Written by Maisie Bygraves on Jan 3, 2022.
Scientifically fact checked by Kokoon.
Finding the perfect gift for someone who struggles with sleep can be tricky. You’re probably aware that they want/need help with their sleep, but what to choose to ease their troubles can often be tricky.
Fear not, as we’ve done the hard work for you and picked the best sleep gifts on the net, for people who have trouble sleeping.
So whether they’re looking for some sleep-optimising tech, the latest sleep accessory or something to soothe their wind down routine, one of our top sleep gifts will certainly tick one of their boxes.
Sleep aid gift ideas at a glance
- Kokoon Nightbuds for the ultimate sleep solution
- Bath salts for pre-bedtime recovery
- A book on circadian rhythms to change habits
- Essential bath oils for relaxation
- A weighted blanket for better sleep
- Portable blackout curtains to avoid light pollution
1. Tech time: Kokoon Nightbuds
If the person you have in mind needs a long-term solution to help improve their sleep, Nightbuds could be the ideal sleep gift.
They sit comfortably in the ear, making them perfect for side sleepers. They work with the MyKokoon app to mask external noises using coloured noise or sleep audio, which means the wearer can drift off to sleep more easily.
They’re sleep-sensing too, which means they can adapt audio by fading it as the wearer falls asleep and slowly introduce white noise to mask further disturbances.
This sleep gift is the ultimate present as it can help improve sleep habits for good. In other words it’s the sleep gift that keeps on giving.
2. Bath time: Perfect Night's Sleep Multi Mineral Bath Salts
Neom Organics’ Perfect Night's Sleep Multi Mineral Bath Salts are the perfect sleep gift for someone who struggles with winding down before bed.
This unique blend is naturally fragranced with English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine, to help get you into a relaxed state before bedtime.
Lavender has been used as a natural remedy to help insomnia and other sleep problems for years, with many studies proving their sleep-inducing qualities.
These bath salts for sleep feature pink Himalayan salts which contain 84 minerals including magnesium. Research suggests that a magnesium deficiency can play a part in sleep disorders, so topping up on magnesium in the tub can be really beneficial.
3. Reading time: Change your schedule, change your life by Dr Suhas Kshirsaga
Getting up to speed on all things sleep can only be a good thing for people needing a little help to nod off each night.
Kshirsada’s book explores the circadian rhythm and how vital it is when it comes to health and wellbeing. The book explores the dangers of a hectic life that ignores your natural body clock and explains how it’s not too late to change your schedule in order to benefit your health and your sleep.
The book also provides a 30-day plan to help the reader adjust their current schedule to one that can benefit their overall wellness and sleep quality.
Reading before bed has also been shown to help calm a racing mind, which can encourage a better night’s sleep. So this gift for sleep really is a win-win.
4. Relaxation time: Essential Oils
There’s nothing quite like having a long, hot bath to help you drift off to sleep. Studies have shown how having a warm bath can help blood and oxygen flow more easily, giving you time to breathe more deeply and slowly.
Having a hot bath before bed can also help to reduce your core body temperature, which can help facilitate the hormonal changes that occur when the body is preparing for sleep.
And you can elevate your bathtub experience with essential oils.
Essential oils are the perfect gift for someone who has trouble falling asleep. Lavender essential oils are widely recognised as a natural sleep aid, so although you may not be able to buy someone a bathtub, you can at least give them the essential oils to go in it.
Encouraging them to have a bath as part of their wind down routine can help to create positive pre-sleep habits too. So something so small may in fact have a real long-term, positive impact.
Check out these essential oils from Tisserand.
5. Sleep time: Weighted Blanket
A weighted blanket can be a gamechanger in the bedroom. They are heavier than normal blankets or duvets, as you can probably tell from the name, and add a light pressure on your body.
The heavy weight of the blanket can evoke feelings of calm and relaxation in the same way deep pressure stimulation methods can. This helps you to feel calm before bed and wind down more easily, ready for a good night’s sleep ahead.
The weight of the blanket mimics that of a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket to keep them warm, comfortable and secure. Even though we’re no longer newborns, this nostalgic and comforting feeling can be felt in a similar way with a weighted blanket. Helping to ease the day’s stresses and anxieties.
Check out this weighted blanket from Mela.
6. Portable Blackout Curtains
Sounds strange we know, but buying someone who has trouble sleeping blackout blinds could really change the way they sleep for the better. Blackout blinds block out any light, so you can enjoy an undisturbed night’s sleep.
Light exposure when you’re trying to wind down and sleep at night can alter sleep cycles, which can then reduce your sleep quality, especially the time spent in deep sleep stages. These stages are needed for rest and recovery, so they’re pretty vital to a person’s sleep.
In fact, many people who suffer from bad sleep don’t realise that light can be a big disturbance.
Why buy portable curtains? If your friend stays in hotels, then these are the perfect option as they can block out any light in many notoriously shoddy-curtained hotels. They’re also ideal for shift workers or daytime nappers (including kids).
Check out these portable blackout curtains from Magic Blackout Blind.
What is the best sleep gift for the person I’m buying the gift for?
With so many sleep products on the market, we hope our hand-picked selection of quality sleep gifts for your friends and family who have trouble sleeping, will help them to sleep better.
So which gift should you choose?
For the traveller
Go for the portable blackout blinds. They’re the perfect antidote to light pollution, which can often flood a hotel room, especially in a busy city centre.
For the stressed
For those who have hectic, busy schedules and need the closest thing to a hug money can buy, opt for the weighted blanket or duvet. This sleep gift can be a surprisingly positive calming accessory for the bedroom or living room.
For the person in need of some R and R
Essential oils and bath salts make a great gift for those needing some relaxation and recovery. If you’re looking for a smaller gift that’ll make an impact then bath oils and salts are the gift to choose.
For the open-minded
Kshirsada’s book that explores circadian rhythms is the perfect choice for those who love reading and also those who are open and willing to tweak their lives a little, in order to sleep better.
For all of the above
If the person you’re buying the gift for needs to de-stress, relax, recover, likes to spend time on the road and is open-minded, then a pair of Nightbuds or Relax Headphones from Kokoon would make the perfect gift.
