Sleep Aids to Get You Through the Night

Like diet and exercise, sleep is a necessary ingredient for a healthy life. But keeping yourself rested is often easier said than done. Whether you seek 40 winks or a full nights slumber, here are some noteworthy gadgets that may help you get more out of your sleep.

Inspired by Max Wilford, an 8-year-old boy with brain cancer, SuperMax the Turtle is a smaller version of Cloud bs Twilight Turtle, a therapeutic night light for children.Like its larger predecessor, SuperMax projects a starry night sky on the walls and ceiling of a room, helping to ease fear of the dark. And it automatically shuts off after 45 minutes.

Unlike the plush Twilight Turtle, SuperMax is made entirely of plastic, so it is easy to clean and sterilize for day care or hospitals. A portion of SuperMax sales are donated to the MaxLove Project, a nonprofit organization that fights childhood cancer.Most sleep trackers can tell you if youve had a rough night, but you probably already know that when you get up in the morning.

The Up3 from Jawbone goes a step further by analyzing sleep, fitness, diet and environmental data via an app, using the information to make suggestions to improve your nightly habits.For instance, the apps Smart Coach feature might suggest adjusting the light or temperature in the room. (The Up3 that I tested recommended that I stop drinking caffeinated beverages in the evening not particularly novel advice, but a good reminder.

)The tracker has a seven-day battery life, is splash-proof and now comes in four new colors: ruby, indigo, sand and teal.The Aura sleep system from Withings has been out for about a year. A combination of sleep aid and sleep tracker, the system includes a mattress pad sensor and a bedside light and sound base.

But at $300, it is expensive. Perhaps realizing the price alone might cause users to lose sleep, Withings recently decided to offer the bedside base separately.The base, called the Aura Connected Alarm Clock, has no buttons, but it is sensitive to touch.

A tap on the top, for instance, will turn the light on, and a swipe on the side will adjust the brightness.The alarm clock, which is meant to wake a sleeper with light and sound, is programmable through Withingss Health Mate app, which also monitors the bedroom for temperature and noise. Withings also recently announced a partnership with the music service Spotify, giving Aura users access to Spotifys catalog of 30 million songs.

Oregon Scientific describes the DreamScience as a brainwave-oriented sleep companion because the device is supposed to cue specific brainwaves through sound to help induce sleep or rouse a sleeper. The DreamScience has 20 programmable ambient sounds and six mood lights; some of the sounds are infused with synthesized melodies akin to a Tangerine Dream recording.For sleep, the rhythm and volume of the playback gradually reduce, which Oregon Scientific says calms the mind and body.

The DreamSciences analog buttons seem outdated, but the device does offer a wide variety of options for getting to sleep and waking up.The DreamScience comes with an AC adapter or runs on two AA batteries, making it convenient for travel.Studies show that the artificial light emitted from electronic screens can inhibit the brains ability to fall asleep.

For that reason, sleep experts recommend that devices should be turned off before bedtime.But for those who want to check their email one last time before slumber, the amber-tinted eyewear from Gunnar helps reduce eye strain and blocks the blue light from mobile devices.Gunnar has several styles, divided into two categories: office, which has a more traditional look, and gaming, which are designed thinner to fit under headphones.

Gunnars latest style, called Micron, has a thick, black frame and fits comfortably and securely. Prescription lenses are available.Sleep aids are not much use if they annoy your bedmate.

For those who seek a less-distracting solution, consider the 1 Voice Sleep Headphones. The gadget is actually an eye mask made of memory foam covered with plush soft velvet; over-ear headphones are embedded inside.The mask covers a good portion of the face, enveloping the eyes in darkness and the ears in sound.

The memory foam is thick enough that you wont notice the headphones if you sleep on your side.The mask includes an audio cable with a volume control knob, so you dont have to fumble for your mobile device in the dark.