a simple soak using a gentler chemical that helps lift stains without hurting the fabric. It returns your duvet cover to the bright white you enjoyed at the start of the summer.

• Too yellow to save? Check out our guide to the best bed sheets for our top tested picks.

Why you should avoid chlorine bleach in your laundry

Yes, chlorine bleach will strip the stains from your sheets. It contains sodium hypochlorite which causes a process known as oxidation. This changes the chemical composition of the stain to make it easier to wash away. It's an effective, albeit harsh, method.

But the stain isn't the only thing chlorine bleach removes. It breaks down dyes (so shouldn't be used on colored fabrics) and over time it can weaken fibers. If you regularly use chlorine bleach in your laundry routine, you might find your bedding begins to deteriorate, leading to holes.

Chlorine beach is also harsh against the skin. We advise always wearing gloves when handling chlorine bleach. And work in a well-ventilated area, as it can irritate the airways as well.

• Read more: My freshly washed bed sheets smelled sour — until an expert pointed out my drying mistake

How to remove yellow sweat stains without chlorine bleach

While oxygen bleach is gentler on the skin than chlorine bleach, we still recommend using gloves while handling it, particularly if you have sensitive skin. We also advice using it in a well ventilated area.

Clean yellow bed sheets with an oxygen bleach soak

When yellow stains are ruining your once-pristine bed sheets, use an oxygen bleach soak. While chlorine bleach relies on sodium hypochlorite to break down stains, oxygen bleach releases oxygen molecules to lift and remove unwanted marks.

It's a gentler oxidation process that leaves your sheets sparkling white without the wear and tear.

To begin, mix a scoop of oxygen bleach into a bath of lukewarm water (Avoid hot water — we'll explain why below). Supercharge your soak with a squirt of dish soap, to help lift any grease stains.

Immerse the duvet cover in the water and mix well. Leave to soak for up to six hours, stirring occasionally.

At the end of the soak, use a soft brush to scrub at any particularly stubborn yellow stains. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and squeeze out excess water.

Finish with a warm cycle in your washing machine

While hot water is best for removing stains caused by dirt or grease, when it comes to yellow sweat stains, it's best to use a cooler wash cycle.

Heat can cause the proteins in sweat to become set in the fabric, making those yellow stains even harder to remove. Cold (or lukewarm) water helps flush out the stain, for sparkling white sheets.

Once you've finished your initial, cooler, wash cycle, inspect your sheets and duvet cover for lingering marks. If you're happy with the white finish, follow-up with a hot cycle. Hot water (140°F / 60°C) is best for removing dust mites and allergens, but always check the care label for the right temperature.

White sheets are a hotel staple for good reason; they look crisp and inviting. And with this wash routine, you can enjoy those sparkling whites for longer.

For me, a good night's sleep lays the foundation for a productive work day. But lately, I've been tossing and turning at night and my sleep quality has taken a direct hit. I had a hunch my pillow might have something to do it, so I decided to perform a simple test that instantly tells you whether your pillow needs replacing or not.