5 Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Sleepy People
Finished your holiday shopping? If so, please try your best not to brag about it, and save this list for birthdays. If you’re like me, you will be doing some eleventh hour Amazon shopping. The two great things about Amazon are a) Prime (free two-day) shipping and b) you can shop through Amazon Smile with Project Sleep as your designated charity!
Here are some good ideas with (Prime-eligible) examples for anyone on your list who has a sleep disorder or wants/needs to improve their sleep hygiene:
1. Sleep Mask
A dark sleep environment cues the rise of melatonin and fall body temperature—both of which help us to become less alert and more likely to welcome sleep. Light-blocking sleep masks may be incredibly helpful when one must sleep (or nap) during the day or when a light source is penetrating the sleep environment (*cough* spouse working on laptop). This Bedtime Bliss mask ($12.97) is designed with a protective curve that keeps the fabric away from your eyelids, giving you room to blink and keeping your makeup intact. It comes with a pair of soundproof earplugs as a bonus.
2. Napping Pillow
Short naps are great for your health (and may be unavoidable for those with certain sleep disorders). But it can be challenging to find good napping environments when at work or when travelling. For the fashion bold, there is the hyped Ostrich Pillow ($99.00) that creates a little napping cocoon for your whole head. Yep, this pillow is worn over your head with a central opening over your mouth (to breathe) and two top openings through which to rest your hands/arms. For the fashion conservative (or claustrophobic) there are ergonomic desk napping pillows like this one ($49.80).
3. Inspirational Book
Sleep-related memoirs are great gifts because they contain helpful information within inspirational, enjoyable narratives. Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder ($17.56) is Arianna Huffington’s story of overcoming a sleep-depriving lifestyle, Wide Awake: A Memoir of Insomnia ($10.00) is Patricia Morrisroe’s story of insomnia, Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy ($13.41) is Julie Flygare’s story of narcolepsy, and You Don’t Look Sick!, Second Edition: Living Well With Chronic Invisible Illness ($11.97) is Joy Selak’s story of coping with multiple chronic illnesses.
4. Sleep Tracker
Many of the fitness-tracking wristbands available also provide nightly measurements of how long it takes you to fall asleep, the number of times you wake up, and an estimation of the time spent in light sleep and deep sleep. Many also feature a “silent alarm” function that gives a gentle vibration to wake you at the right moment in your sleep cycle. Popular picks include the Jawbone UP 24 ($69.99) and the Fitbit Flex ($79.99).
5. Light Therapy
Just as darkness is important for sleep, light is important for wakefulness. However, natural lighting isn’t always available to us during our waking hours due to weather, office environments, or work schedules. Artificial light sources that provide natural spectrum daylight can cue your body’s energy enhancers to promote wakefulness and improve mood. The HappyLight Compact Energy Lamp ($39.95) provides 150 watts of natural spectrum light and is easily portable.
