20 products and apps we swear by to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up well-rested

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Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

• If you didn't sleep well the night before, you've probably experienced symptoms like irritability and poor concentration.
• In the long-term, poor sleep quality is also linked to adverse physical health conditions.
• It helps to create a bedtime routine and an optimal environment to fall asleep and stay asleep.
• As I learned from my Insider Reviews colleagues, this environment can include products like a weighted blanket (or its smaller relative, the weighted eye mask), comfortable sleepwear, and a good old-fashioned bedtime story.
• See more: The best mattresses you can buy

Anyone who has ever walked into school or work coming off of a bad night of sleep can understand that rest is critical. It affects your emotional, mental, and physical health and helps you function in everyday life.

Beyond anecdotal examples, research backs this up. Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality affect concentration, memory, and decision-making. They can cause feelings of anxiety, irritability, and impulsiveness (and this effect is worse for younger adults than older adults), and they're also linked to disorders like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

So what's an easy way to fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and have a better night's sleep overall?

"Build a routine," says Dr. Benjamin Smarr, assistant professor at the University of California San Diego who specializes in neuroscience and sleep science and a member of Reverie's Sleep Advisory Board. "Sleep is very complicated and requires many parts of your brain and body to agree. So the more familiar your pre-sleep routine is, the more likely all those parts will line up."

Everyone has their own little tricks to help them achieve this ideal sleeping state, so I asked the rest of the Insider Reviews team to share the products that they've built into their nightly routines.

It's not surprising that many of their essential products are the ones directly related to sleeping: pillows and comforters, for example. Apps and accessories also help our team out, whether they fill the air with soothing scents and sounds or contribute to overall comfort and coziness.

But if you're experiencing serious sleep disturbances that are consistently impacting your life, the following solutions may not be adequate and you should consider consulting a specialist. Dr. Azizi Seixas, an assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine whose research focuses on sleep disparities, says, "If these disturbances occur for longer than a month, then the person should seek professional help. Another sign that suggests immediate intervention is needed is if the person feels physically sick as a result of sleep disturbances."

Here are 20 products and apps the Reviews team uses to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up well-rested:

• A convenient pillow spray you can bring anywhere
• A travel pillow so you can finally fall asleep on your flight
• A fluffy, comfortable bathrobe
• A hybrid pillow
• A 0.5-pound weighted eye mask that can help relieve headaches and sinus pressure
• A stretchy tank top
• A light that slowly dims at night and brightens in the morning to mimic a sunrise
• A good old-fashioned crossword puzzle
• Pajamas that athletes use to recover from workouts
• Incense sticks
• A warm yet breathable comforter that's surprisingly affordable
• The Ambient Noise Alexa skill
• Herbal tea
• A breathable weighted blanket
• An e-reader with adjustable brightness settings
• A white noise app
• A pillow that strikes the balance between down and memory foam
• Micromodal lounge pants
• A reading app

This list includes a Sponsored Product that has been suggested by Tempur-Pedic. It also meets our editorial criteria in terms of quality and value.*

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