We all know that good sleep is essential for health and wellbeing - just as important as regular movement and good nutrition. But for many women, getting a good night’s sleep becomes increasingly complicated in our forties and beyond. Hormonal changes, rising stress levels, and the infamous ‘midlife mental load’ can all disrupt our sleeping habits, turning once-peaceful nights into hours spent watching the clock or tossing and turning.
That’s why we created our first-ever woman&home Sleep Easy Awards 2025, launched alongside our brand-new woman&home Tester Network. Quite simply, we’re tired of being tired. So, we took matters into our own hands and enlisted a team of testers - women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond who live with the exhausting reality of restless nights - to put the latest sleep solutions to the test.
Our expert editorial team, including Health Editor Grace Walsh and Homes Ecommerce Editor Laura Honey, shortlisted the most promising products - from clever sleep tech like white noise machines and sunrise alarm clocks, to bedroom essentials like bedding, earplugs, and eye masks. Then, it was over to our testers to put each product through its paces and share their honest, unfiltered findings.
We first announced the results in August, revealing the winners of the Woman&Home Sleep Easy 2025 Awards - tried-and-tested products that genuinely delivered, helping real women fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed.
So, if you’ve found yourself doom-scrolling at 3 am in search of the best sleep aids or wondering which sleep products are truly worth the investment - and some of them are seriously pricey - you’ve come to the right place. Read on to discover the sleep solutions that made the cut.
Woman&Home Sleep Easy Award 2025 winners
Bedding
This luxurious hybrid mattress is packed with features that really help deliver a better night's sleep, particularly in terms of cooling and support. We named this the best mattress for hot sleepers based on our Eve Premium Hybrid mattress review. The extra height made getting out of a low bed a little easier for our tester, Linda Clayton, who has dedicated more than 20 years to reviewing sleep products for Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Real Homes, and, of course, woman&home.
As a hot sleeper, Linda is the perfect tester for cooling sleep products. She is a side and back sleeper, so the medium-firm feel really suited her, helping her to wake up feeling refreshed. "Even night-time loo breaks were achieved without disturbing my partner, which meant both of us were a lot happier in the morning."
There is a growing army of people who recognise that Button & Sprung have created something seriously special with their Southdown mattress. No wonder we named it the best cooling mattress based on our Button & Sprung Southdown mattress review. "Having slept on it myself, I can verify that this handmade, natural mattress offers pure luxury," says Harry Honey, who manages world-class athletes and regularly calls upon them to test all the latest sleep trends, from magnesium sprays and sleep lamps to mattresses and duvets.
"It balances support and sink-in softness the same way that Italians balance work and life - perfectly," Harry tells us. "There's no sinking in as you reach over to get your phone from the bedside table, and zero disruption from anyone else you might have in your bed with you. The motion isolation is top-notch.”
Want your mattress to feel brand new without spending a lot? You need this Simba mattress topper - which we named the best mattress topper based on our Simba Hybrid mattress topper review. Whether your current mattress is past its sleep-by-date or you just struggle to get comfortable at night, this topper will make a real difference. The combination of springs and foam provide much more support than standard foam-only toppers.
"As a side sleeper, I need a bed that is supportive enough to keep my spine aligned, but soft enough to not be too harsh on my pressure points," says our tester, Louise Oliphant, who has worked for numerous luxury homeware brands and reviewed many of the best bedding products. As a hot sleeper, Louise was "amazed" at how steady her temperature remained overnight while testing this.
This plush sherpa layer made our tester's bed feel cosy before she even turned it on. "I made great use of the dual-controls, with my half of the bed on full whack, toasty warm in five minutes, whilst my partner kept his side of the bed cooler," says Laura Honey. "It has everything I want in an electric blanket - plus it’s washable and great value too.” In our Dreamland Hunker Down Scandi Sherpa Underblanket review, we named this one of the best electric blankets we've tested.
With bylines at woman&home, Homes & Gardens, and Livingetc, Laura knows a thing or two about what makes a bedroom truly blissful. Before becoming a journalist, she wrote about interiors at The White Company, where comfort, calmness, and rest were always top of the brief. A devoted sleep tracker (her Oura ring rarely leaves her finger), she’s grilled some of the biggest names in the sleep space and has tested everything from luxury pillows to budget duvets.
This ultra-thin, waterproof bamboo mattress protector is naturally hypoallergenic. It keeps your mattress fresh while being so lightweight, you’ll barely notice it’s there. No wonder it's one of the best mattress protectors you could choose, according to our Panda London Waterproof Mattress Protector review.
"This is one of the hardest working mattress protectors I’ve ever used," says our Homes Ecommerce Editor - and it's always wise to pay attention to her reviews and pop whatever she's recommending straight in your shopping basket. "It’s one of very few waterproof toppers that I’ve slept on that doesn’t feel crackly and firm," she adds. "It feels like lying on a soft, terry blanket. If that’s not dreamy enough, this is crafted from a blend of bamboo and cotton, so it doesn’t take a toll on the environment. I’ve tested protectors two or three times the price, and they haven’t touched how wonderful this is."
Crafted from fully traceable British wool and certified organic cotton, this medium-weight duvet is a brilliant all-rounder for year-round comfort, and one of the best duvets we've put to the test. Naturally hypoallergenic, temperature-regulating, and machine washable, it offers the perfect balance of practicality and luxury for a deeper, more restful sleep.
Wool - just in case you didn’t already know - is a wonderful natural thermal regulator. "This has helped me and many members of the Woman&Home team through hot nights of sleep," she says. "It's also completely washable if you find yourself in extreme night sweats - or with coffee spills - and the icing on the cake of this duvet is that it’s all natural. The cotton casing is unbleached, the wool is British and traceable, and it’s all suitable for sensitive skin types.”
Pillows
This is another item that comes highly recommended by our Homes Ecommerce Editor, Laura Honey, who has spent literally hundreds of hours testing all kinds of products, from the best cooling bedding to help ease the effects of night sweats, to the best coffee machines to help you spring out of bed in the morning. In her Dreams TheraPur Memory Foam Ice Pillow review, Laura named this one of the best cooling pillows money can buy.
"Unlike most cooling pillows I've tested, this actually feels icy to the touch and remains so throughout the night," Laura says. "But the real star of the show is the case that comes with this pillow, which you can transfer onto another favourite pillow, if you prefer. I’ve taken the case on holiday with me to ensure that I get good sleep wherever I go. It's well worth the suitcase space."
It's tricky to make a recommendation for the best pillow to use if you experience neck pain, because it's such a subjective experience. Nonetheless, we gave this pillow to a tester who suffers from nerve pain due to herniated discs, and she didn't hesitate to award it full marks.
"One night with the pillow was all it took – I woke up without neck pain for the first time in ages," our tester says. "It feels really firm, but you sink into it gradually, and it takes the shape of you. The design keeps my head up slightly higher and feels unnatural at first because of firmness, but then you realise the spaces between your vertebrae seem bigger and it’s really good – like the feeling of a yoga stretch when you get it right."
You can also read our Back in Action Memory Foam Pillow review to see why we chose this as the best pillow for neck pain.
"As someone with crazy, curly hair, this pillow is what dreams are made of," says our Homes Ecommerce Editor, Laura Honey. "This is one of the very few pillowcases that helps me keep the structure of each ringlet overnight." That also explains why she named this the best product overall in our guide to the best silk pillowcases.
And she should know - she has tested more than 25 different silk pillowcases and says it was impossible to keep this one out of the top spot. "The one I slept on came with delicate blue and white details, but Lily Silk offers a variety of options, from classic white to pretty patterns and colours in both Oxford and Housewife styles," Laura adds. "Over time, this one has also become softer and softer, and feels so gentle on my skin."
Wellness
"Sleep sprays are no magic bullet for better shut-eye, but they can certainly help you unwind," says our Homes Editor, Grace Walsh, who chose the award winner for this category and also featured this on our guide to the best sleep aids. "For this, I love a lavender scent. It’s even better when paired with musky, woody scents like patchouli and something sweeter, like chamomile. This makes the Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist the top pick as it’s a perfect combination of all three."
Grace adds that this pillow mist is lighter than other sleep sprays she has tried, which means it lingers in the air for longer, plus there’s no risk of a damp pillowcase after spraying.
Designed to help you cultivate gratitude and crush your goals, this innovative journal combines structure with flexibility. What sets it apart is its ADHD-friendly layout and therapist-approved approach, making it accessible for a wide range of people.
As Ecommerce Editor of Woman&Home, I love sharing resources that truly support health and wellbeing in measurable ways, and this journal does exactly that. A journalist with 20 years’ experience, I have written for most of the UK’s newspapers and a wide range of consumer magazines, including the official magazine of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Our Health Editor, Grace Walsh, chose this award-winner too and is a big fan of this eye mask, recommending it to anyone who cares to listen. "I love this eye mask not for its eyelash protecting benefits - although that’s a positive - but for the fact that it feels like I’m not wearing anything at all when I've got it on," she expains.
"The additional space around the eyes means you don’t have anything pressed against your eyelids, while still experiencing total darkness. The material also feels incredibly premium, soft and lightweight, making it a pleasure to wear in bed."
When selecting the best tea to aid sleep, our Health Editor Grace Walsh turned to nutritionist Jenna Hope for expert input. She recommends teas with chamomile, valerian root, lavender, or lemon balm - ingredients which have been shown to support sleep, by reducing sleep onset or anxiety through the production of GABA, a calm-inducing neurotransmitter..
However, when it comes to teas, dose and quality are very important. "For some people, a sleep tea may be enough to help support sleep, and whilst the ingredients alone have been shown to support better sleep, the delivery of them through a tea may not necessarily be effective for everyone." Jenna adds. "For some, the practise of winding down and sipping tea in a quiet environment can help prepare the body for sleep."
Who knows more about rest, relaxation, and tranquillity than Scandinavia? This candle isn’t your conventional combination of lavender and chamomile; instead, Ro is a magical mix of cut grass, fallen leaves, cucumber, and wild violets. It’s based on tranquillity (hence the name Ro) and smells really beautiful, according to our Homes Ecommerce Editor, Laura Honey, who also featured it in our best scented candles buying guide.
"It’s calming, gentle, and a nice change from classic sleep candles, plus the wax is all organic, natural, and refillable too."
A qualified Master Perfumer, Laura worked for a luxury fragrance company for five years and now has a mini perfume laboratory at home where she mixes up her scents. If you ever need to know anything about olfactives, she’s the one to ask.
Freelance journalist and award-winning makeup artist Joyce Connor has worked in the beauty industry for 25 years, and regularly uses hair wraps for her type 4B coils. Passionate about helping women look and feel beautiful within their skin, Joyce has worked on countless fashion and bridal photoshoots and contributed to Woman's Own, Glamour.
She gave this the top billing in our guide to buying the best silk hair wraps, and picked it as the winner of this award-winner for several reasons: "I love the versatility of this silk bonnet and was able to wear it in multiple ways. It didn't slip off my head, and it was breathable, so my head didn't feel hot at night. I'd feel confident wearing this wrap outside during the day, too." The only downside was figuring out how to do it up, but that just takes a little practice.
Tech
This is an expensive option for keeping cool when a hot flush or heatwave strikes, but our Homes Ecommerce Editor, Laura Honey, has no hesitation in naming this our award winner. In her Dyson Hot + Cool Formaldehyde review, she names it one of the best air purifiers money can buy and says if it was a little more affordable it would easily have taken the top spot, because it's so elegant, versatile, and thoughtfully designed.
"I would never normally spend this much money on a fan, but it purifies the air and can heat the room too, when you’re not in desperate need of a cool breeze," she explains. "I love the power behind this fan; it can cool a hot flush almost instantly. The oscillation suits large and small rooms alike and, most importantly, you can leave it running overnight without being disturbed by any noise. It’s whisper quiet - and that’s coming from a hot sleeper."
With so many meditation and sleep apps to choose from these days, it can be tricky to figure out which one is worth your time. But in our guide to the best sleep aids, our Health Editor, Grace Walsh, named Headspace the best sleep meditation app.
"It includes such a wide variety of programs, including guided meditations, sleep stories, music, and exercises for winding down at night," she explains. "The app is also very easy to use and perfectly set up to find what you want quickly, limiting the time spent scrolling on your phone before you settle down to sleep."
Homes Editor Grace Walsh recently tested the Oura Ring 4 and loves it because "it goes above and beyond with sleep data" compared to other smart rings. "It's not overwhelming or complicated to understand," she says.
"The advanced sensors deliver insights into your sleep quality and time spent asleep, reviewing your daily habits to help you better understand what influences how well you rest. There is a monthly subscription to use the product, but at £6 a month, it’s not too much of a burden."
In her Oura Ring 4 review, Grace named this one of the best fitness trackers to choose if your priority is monitoring your sleep.
When it comes to the basics of sleep tracking, you don't necessarily need a fancy or expensive smart watch. "The Fitbit Inspire 3 is less than £85 - and there’s normally a sale on where you can buy it for less - and it does just as well as some of the more advanced trackers, delivering insights into sleep duration and quality," says Homes Editor, Grace Walsh.
In her Fitbit Inspire 3 review, Grace named this the best fitbit to buy on a budget, and particularly commended this model for its sleep tracking features. "I’ve found it to be one of the most accurate sleep trackers over the years," she adds. "It’s bulkier than a smart ring to wear overnight, but for the price, you truly can’t get better than this."
Rachel Follett, 53, is a journalist and PR director who has spent years trying to find the right earplugs to help combat the fact that she is a very light sleeper. "The slightest noise wakes me up, and I’ve always been told I have small ear canals, so the squishy foam ones never work for me as they simply pop out," she explains.
You have to visit a specialist to have these custom-made to fit your ear, and Rachel waited several weeks for hers to arrive but says they are worth waiting for. "I’d recommend these to anyone who wants an earplug that is 100% reliable – no messing," she says. "If I’d known about these years ago, they would have helped me bank years of extra sleep. They’re ideal for parents who still need to hear their kids, or for any type of travel environment, light sleepers, those with snoring partners and shift workers who need to sleep when the rest of the world is waking up."
This device uses calming rhythms of light and sound to help you unwind at night and wake naturally in the morning, plus it has customisable breathing exercises, sunset simulations, and a gradual sunrise alarm. Our tester, Casey, is a 45-year-old crime writer and seasoned product reviewer with years of testing experience.
"I am obsessed, especially with the red night-light feature, it's like a cosy sunset in your bedroom," she says. "It's so much nicer than the usual harshness of bright lights. I also love the soothing sounds. No more jolting awake to a loud alarm. Now I wake to the sound of the ocean or soft rain. It was also super easy to set up - I am a bit of a techno-phobe and was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was."
Our tester, Catherine Renton, is a freelance journalist with almost a decade of experience writing about health, careers, fitness, and lifestyle. She's also a light sleeper with a history of insomnia.
"I wasn't expecting much when this device arrived, as there are no bells or whistles, but the change it has made to my sleep has been incredible," she says. "The first time I used it, I slept through the night for the first time in years. It blocks out street noise and loud neighbours, and I woke up feeling refreshed. It's also ideal for taking on holiday, where I am more likely to be disturbed by 'new' noise."
Designed to improve rest and help reduce screen time before bed, the Loftie Alarm Clock is a multifunctional sleep aid with more than 100 built-in sleep sounds and a two-phase alarm system to wake you gently. It also has a Bluetooth speaker so you can stream music or podcasts directly from your phone, and there's a dimmable nightlight to help set the tone for bedtime.
This is another sleep aid that disappeared from my desk when my son popped home for the weekend and then returned to his University accommodation. He suffers with the sort of disrupted sleep pattern that's pretty typical of students, but he tells me this gadget has changed his life, giving him a ten out of ten success rate for waking up when he wants to and not sleeping through his phone alarm.
Special recognition
A customisable sunrise alarm clock and sound machine, this is designed to help you wake up gently and fall asleep more easily. It combines 29 soothing sound options, simulated sunlight, and a dimmable nightlight to create a calming sleep environment without needing a phone.
"This device is incredibly easy to use, with clearly labelled buttons that make setup simple - even in the middle of the night," says our tester, Jessie, who is 45 years old and lives with a chronic illness, chronic pain, and perimenopausal symptoms, all of which affect her sleep. "I love the cosy, compact design. I wasn't expecting this little gadget to be life-changing, but it has 100% improved my quality of sleep. The music tracks are good too, a good variety, and plenty of white noise/nature sounds, which are very relaxing."
Our Homes Ecommerce Editor singled this set out for its perfect blend of comfort, practicality and value for money. What makes it stand out? The relaxed, breathable texture of linen is combined with the soft structure of cotton, creating bedding that feels feather-light and low-maintenance. Laura loves it so much that she named it the best linen bedding in our best sheets buying guide.
“It’s the effortlessness I love most,” she says. “The linen adds a feather-light, easy feel to the fabric. It looks relaxed and cosy straight out of the dryer, but the cotton in the blend gives it a bit more structure – and helps to keep the cost down too. I’ve slept in this during several heatwaves and stayed cool every time. Honestly, I could spend twice the price and not get the same sleep experience as I’ve had with this.”
Our tester Jess Beech is an experienced beauty editor who has written for woman&home, GoodtoKnow, Now, Woman, Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Own and Chat. A beauty enthusiast, Jess has tried everything from cryotherapy to chemical peels but finds bath soaks with excessive amounts of lavender "a bit too try-hard" when she's struggling with sleep. In our best bubble bath buying guide, she singled this out as having the most luxurious fragrance.
"This is my go-to product whenever I’m feeling frazzled and on edge," she explains. "The calm and slightly medicinal scent of eucalyptus is the most notable of the blend of ten essential oils, and works wonders to clear a busy brain. Just a few drops will fill your bathroom with fragrance that lasts until the next morning and lingers in other rooms too.”
Snoozeband 2.0 is a comfortable, fabric headband with built-in 4mm headphones designed for sleeping, especially if you’re a side sleeper. The speakers are thin enough not to press uncomfortably against your ears, and the lightweight, breathable fabric stays cool throughout the night, making them ideal for hot sleepers. It’s an updated version of the original Snoozeband, made to stay in place and deliver clear sound without disturbing anyone nearby.
"These are by far the most comfortable sleep headphones I’ve ever used - the headband is soft and stretchy, and the ultra-thin earpieces don’t dig in, even for a side sleeper like me," says Sally, our 57-year-old tester who normally can't fall asleep unless she's listening to The Archers or a podcast - but finding headphones that are comfortable for a side sleeper has been an ongoing quest for many years.
"The eyemask is soft, blocks all light, and works brilliantly for daytime naps or travel, though I found it too much for night use in my already dark room," says our tester, Faith Eckersall. "The real surprise was the earplugs - despite my doubts, they blocked out noise (including my partner’s coughing), stayed in all night, and were super comfortable for side-sleeping. They're washable, hypoallergenic, and come in a handy zip-up case. I’d definitely repurchase, and think they’d make a great gift for light sleepers or hospital stays."
Faith was impressed by the "exceptional quality" of this sleep kit. "So much so that I'd say £35 is a small price to pay for nights of sleep," she adds. "Even after four days, I felt more energetic and was able to work for longer hours as I was just not tired."
With advanced Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology to effectively reduce low-frequency sounds such as snoring, traffic and other ambient noises, the QuietOn 4 ear plugs have a 28-hour battery life on a single charge. They're ultra-lightweight with an ergonomic shape that fits comfortably in the ear canal and stay securely in place - even if you're a side sleeper.
Between perimenopausal night sweats and a husband whose snoring can wake the kids from their rooms, I needed ear plugs that would do more than just muffle the racket. It's difficult to explain what a total game-changer these are but if, like me, you've ever hurled foam earplugs across the room in frustration, these are what you need. The noise-cancelling technology is unbelievably good and I sleep so soundly with them in place that I often have to take them out just to check that my husband is actually still breathing!
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