Has deep, restful sleep started to feel like a distant memory? So many of us notice that once we hit midlife, the easy slumber we once counted on becomes surprisingly hard to find. The reassuring news? Learning how to improve your sleep quality doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul. A few small, thoughtful shifts can make a big difference.

To help you get the healthy sleep you deserve, we turned to Taz Bhatia, MD, founder of the holistic health hub hol+ and author of The Hormone Shift, for her best advice for women over 50. Her message is full of hope: “There are very good options to improve sleep as we age. Just keep in mind your system may need more than one strategy to fully rest, so keep experimenting until you find what works for you.”

How to improve sleep quality

Ready to get a good night’s sleep? Here’s where to begin.

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Check in about sleep apnea

Before layering on new sleep habits, it’s worth having a conversation with your doctor, especially if something feels off. “If you snore or feel foggy all day, you could have sleep apnea,” Dr. Bhatia explains. It’s a condition in which breathing stops and starts throughout the night, pulling you out of deeper sleep and putting stress on your heart, lungs and brain.

The fix for this common sleep disorder can be simpler than you’d expect. A CPAP machine—the gold-standard treatment for sleep apnea—helps improve airflow, protects your long-term health and lets you rest soundly. 

Add more good fats to your plate

What you eat during the day has a bigger impact on nighttime rest than most of us realize, and omega-3 fatty acids are especially great for helping to improve sleep.

“Omega-3s can reduce inflammation, helping open your airways and ease achiness that disrupts sleep,” Dr. Bhatia says. She suggests aiming for a couple of servings of wild salmon each week, plus a daily sprinkle of flax or chia seeds on your oatmeal, yogurt or smoothie. Just be sure to avoid large meals close to bedtime when you can, as it can interfere with sleep.

Not a fan of fish? A high-quality fish oil supplement has been shown to help adults fall asleep faster and rest more deeply. As always, get your doctor’s okay before adding anything new.

Sip decaf matcha

If a racing mind is what’s behind your trouble sleeping, this tip is for you. Matcha—that vibrant green powdered tea—is a top source of L-theanine, an amino acid that gently encourages a sense of calm without making you feel drowsy during the day.

Try stirring matcha powder into your morning smoothie, or enjoy a low-sugar matcha latte as an afternoon treat. Dr. Bhatia’s one caveat: “Just go for decaf after noon,” so a bit of caffeine doesn’t work against your bedtime.

Give magnesium a try

Magnesium is having a well-deserved moment when it comes to improving sleep quality. “The mineral helps calm overactive nerves and relax muscles,” Dr. Bhatia notes—two effects that translate into deeper, more peaceful sleep.

Not all forms are equal, though. She recommends magnesium bisglycinate (Serenease is a brand she likes), which is highly bioavailable and gentle on the stomach. Taking it about an hour before bed can ease you into that soft, drifting-off feeling.

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The bottom line on how to improve sleep quality

Sleep shifts in midlife are common, but they aren’t something you simply have to endure. Whether it’s a medical check-in, a nutritional tweak, a calming cup of tea or a targeted supplement, real solutions truly exist.

“Everyone’s path to better rest is different,” Dr. Bhatia says. “Listen to your body, build a plan around what you respond to best—and then enjoy sweet dreams!”

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

For some, the best part of the day is crawling into soft sheets, putting on cozy pajamas and letting our stress wash away. For others with sleep apnea, slumber doesn’t always feel so restorative. Between waking up gasping for air, snoring that disturbs your partner and waking up with a dry mouth, getting a good night’s rest can feel impossible. So it’s no surprise so many of us are wondering: Can sleep apnea be cured? And could it be possible to ditch your continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device for good? A leading neurologist reveals the surprisingly hopeful news. 

What is sleep apnea?

“Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly becomes very shallow or stops during sleep,” says Rab Nawaz, MD, a board-certified neurologist. “These pauses can lower oxygen levels, fragment sleep and leave people tired even after spending enough time in bed.”

Dr. Nawaz explains that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common type, happens when the upper airway repeatedly narrows or collapses, while central sleep apnea, which is less common, occurs when the brain temporarily fails to send the normal signals that trigger breathing.

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OSA often develops when a person’s airway is already more likely to narrow and the muscles around it relax during sleep. Dr. Nawaz says factors that can raise the risk of the condition include having a small jaw, carrying excess weight or having enlarged tonsils. Central sleep apnea, on the other hand, can be linked to factors such as heart failure, neurological conditions or opioid medications.

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Can sleep apnea be cured?

Now the answer to the big question you’ve been waiting for: Can sleep apnea be cured? In short, yes, but it depends on your unique condition and the treatment options you pursue. 

Per Harvard Health, dropping about 10 percent of your weight may help reduce how often sleep apnea occurs, and for some people, losing enough weight may even cure the condition.

“Weight loss is one of the most important treatments for obstructive sleep apnea in people with overweight or obesity, and some people do reach remission after substantial, sustained weight loss,” confirms Dr. Nawaz. However, while he agrees some cases of sleep apnea can go into remission with treatments like weight loss, he cautions against using the word “cured.”

“Obstructive sleep apnea may resolve when a reversible cause is corrected, such as substantial weight loss in an appropriate patient, removal of enlarged tonsils or adenoids or selected airway surgery,” says Dr. Nawaz. Still, he cautions that sleep apnea can return with hormonal changes, airway narrowing, weight gain or aging.

How to ‘cure’ sleep apnea 

CPAP therapy is still considered gold-standard, first-line treatment for sleep apnea. That said, it manages the conditions but doesn’t reverse it. To help put your sleep apnea into remission, consider these doctor-backed tips:

Address your trigger

Beyond weight loss, if your sleep apnea is due to a reversible cause such as high altitude or even opioid use, treating the trigger could help lessen or even resolve your sleep apnea, says Dr. Nawaz. 

Consider surgical procedures 

A more permanent treatment for sleep apnea like surgery could help if you’re a good fit. “Procedures such as maxillomandibular advancement move the jaws forward and enlarge the space behind the tongue and soft palate,” explains Dr. Nawaz. “In carefully selected adults, this can substantially reduce apnea and may normalize breathing during sleep. It is major surgery, so the decision requires specialist evaluation.”

Treat your tonsils 

Dr. Nawaz says enlarged tonsils and adenoids (patches of lymphatic tissue) can sometimes block the airway during sleep. “Removing them creates more room for airflow and can resolve obstructive sleep apnea when enlarged tissue is the main problem,” he adds.

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How to tell if your sleep apnea is in remission

If you decide to take the plunge with one of the above methods, your next question will likely be: How do I know my sleep apnea is in remission? Dr. Nawaz shares four signs your treatment may be working: 

1. A normal sleep study. Feeling better isn’t enough to confirm remission, but a repeat sleep study can provide the proof, says Dr. Nawaz.
2. No longer pausing, choking or gasping while sleeping. If a partner no longer notices those interruptions during the night, it could be a sign your sleep apnea has improved, Dr. Nawaz adds. 
3. You feel better during the day. Feeling less sleepy, having fewer morning headaches, concentrating better and waking up refreshed are all encouraging signs, he says.
4. Your improvement stays stable. If your symptoms don’t return and you don’t develop new risk factors, such as regaining weight or experiencing another major health change, it may be a sign your sleep apnea remains in remission, Dr. Nawaz explains. Even then, he says sleep apnea can return, so ongoing follow-up is important.

Can sleep apnea be cured? The bottom line 

While sleep apnea can feel overwhelming, remission is possible. Whether through weight loss, treating underlying conditions or surgical options, you have more control over your sleep apnea than you might think. Talk to your doctor about which approach might work best for you.

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond

The Apollo Neuro has spent years quietly building a following among people looking for non-pharmaceutical ways to manage stress, sleep and focus—and the reviews are now plentiful enough to give shoppers a clearer picture of what the wearable actually delivers. From journalists testing it for weeks to longtime users five years in, the feedback paints a nuanced portrait of a device that does one specific thing and asks buyers to decide whether that one thing is worth the price.

Here’s what reviewers, sleep experts and everyday users are saying about the Apollo Neuro, how it works, and where it falls short.

What longtime reviewers say about Apollo Neuro

The Apollo Neuro is a wearable device aimed at rebalancing the nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve. Rather than tracking metrics or pushing notifications, it delivers gentle haptic vibrations — soothing taps designed to shift the body between states like calm, sleep, focus and energy. Users can wear it on the wrist or ankle using an adjustable Velcro strap, or clip it onto clothing close to a larger bone. The vibration modes are controlled through an app, and each is tuned to a different goal.

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Breathwork Apps Backed By Science That Are Worth Downloading

When someone tells you to “just take a deep breath,” the advice rarely lands, and new research suggests there’s a real reason why. A landmark 2026 clinical trial and a wave of breathwork apps are reframing breathing as something closer to a manual override for your nervous system, with measurable effects on anxiety that random […]

Sue Kakstys at Prevention wrote about the device after a full year of wear, calling out its impact on her sleep: “The soothing, gentle haptics of the sleep vibrations helped me fall asleep quickly and calmly, and it also helped lull me back to sleep much faster than usual on the nights when I awoke mid-sleep (usually related to late-night attempts to drink my daily water quota and needing to use the bathroom!),” she wrote.

Kakstys also weighed in on comfort. “The device itself was simple to put on, too. It comes with two options for attachment: an adjustable Velcro strap or a clip. The Velcro is recommended to be worn on the inner wrist or ankle, while the clip can be affixed to clothing (the brand specifies it should be close to a larger bone). I personally found it too bulky on my wrist and preferred wearing it on my ankle (house-arrest style)—and the strap was comfortable enough there. I did not try affixing it to my clothes, though,” she said.

Lauren Fountain at Sleep Doctor tested all seven vibration modes over 30 days and praised the device’s focused approach. “The Apollo is a great example of a device that does one thing and does it well. You won’t find the bells and whistles or detailed reporting you might encounter with a more advanced tracker,” she wrote. “However, each vibration mode is distinct from the others and has real-world applications that make the Apollo practical in a wide range of settings. You may not use all of the modes on a regular basis, but they are at your disposal whenever you need them. The adjustable intensity levels and duration also make the device customizable for just about anyone.”

Rebecca Isaacs documented two weeks with the device for Forbes Vetted. “While some people may respond negatively to touch therapy, those who find they respond well will find the Apollo Wearable a solid choice. Sure, it doesn’t come with a very sleek appearance, but I do expect there to be other band options and colors in the future to take some of that sting off. For $350, is it worth it? That depends on whether or not you feel it’s likely to benefit you,” she wrote.

“Personally, I found it to be helpful, providing me with more focus and sleep, and keeping me calm during stressful moments. And if you’re looking for a more mindful way to stay in tune with your emotions, it’s worth checking out. As a first-gen, it’s going to have some quirks, like the Micro-USB port, for example. But I plan on keeping this as a go-to emotional assistant in the future,” Isaacs added.

Maggie Ryan of Flow Space reflected on five years of regular use. “Recently, my anxiety and stress have been higher than usual due to, well, the general state of the world. In response, I’ve found myself pulled towards the Calm vibe, which feels more powerful and grounding than the more-chill Unwind option. Calm has the ability to pull me into the present moment and soothe my breathing when things like meditation and journaling aren’t quite getting it done,” she wrote.

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What customers say in Apollo Neuro reviews

Reviews on the Apollo Neuro website are mixed. On the positive side, customers point to better sleep and steadier energy.

“Easy to wear and helps with sleep and overall energy!!!!” one person wrote. Another said: “I have the Apollo Neuro with Smart Vibes and find it priceless. It helps me stay calm during the daytime and helps me sleep at night. What more could a guy want?”

A third user reflected: “Using Apollo Neuro has helped me quite a bit over the last few weeks. My sleep quality has improved. I have also noticed my energy levels have increased. I set a schedule during the day, and my Apollo starts automatically. This is a great tool for decreasing anxiety and feeling well rested.”

Another wrote: “I’m so happy I found this device! I was so bogged down by my stress and being inside my head 24/7 before I got this. It’s not completely cured but it’s a heck of a lot better and doing that with some taps and not medication is huge. I love my Apollo so much! Pricey but worth the investment.”

Common complaints about the Apollo Neuro

Critical reviews tend to cluster around price, battery life and how subtle the vibrations feel.

“Def not worth $350.00 plus you would think you would get all the features included with that but they want you to pay to upgrade for more features,” one user said. Another wrote: “Very cheap feeling and does not hold a charge long. For this amount of money, it shouldnt feel like a happy meal toy.”

Battery and app frustrations come up repeatedly. “Many glitches that make using it a challenge. Low battery hold, only controlled by app, limited controls on device, app response to input glitchy, price very high for low performance,” one reviewer said. Another added: “Battery life is poor. I can’t wear the device continuously as I was led to believe because it has to be recharged at least daily… disappointing.”

Some users simply did not feel the effect of the stimulating device. “The vibrations were way too subtle for me. Even at the highest, I could barely feel it. For my sleep analysis, I had gained an average of 3 extra minutes of sleep a night. My sleep patterns are all over anyway so I can’t say whether it was from the device. Didn’t improve my HRV,” one wrote.

Another reviewer found the sensations counterproductive: “I really struggle with sleep issues and anxiety and was excited to trial this product. Sadly I found the sensations to be distracting and anxiety-provoking rather than soothing. The unit is also very bulky when on the wrist and I found the battery life to be short-lived. Innovative idea, just not the right product for me.”

Vagus nerve stimulation devices have moved into the mainstream wellness market as more people look for ways to manage stress, sleep and focus. Here’s how three of the most prominent options — Pulsetto, Truvaga and Apollo Neuro — compare on technology, use and price.

What is the vagus nerve?

The vagus nerve is the longest of the twelve cranial nerves, extending from the brainstem throughout the head, neck, face and torso. It constantly carries electrical and chemical signals between the brain and the body, helping regulate essential functions such as speaking, swallowing, digestion, breathing and blood circulation, among many others.

“It connects to all the organs in your chest and abdomen that you never think about but are critical to your survival: your heart, lungs, liver, spleen and all the organs involved in your gastrointestinal system, among many others,” Kevin Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health and Innovator on the 2026 TIME100 Health list, told Northwell Health.

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“The vagus nerve is a major information superhighway, sending signals that act as reflexes to control how the critical organs in the body operate,” he added. “I like to think of it as an orchestra of 200,000 instruments that produce a balanced output, or a harmony that contributes to the body’s ability to function properly.”

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How does Pulsetto work and how much does it cost?

Pulsetto is a hands-free wearable that mounts on the neck and runs guided vagus nerve stimulation sessions through a companion app. The Pulsetto Lite costs $278 and the Pulsetto Fit costs $296.

The device is designed for moments when the user is seeking relaxation — before sleep, during or before meditation, after exercise, between meetings or while winding down. The app houses different programs targeting goals like sleep, stress and anxiety. The app offers stimulation programs and allows you to control the device’s pulse intensity and customize sessions.

“Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation delivers gentle electrical signals through the skin to activate the vagus nerve, producing similar physiological effects to surgical implants without any incision or medical procedure,” the website explains of the process.

How does Truvaga work and how much does it cost?

Truvaga sells two handheld vagus nerve stimulation devices: the rechargeable Truvaga Plus at $499 and the disposable Truvaga 350 at $325, according to the company. Both deliver gentle two-minute stimulation sessions at the neck.

Truvaga lists four key benefits on its website. Stress relief is framed as soothing the fight-or-flight response with gentle two-minute vagus nerve stimulation. Improved sleep comes from balancing the nervous system before bed to support deeper, uninterrupted rest. Enhanced focus is positioned as boosting clarity and shaking off brain fog by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Support for gut health is described as activating the vagus nerve to improve digestion and enhance the brain-gut connection.

The two models differ in design and lifespan. The Truvaga Plus is rechargeable with unlimited two-minute sessions and a more portable build. “Truvaga Plus is a fully rechargeable option. It has Unlimited Sessions — Truvaga Plus has an unlimited number of 2-minute sessions for longer-term use,” the company says. “Rechargeable — No batteries needed. Truvaga Plus is now rechargeable, sustainable, and more environmentally friendly.”

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The Truvaga 350 takes a different approach. It is designed to deliver 350 two-minute sessions and is then disposed of. Because of that finite lifespan, the company intentionally built it cord-free and app-free, offering a simple, no-connectivity experience right out of the box.

Truvaga frames both devices as non-invasive and drug-free, and backs them with a 30-day return window. “We stand behind our product and want you to be completely satisfied,” the company says. “If you’re not, simply return it within 30 days for a full refund.”

Compared with Pulsetto’s hands-free wearable and Apollo Neuro’s vibration-based wrist device, Truvaga’s handheld format is built around short, targeted sessions a user actively delivers — closer to a clinical stimulation routine than a passive background wearable.

How does Apollo Neuro work and how much does it cost?

Apollo Neuro is a wrist or ankle wearable that uses patented silent sound wave vibrations — called Vibes — to influence the nervous system through touch. Pricing runs from $349 to $448 depending on the membership bundle and accessories chosen, according to the company.

Apollo describes its technology as rooted in decades of research. “Apollo is a new kind of technology that reminds us how good it feels to feel good. Based on over 60 years of research into the neuroscience of soothing touch, Apollo is designed to improve the balance of the nervous system by sending patented silent sound wave vibrations (called Vibes) to your body,” the company says. “As Apollo Vibes are music composed for your body instead of your ears, they are safe for children and adults alike and can be used as much as you like.”

The wearable is pitched as an active recovery tool rather than a tracker. “The Apollo wearable improves your body’s resilience to stress, so you can relax, sleep, focus, recover and feel better,” the company says. “Rather than tracking your health, the Apollo wearable is proven to actively improve it.”

Apollo recommends consistent daily wear to see sleep benefits. “Apollo’s soothing vibrations remind your body that it’s safe enough to recover through your sense of touch,” the company says. “Thanks to over a decade of scientific studies on the Apollo technology led by university researchers, we have determined that using Apollo at least three hours per day, and wearing it to bed seven nights per week will statistically significantly improve your sleep within as little as 21 days.”

It’s 3:06 a.m. and I get that sinking feeling as my eyes blink open. I’m wide awake. And it’s not from noise—my partner sleeps quietly next to me. It’s not from my 9-year-old—at this moment, at least, she hasn’t yet wedged herself into my side of the bed. It’s just me and the dark of night. Cue the scrolling thoughts as my mind starts racing around in circles and my heart beats a little faster. This has been happening ever since I turned 40. Melatonin, magnesium, white noise: I tried them all, but nothing can quite keep me asleep.

 For context: I’m a 43-year-old “elder Millennial” on hormonal birth control and, sure, maybe, potentially perimenopausal. Perimenopause always seems to slip just out of the grasp of my contemporaries on the group chat (it seems like everything after 40 could be perimenopause)—and when I asked my doctor about it, she said it’s hard to test with a Nexplanon implant pumping hormones into my arm. A combination of all of the above, it turns out, could be affecting my body temperature at night. Not that I had any idea.

 Then I had the chance to try a high-tech smart mattress cover called the Eight Sleep that promised to not only track my sleep cycles (something I was already into as an Oura ring convert) but actually do something about them.

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Tired of Waking up Drenched in Sweat? Here’s How To Stop Night Sweats

Waking up in the middle of the night flushed and drenched with sweat is, unfortunately, one of the most common symptoms of menopause. If you’re roused from your slumber while sweating at night, there are lots of things you can do to get relief. Read on for tips on how to stop night sweats in […]

What is the Eight Sleep Pod and how does it work?

 The Eight Sleep Pod is a cover that fits over your existing mattress, and like any low-tech mattress cover, it’s comfy and quilted. But inside its fabric layers are water-filled tubes that heat and cool each side of your bed throughout the night—yes, that means your partner’s side can be cool while your side is warm (a huge perk for us!)

 On top of the heating and cooling, the device tracks your biometrics—heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep stages, breathing (even snoring)—and uses that data to automatically adjust temperature in real time. Plus, it has an alarm system that you can opt to gently wake you up with a buzzing sensation when you’re in a lighter sleep cycle, within a half-hour of your wake-up time. 

An AI feature, called Autopilot, learns your patterns and makes personalized recommendations each morning on how you can better optimize your day and bedtime for an even better night’s sleep the next night.

 Celebrity fans include Courteney Cox (“That was a big splurge that I love, it’ll change your life”) and Mel B (“It’s genius”), plus Halle Berry, Rita Ora and Molly Sims.

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Perimenopause Symptoms Can Be Triggered By These 10 Surprising Things

If you’ve recently entered perimenopause, know you are not alone. Nearly 2 million women begin perimenopause in the U.S. each year—the transition phase before menopause when hormone levels begin to fluctuate, often causing symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes and irregular periods. Like most developmental stages women experience throughout their lifetime, symptoms can sometimes be […]

Why I decided to try the Eight Sleep Pod

I’ll be honest: When I first heard “smart mattress cover,” it sounded like a glorified electric blanket for tech bros. But I love a sleep tracker and I love my hot water bottle—and my boyfriend would be happy sleeping every night at the Ice Hotel. Most importantly, I was desperate to put the kibosh on my nighttime wake-ups—and the science turned out to be pretty enticing.

Perimenopause or no, here’s the part I didn’t know about being on hormonal birth control: It actually shifts your core body temperature upward—and explains why I like a warm bed. “Women on hormonal birth control prefer warmer Pod temperatures. That matches the research showing that when you’re on hormonal birth control, your core temperature is actually warmer,” says Nicole Moyen, PhD, Eight Sleep’s director of science and clinical research. “Your whole thermoregulatory range has shifted upward, which is probably why temperatures that used to feel fine now feel too cold.”

And my sleep disruption could be a clue that I am indeed approaching perimenopause. Sarah de la Torre, MD, a double board-certified ob-gyn and chief medical officer at Joylux, a women’s health tech company focusing on intimate wellness, analyzed symptoms from more than 23,000 women and found nearly 40 percent of perimenopausal women reported sleep disruption—before their cycles even became irregular. “Women may be losing sleep, struggling with focus and feeling emotionally off while still being told by their providers that they are ‘not there yet,'” she says.

Eight Sleep Pod setup: How do you know if you’re a hot or cold sleeper?

The app starts by asking a number of questions about your age and lifestyle and whether you run hot or cold—and fair warning, you’re probably going to get this wrong. “People tend to think they’re a much colder sleeper than they are by our definition,” says Moyen. “A lot of times people will override our recommendations and make it much colder—and then they’ll wake up way too cold.” (I absolutely did this on night one. I went hot at first and had to adjust it slightly cooler, which seemed to make a noticeable difference.) The system draws on millions of nights of user data to calibrate its initial recommendations, so you might want to give it the ol’ college try before you start overriding.

How Eight Sleep helps with perimenopause hot flashes

While whether or not I’m in perimenopause remains TBD, what I have learned is that the intersection of sleep and pre-menopausal symptoms like temperature spikes is real. Your brain has a thermoregulatory comfort zone, and from perimenopause, that zone becomes smaller. “What happens in menopause is that range narrows [even further],” says Moyen. “Even though it’s a really slight lowering of core temperature—about 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit—we’re lowering [the Pod temperature] enough to keep people from exceeding it and triggering a hot flash.” 

That’s right, if you do wake up with a hot flash, double-clicking the center button on the side of your mattress cover activates “Hot Flash Mode”, which rapidly cools the Pod to its coldest temperature, then gradually rewarms you. “A lot of members said: ‘I’m getting up, I’m drenched in sweat, I cool myself off and then I get back in bed and I’m freezing,'” says Moyen. “The nice thing is it cools really rapidly and then rewarms you to help you fall back asleep.”

In Eight Sleep’s study of peri- and postmenopausal women, nighttime hot flashes dropped 56 percent after just 14 nights—and that’s from simply sleeping on the Pod, not even from actively using the hot flash mode.

The 3 a.m. wake-up problem: temperature or anxiety—or both?

This is the part that surprised me most. My wake-ups never felt like hot flashes. They felt like anxiety. Turns out, those might be the same thing. “The hypothalamus governs both your body’s thermostat and your sleep-wake cycle, and during perimenopause, the neurons that become hyperactive from estrogen and progesterone loss sit right next to the area that controls how and when you fall asleep,” says neurologist Romie Mushtaq, MD, ABIHM, author of The Busy Brain Cure. “What feels like waking up anxious and what feels like a temperature spike are often the same hypothalamic event expressing itself in two different ways.”

Your core body temperature naturally makes a U-shape during the night, dipping in the middle and rising toward morning. In perimenopausal women, that curve flattens with age. “The Pod essentially helps to restore that U—and that’s what’s necessary for good deep sleep, good REM sleep, reducing wakenings,” says Moyen. In Eight Sleep’s research, insomnia improved by 45 percent at one month and that improvement held at 6 months.

Dr. de la Torre puts the stakes plainly: “When you fix the waking, you fix so much more. Better sleep means clearer thinking the next day, a more stable mood, more energy. Sleep isn’t a nice-to-have during perimenopause. It’s the foundation for how women feel, think and function in every other part of their day.”

What my Eight Sleep data showed

After two months of using the Eight Sleep Pod 5, my deep sleep has improved—by as much as 21 percent—as has my HRV (the longevity metric du jour) and average resting heart rate. The Autopilot AI, which tracks heart rate, HRV, sleep stages and the previous night’s quality, adjusts each night’s temperature accordingly and sends a plain-language morning summary—less a score and more an actual explanation of what happened and why. One caveat: If your 9-year-old crawls in bed at 3 a.m., you may find yourself reading her sleep data instead of yours. “We’re going to be tracking whoever’s in the bed—pets included,” says Moyen.

Is it worth it?

Courteney Cox called it a “big splurge.” And you know if she’s calling it a splurge, it really is one. At $2,399 (currently on sale from $2,799), she’s not wrong. But she also called it life-changing, and if you’re on hormonal birth control, perimenopausal or menopausal and have tried everything else to keep you asleep, it just might be worth it. (The Eight Sleep site is often running deals, too.)

One thing the Pod can’t do: treat the underlying hormonal cause. “A cooling mattress may help you feel more comfortable tonight, but it is not treating the root cause,” says Dr. Mushtaq, who recommends women also ask their doctors about a full hormone panel—estradiol, progesterone, testosterone—and a frank conversation about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), now called menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). “For the right candidate, HRT addresses the neurobiological root of why sleep is falling apart in the first place.”

For me, a working mom who feels like she’s always juggling, the 3 a.m. wake-ups haven’t disappeared entirely. But they’ve become rare—and on the nights they do happen, I know what to do. That alone feels like enough.

If your Sunday schedule keeps ending with a pit in your stomach instead of a calm slide into Monday, there’s a name for that feeling—and experts say it’s worth paying attention to. The “Sunday scaries” are showing up in conversations with psychologists who say the way you spend Sunday can either fuel that dread or quiet it.

What are the Sunday scaries and how does your Sunday schedule fit in?

The Sunday scaries are feelings of dread, nervousness, sadness or anxiousness about the upcoming workweek, and they can start as early as Saturday, according to Angela Ficken, a Boston psychotherapist who spoke with The Healthy.

“The Sunday scaries are when you feel a sense of dread, nervousness, sadness or anxiousness about the upcoming week,” Ficken said.

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Briana Severine, founder of Sanare Psychosocial Rehabilitation, told The Healthy that the response is rooted in biology that hasn’t kept up with modern life. “In today’s modern world, our fight or flight response is not often triggered by an approaching hungry tiger—but by the pressures and deadlines of our jobs and the financial security they provide,” Severine said.

The dread isn’t only about deadlines and meetings, though. Dr. Stefanie Mazer, a licensed psychologist, told Pure Wow that the stillness of a Sunday can surface deeper unease about identity and self-worth.

“The quiet of Sunday can bring up things you’ve been avoiding all week: fear of not being good enough, guilt about not doing more, or anxiety about being judged,” Mazer said. “It’s not just dread about tasks, it’s dread about the version of yourself you have to put back on.”

In practical terms, Sundays often trigger anticipatory stress about Monday, mental “task loading” for the week ahead and a shift from personal time back into performance mindset. That mental gear-shift is part of why a Sunday schedule that ignores the transition can leave you feeling worse by evening, not better.

Why does the mismatch between your weekend and weekday rhythm make it worse?

Sunday dread tends to spike when your weekend rhythm and your weekday rhythm don’t match—and that mismatch is often baked into the structure of the days themselves.

According to The Healthy’s reporting, the scaries get louder when weekends are unstructured and rest-heavy while weekdays are rigid and high-demand, and when sleep schedules shift significantly between the two. The bigger the gap between how Saturday feels and how Monday feels, the harder the landing.

A second driver is what therapists describe as “open loops”—unresolved emails, chores or decisions that quietly accumulate. Sunday becomes the “inventory check” moment when all of those unfinished items surface at once, often right when you’re trying to relax.

Then there’s the sleep anxiety loop. Trouble falling asleep, racing thoughts about an early Monday wake-up and the pressure of “I need to fall asleep now” feed each other—and a restless Sunday night reinforces the dread the following week.

Mazer’s framing helps explain why this hits so hard on Sunday specifically. The week’s noise has quieted, leaving room for the worries that distraction kept at bay. If your Sunday schedule is essentially “do nothing, then panic at 9 p.m.,” that quiet stretch is doing double duty as both your only rest and your weekly anxiety review.

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How can a better Sunday schedule reduce Monday dread?

A more intentional Sunday schedule—built around a short preview, less Monday-morning friction and a consistent wind-down—can take meaningful pressure off the start of the week, according to the grounding strategies outlined in The Healthy’s reporting.

The first piece is a brief Sunday “preview,” capped at 10 to 15 minutes. The point isn’t to plan every hour of the week; it’s to close some of those open loops by scanning your calendar, flagging non-negotiables and noting anything that needs a heads-up. Keeping it short matters—a sprawling planning session can tip from helpful into anxiety-amplifying.

Second, reduce Monday-morning friction the night before. That includes setting out clothes, prepping lunches and doing a quick calendar check so the first 30 minutes of your week don’t double as a scramble. Fewer small decisions in the morning means less momentum for the dread to build on.

Third, create a consistent Sunday wind-down window. A repeatable signal to your body and brain—same rough time, same kinds of activities—helps narrow the gap between weekend and weekday rhythms that experts identify as a core trigger. Stabilizing your sleep schedule across Sunday and Monday is especially important if racing thoughts at bedtime are part of your pattern.

None of these tactics erase the underlying pressures Severine described, and they aren’t meant to. But a Sunday schedule that acknowledges the transition—instead of pretending Monday won’t arrive—gives the scaries less room to take over the evening.

If you’ve ever woken up from a strange, vivid dream and thought what was that about? Good news. Science is finally catching up to that question, and the answers are actually pretty fascinating.

It turns out your dreams aren’t just the weird movie your brain plays while you’re out. They’re one of the most honest signals you’ve got about how well you’re actually resting. And new research suggests scientists can now nudge that signal in measurable ways.

Many people trying to improve their sleep start with their breathing. If you haven’t come across the 4-7-8 method and what it does for rest, it’s worth a look alongside everything else here.

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Wellness

How Much REM Sleep Do You Need? And How to Get More of Nature’s Best Medicine

Deeper sleep = a happier you!

How dreams connect to sleep quality

Here’s the part that might surprise you. A February 2026 Northwestern University study published in Neuroscience of Consciousness found that researchers could actually steer dream content using targeted sound cues during REM sleep.

Problems that showed up in those engineered dreams were solved at a rate of 42%, compared to just 17% for problems that didn’t. Your brain is putting in real work while you sleep, and your dreams are part of that work.

REM sleep makes up roughly 20 to 25% of a typical night and is when your most vivid, emotionally charged dreams happen, per NIH sleep physiology research. What you experience in those dreams can reflect what’s going on under the hood, from how well you’re processing memories to how your nervous system is handling stress.

Why vivid dreams might actually be a good sign

This one tends to surprise people. A March 2026 PLOS Biology study found that more immersive dreaming during a lighter sleep stage called NREM2 was linked to a preserved sense of sleep depth, even as the body’s natural drive for sleep eased off through the night.

Translation: waking up from a rich, detailed dream doesn’t mean your sleep was bad. It may mean the opposite. People who wake from vivid dreams often feel genuinely rested, and this research helps explain why. So if you’re one of those people who dreams in full storylines and wakes up remembering all of it, you don’t necessarily have anything to worry about.

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Why recurring nightmares are worth paying attention to

Now for the flip side. If your dreams regularly skew toward distress, that pattern is telling you something.

A 2026 Journal of Sleep Research study of 654 adults found nightmare frequency was significantly higher among poor sleepers, with stress sharpening that link. The more tension you’re carrying into bed, the more likely nightmares are to show up and the more they tend to track with genuinely disrupted rest.

One bad dream after a hard day? Totally normal. But if nightmares are repeating, jolting you awake regularly or mirroring stressful moments from your waking life, that’s worth paying attention to and possibly worth mentioning to your doctor.

What different dream patterns might be telling you

Your dreams won’t give you a medical diagnosis, but they can work as a useful check-in:

• Vivid, emotionally rich dreams: Often a sign your brain is doing the good stuff, processing memories and emotions the way it’s supposed to.
• Recurring nightmares: A possible signal of elevated stress, broken REM cycles or something worth a conversation with your doctor.
• Rarely remembering dreams: Not automatically a problem, but a sudden drop in dream recall paired with waking up tired is worth tracking.
• Waking mid-dream feeling unsettled: May mean your sleep is being cut short before those REM cycles get to finish.

Simple habits that support better sleep and better dreams

The good news is that protecting your REM sleep doesn’t require a fancy tracker or a total lifestyle overhaul. A few habits make a real difference:

• Keep a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends. REM sleep concentrates in the later hours, so a steady schedule helps you get more of it.
• Go easy on alcohol close to bedtime. It suppresses REM and often triggers the kind of fragmented, unsettling dreams that leave you feeling rough in the morning.
• Give yourself a real wind-down routine. Stress is the most consistent driver of nightmare frequency in the research, so even 15 minutes of something calming before bed can shift things.
• Protect your total sleep time. REM happens mostly in the second half of the night, so cutting sleep short means cutting your dreams short too.

Your dreams won’t hand you a full picture of what’s happening while you sleep. But if you start noticing their tone, how often the bad ones show up and how you feel when you wake from them, you’ve got one of the more honest windows into your own rest that you probably didn’t know you had.

If you’ve seen the 4-7-8 breathing method come up on wellness TikTok or in conversations about sleep hygiene, you’re not imagining the uptick. As more people track heart rate variability on wearables and look for free ways to manage stress, this simple breathwork technique has quietly become one of the most searched tools in the nervous system regulation conversation.

Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. That’s the whole thing. But does it actually work? Here’s what the research says.

What the 4-7-8 breathing method is

Dr. Andrew Weil created the 4-7-8 breathing method as a modern take on pranayama, the ancient yogic tradition of controlled breathing. The pattern is exactly what it sounds like: inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts and exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 counts.

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You don’t need a device, an app or any training to try it. That accessibility is a big part of the appeal. But what actually makes it different from just taking slow, deep breaths is the specific structure of the hold and the exhale, which together trigger a real shift in how your body responds to stress.

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Anxiety hits fast. The relief, until recently, did not. A growing body of research now shows that simple, free techniques like humming, gargling and splashing cold water on your face can quiet your nervous system within minutes by stimulating the vagus nerve, your body’s longest cranial nerve.  Vagus nerve exercises have been named the number […]

How 4-7-8 breathing affects your nervous system

When you slow your breathing and extend the exhale, your body shifts away from the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) and toward the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). The long exhale in the 4-7-8 pattern directly stimulates the vagus nerve, which acts as your body’s built-in stress brake.

The 7-second breath hold adds another layer. Research suggests it raises vagal tone, which helps bring cortisol down and lifts heart rate variability. If you’re someone who checks HRV on an Oura Ring or WHOOP, you’re already watching this system. The 4-7-8 method is one of the few free daily habits that can directly influence it.

What studies show about 4-7-8 breathing for anxiety

The anxiety evidence is probably the strongest part of the 4-7-8 picture. A randomized controlled trial of 90 bariatric surgery patients found that those who practiced 4-7-8 breathing had significantly lower anxiety scores than both a group doing standard deep breathing and a control group. The fact that 4-7-8 outperformed generic deep breathing is notable, because it points to the specific ratio doing real work.

A 2025 scoping review that pulled together 15 studies found consistent evidence of reduced stress and anxiety, along with improved heart rate variability and blood pressure across the research.

Does the 4-7-8 method actually help you fall asleep faster

This is where it gets more nuanced. A 2025 study found that patients who practiced 4-7-8 breathing regularly saw their Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores fall from 13.33 to 4.93, which is a real clinical improvement in sleep quality.

That said, direct trials built around 4-7-8 breathing and sleep onset specifically are still thin. Most of what we know about this technique and sleep draws from the broader slow-breathing research base, which is credible but not identical. It’s also worth knowing that benefits tend to build over days to weeks of consistent practice rather than appearing after one session. Going in with that expectation will make a real difference in whether you stick with it.

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What to know before you try 4-7-8 breathing

A lab study of 43 healthy adults found that immediately after three sets of 4-7-8 breathing, heart rate dropped, blood pressure fell and heart rate variability rose. Those are measurable signs that the parasympathetic system engaged.

That said, the 7-second breath hold isn’t comfortable for everyone. If you have limited lung capacity, a respiratory condition or a cardiovascular concern, it’s worth checking with your doctor first. Beginners sometimes feel lightheaded when they start out, which is normal but worth knowing about.

A scaled-down version using a 2-3.5-4 second ratio is a gentler starting point and still delivers the extended exhale that drives most of the effect. You can work up to the full ratio as it becomes more comfortable.

Why the 4-7-8 breathing method is gaining ground in 2026

Nervous system regulation has moved firmly into the mainstream this year, and the 4-7-8 breathing method sits right at the center of that shift. People are tracking HRV, paying attention to cortisol and looking for practices that have actual research behind them rather than just influencer reach.

This technique checks those boxes without asking anything of your wallet or your schedule. For most healthy adults who give it a few consistent weeks, the evidence suggests it’s worth trying.

Jennifer Aniston has been open about her years-long battle with insomnia, and the actress credits one bedtime upgrade — a weighted blanket — with helping her finally get real rest. Here is what she has said about her nighttime routine and why readers keep asking about it.

Why does Jennifer Aniston call her weighted blanket a ‘game-changer’?

Aniston says sleeping under a weighted blanket has been a turning point in her quest for better sleep, calling it a “game-changer” in a 2023 interview with Real Simple.

“I have a weighted blanket and that is another game-changer,” the Morning Show star said. “I got one about two years ago, and that’s very helpful for sleep.”

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Aniston has been candid that sleep did not always come easily to her. She told Women’s Health in 2023 that her struggles began roughly a decade and a half ago, and that the consequences crept into nearly every corner of her life before she made changes. “My sleep started to suffer 10 or 15 years ago,” she said. “I realized I don’t feel good, and I’m not performing the way I should be performing when I didn’t sleep well. My workouts are suffering. My work and memorization is not on point. My skin my hair my everything starts to pay the price for your lack of sleep, which accumulates over time. You can’t catch up on sleep.”

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What is a weighted blanket and how does it work?

A weighted blanket is a blanket filled with materials like glass beads or plastic pellets that make it significantly heavier than a regular comforter, typically ranging from about 5 to 30 pounds.

The added weight is designed to create gentle, even pressure across the body, often referred to as “deep pressure stimulation.” That sensation is thought to promote a feeling of calm and relaxation by encouraging the nervous system to shift into a more restful state, similar to the comfort of being hugged or swaddled.

People use weighted blankets for a few different reasons: to help unwind before bed, to reduce feelings of restlessness or to try to improve overall sleep quality. The strength of the scientific evidence varies, and results can differ from person to person. Weighted blankets are generally used as a comfort tool rather than a medical treatment, and they tend to work best when chosen at an appropriate weight for the user’s body size.

For Aniston, the appeal seems to line up with that broader goal of calming the body before bed. She has described going to bed during her worst stretches of insomnia as “almost like walking the plank,” she told People in 2022 — a feeling many readers searching for sleep solutions will recognize. Tools that create a sense of physical security, like a weighted blanket, fit naturally into a routine built around easing into rest rather than forcing it.

It is worth noting that a weighted blanket is not a cure-all. Aniston pairs hers with a long list of other habits — a consistent bedtime, a hot bath, meditation, stretching and even putting her phone in another room. The blanket is one input, not the whole system.

She also emphasizes that getting professional input matters. “I just wasn’t thinking clearly, and my doctor was so helpful,” Aniston told SELF in 2022, adding that she “absolutely recommends people do” see a doctor for ongoing sleep issues. “Sleep is usually the last question on the list when you’re at the doctor’s because everything else seems more important. And now it’s the first question on my list. Everything starts with sleep. If I haven’t slept properly, my exercise is crap and my diet is out the window. I’m just diminishing returns.”

What is Jennifer Aniston’s nighttime routine for better sleep?

Jennifer Aniston’s nighttime routine centers on consistency, screen-free wind-down time and a sequence of calming rituals — including her weighted blanket — that she tries to start about two hours before she wants to be asleep.

The first step is getting her phone out of reach. “My phone goes into the kitchen or the bathroom. I walk the dogs. I lock all the doors. I’m really trying to be in bed at eleven o’clock,” Aniston told SELF in 2022. From there, she layers in self-care: a hot bath when she can fit one in, stretches, yoga, meditation and prayer before sleep.

The routine is intentional, and the motivation is the payoff she feels the next day. “When I make myself do that ritual, that nightly routine, I just know how good I’m going to feel the next day. And that inspires me,” Aniston told Women’s Health.

Early call times for film and TV shoots force adjustments, but they do not break the ritual. “When I do have to go to work and I have that awful wake-up hour, I am so good about doing my nightly routine and my nightly ritual. I’ll start it two hours before I know I have to be asleep,” she said. “I can do it and I actually feel more refreshed when I wake up at those awful hours.”

She acknowledges that on-set life sometimes throws everything off, especially during the late-week shifts the industry calls “Fraturdays.” “It’s a little destructive to the old body clock, to say the least,” she told SELF. “But when I have the luxury of maintaining my routine, it’s everything.”

How did Jennifer Aniston deal with insomnia and sleepwalking?

Aniston has talked openly about both insomnia and sleepwalking, and she credits a combination of professional medical advice, a stricter bedtime routine and a shift in how she values rest with helping her get her sleep back on track.

She told People that her sleep issues likely started in her 30s, even though the consequences took years to register. “I think it started somewhere in my 30s or even earlier, but you just don’t start to notice the effects of a lack of sleep when we’re younger because we’re so invincible,” Aniston said. “It began as something that I would just accept and then all of a sudden you realize the effects of your lack of sleep and how it affects your day and your work and your mind function and your physique.”

The sleepwalking got serious enough that house alarms became part of the story. “I have been known to do that. I’ve been woken up by house alarms going off that I’ve set off. And I don’t think I do that anymore — that was when I was super sleep deprived,” she told People, adding that “at least there’s that silver lining” to her sleep issues. “The body is saying, ‘Now don’t go out and set the alarm off again, OK?’”

Insomnia, meanwhile, started to undercut the rest of her health goals. “It became something that I really was struggling with,” she told People. “It used to be the last thing on the list, but you can’t really abide by the three pillars of health — which are diet, exercise and sleep — if you can’t really exercise and you can’t really eat right if you haven’t slept well because your body clock is so completely thrown off.”

Seeing a doctor was a turning point. “I just wasn’t thinking clearly, and my doctor was so helpful,” Aniston told SELF, adding that she recommends others do the same.

She also wants the message about rest to land for parents, especially those who routinely sacrifice their own sleep. “Even with my mom friends who are running on fumes because of the time that they put toward their kids, all of their self-care comes afterwards and they have no time to recover,” Aniston said. “And then eventually they just feel that their patience is less, and they don’t have the tolerance level that they want. I think it’s just about shifting your perspective a bit and understanding that self-care is not selfish — it’s a positive because you are able to really be present and useful to your family when you are well rested.”

Sleep tourism is booming in 2026 as travelers book vacations built around a single goal: actually sleeping well. A growing list of U.S. hotels and wellness resorts now offer full sleep retreat packages featuring smart beds, blackout rooms, guided recovery treatments and personalized coaching.

What is a sleep retreat and why is sleep tourism growing?

A sleep retreat is a hotel or wellness-resort stay designed around improving rest, typically combining a sleep-optimized room environment with treatments, coaching and programming aimed at helping guests fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and recover from chronic sleep deficits.

The trend is being driven by a widespread sleep problem in the United States. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2025 Sleep in America Poll found that six in 10 adults do not get the recommended seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. Nearly four in 10 struggle to fall asleep at least three nights a week, and almost half wake up often during the night.

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Wellness

What Are the Best Wellness Retreats USA Has to Offer?

The 2026 travel-planning window is open, and a growing crowd of travelers is skipping international flights in favor of stateside reset trips. The best wellness retreats USA visitors can reach without a passport now rival anything overseas — think Utah canyon spas, Hawaiian island sanctuaries and Sonoran Desert programs built around movement, nourishment and rest. […]

More time in bed is not solving the problem. A 2025 ValuePenguin analysis found U.S. adults now average nine hours of sleep per day, up from eight hours and 28 minutes two decades ago — but the National Sleep Foundation warns that more hours under the covers does not necessarily translate to better rest.

The stakes go beyond feeling groggy. The same NSF study found adults with good sleep satisfaction are nearly twice as likely to flourish in life compared to those dissatisfied with their sleep.

“Poor sleep health is a major risk factor for lower well-being across multiple areas of life,” said Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, the NSF’s senior vice president of research. “Prioritizing sleep health can improve mental health, workplace efficiency, and stronger personal relationships.”

John Lopos, CEO of the foundation, framed it even more broadly. “Sleep is fundamental to thriving across many aspects of life,” he said. “These results reinforce how crucial positive sleep health is to basic achievements that go beyond physical health.”

That gap between hours spent in bed and actual quality rest is exactly what sleep retreats are designed to close. Rather than relying on a traditional spa weekend or a generic wellness package, sleep-focused stays target the specific environmental and behavioral factors — light, temperature, noise, stress, circadian rhythm — that determine whether time in bed turns into restorative sleep.

Which US hotels offer the best sleep retreat packages in 2026?

Seven U.S. properties stand out for offering dedicated sleep retreat programs, spanning Hawaii, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Florida’s Gulf Coast.

• Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort (Lanai, Hawaii): Offers a five-night Rest and Recovery Package. Before arrival, guests complete a questionnaire, track their sleep and connect with a Sensei Guide to build a personalized itinerary. The package includes one-on-one support from Sensei Guides and practitioners, two 90-minute spa treatments, forest bathing, breathwork, yoga, a session at Lānaʻi Adventure Park, luxury accommodations and dining by Nobu.
• Smyth Tribeca (New York): The SleepMore at Smyth package focuses on in-room upgrades — 10% off room rates, breakfast in bed from Smyth Tavern, magnesium sleep spray, a sleep-promoting tea, plush pillow selection and a concierge-arranged visit to The Mysterious Bookshop for bedtime reading. The package must be booked by phone.
• Hotel Figueroa (Los Angeles): The Rest & Recovery Suite features custom Pluto pillows, an AI-powered Eight Sleep mattress for temperature control, Molekule air purifiers, Bollsen Life+ earplugs and Rookie Wellness sleep sticks. Its Slumber in Style package adds a limited-edition OSEA Malibu Sleep Kit with vagus nerve oil, bath oil, pillow mist and a branded sleep mask.
• Carillon Miami Wellness Resort (Miami): The four-night Sleep Well Retreat, created with Bryte, centers on the Bryte Balance smart bed. It includes daily breakfast and lunch, a one-bedroom luxury apartment stay, a 50-minute pro sleep body treatment, four touchless wellness treatments, access to the Sleep Well Touchless Circuit and a welcome gift with Rebecca Robbins’ book “Sleep for Success!” The resort houses one of the largest spas on the East Coast at more than 70,000 square feet.
• Equinox Hotel New York: Built by the team behind Equinox gyms with sleep optimization in mind. All rooms include motorized blackout curtains, temperature-regulating duvets, soundproofing and high-end mattresses. The two-night Art + Science of Sleep experience adds an AM + PM Rituals program, melatonin-supporting food and beverage delivery, two cryotherapy treatments and access to the Spave Wave Table, which the property says “provides the equivalent of 3 hours of sleep in just 30 minutes.”
• Sandpearl Resort (Clearwater Beach, Florida): Offers Nap Therapy, a spa session that uses hydraulic beds simulating zero gravity, aromatherapy and constant light massage. Guests are encouraged to fall asleep during the treatment.
• The Benjamin (New York): The Rest & Renew program includes a multi-option pillow menu, noise machines, blackout curtains, triple-pane windows, a 24-hour sleep team, wake-down calls, in-room pampering and on-demand guided meditation.

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What do sleep retreat packages typically include?

Most sleep retreat packages combine three core elements: a sleep-optimized room environment, hands-on wellness treatments and personalized guidance from sleep experts or wellness practitioners.

On the room side, properties focus on controlling the four biggest disruptors of sleep — light, temperature, sound and air quality. Equinox Hotel New York equips every room with motorized blackout curtains, temperature-regulating duvets and soundproofing. Hotel Figueroa pairs an AI-powered Eight Sleep mattress for temperature control with Molekule air purifiers and Bollsen Life+ earplugs. The Benjamin uses triple-pane windows to block midtown Manhattan noise, plus a pillow menu featuring Swedish memory foam options, water-filled pillows and a five-foot body pillow.

Treatments vary widely. Carillon Miami’s package includes a 50-minute pro sleep body treatment and four touchless wellness treatments. Equinox layers in two cryotherapy treatments designed to reduce cortisol, plus access to the Spave Wave Table. Sandpearl Resort takes the most literal approach with Nap Therapy, a spa session on a zero-gravity hydraulic bed where guests are encouraged to fall asleep mid-treatment.