People take a lot of pride in their bedroom abilities. Saatva takes great pride in crafting luxurious, handmade mattresses. To maintain the good work in both situations, the Saatva Classic features an innerspring construction very conducive to lovemaking. There are actually two coil types at play here: pocketed coils beneath the pillow top, and firmer traditional coils at the base. Pocketed coils are better at responding to the situation above them, as they can provide individualized support that homes in on high-weight areas. Whether that’s your lower back while you’re sleeping, or your hands and knees when you’re more active, pocketed coils are adaptable. Traditional coils are interwoven, so they compress together. While the overall support isn’t as targeted, it still has its merits in terms of durability, edge support, full-body pushback, and airflow, particularly when things get hot and heavy. Together, they create a surface that’s easy to move around on and gives you some bounce to work with, which you’ll appreciate more in the moment as opposed to sinking too much. Use that bounce to your advantage.
Buyers can choose from Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, or Firm. I’d recommend you stick to the firmer options to avoid overt sinking, which can be a buzzkill. You can also select your ideal mattress height, with options of either 11.5 inches or 14.5 inches. The variance in firmness and height also opens up this mattress for all kinds of couples to enjoy, not just for sex but for sleeping as well. Couples with different body types and sleeping positions can find an option that works for both, such as Luxury Firm, which would suit both side sleepers and stomach sleepers. Every Saatva Classic comes with an extra lumbar support layer and quilting, regardless of height or firmness. For added coziness, the Classic features an organic cotton pillow top that gently hugs the body.
The Saatva Classic ranges from $1,399 for a twin mattress to $3,078 for a split California king.
Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of “Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us” and the co-author of “The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care.” Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.
You probably wish you got more sleep, if only for the performance benefits. A study published in Sleep says if you only sleep for five to six hours you’re 19 percent less productive than people who regularly sleep for seven to eight hours, and if you only sleep five hours a night you’re nearly 30 percent less productive.
But if you’re also hoping to eat better, getting enough sleep is crucial. Research shows the two create a vicious circle: lack of sleep leads to a poorer diet, and a poorer diet leads to lack of sleep.
That premise probably resonates, but here’s some science to back it up. A study published in Sleep found that reduced sleep leads to a significant increase in eating. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound lack of sleep causes increased activity in your brain’s reward centers specific to food. Lack of sleep also change some of the hormones that signal when you’re full.
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So, yeah: If you don’t get enough sleep, your diet almost surely suffers, as anyone who stays up late and finds themselves craving junk food the next day can attest.
But then there’s this: A study published in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that diet has an effect on the quality and amount of sleep you get: Eating more fiber — whole grains, beans, certain vegetables and fruits, etc. — and less sugar and saturated fat results in better sleep at night.
And if you adopt the Mediterranean diet (lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry) a 2018 Sleep study indicates you’ll be one-third as likely to suffer from insomnia and nearly 1.5 times more likely to get a good night’s sleep.
Add it all up, and whether you start with the chicken or the egg, the cycle is the same. Don’t get enough sleep and you’re likely to eat more poorly, which makes it harder for you to get more sleep, and therefore more likely to eat poorly. The same is true if you eat poorly; getting enough sleep is harder, which will make it harder to eat healthier and to get enough sleep.
What about supplements, you ask? Plenty of people take melatonin to help them fall asleep. And that does work; a study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that people who take melatonin supplements tend to fall asleep around four minutes faster than those who don’t.
Which is great… except a more recent study found that maintaining a Mediterranean diet cut the time to fall asleep by 12 minutes, and led to significantly better sleep quality.
In short, supplements help.
But lifestyle changes help more.
So turn your diet and sleep into a virtuous rather than vicious cycle. Tonight, pick a time you will go to bed. Not go to sleep (because that’s harder to control), but go to bed. See bedtime not as the time you will definitely fall asleep, but the earliest time you go to sleep. (Unless you’re totally exhausted, you won’t fall asleep right away.)
Then just relax. Let your mind wander. Don’t think about going to sleep. Don’t to go to sleep. Just chill. If you want, try the Military Method to fall asleep faster. Or the 4-7-8 Method. Or spend 5 minutes writing tomorrow’s to-do list. All are science-backed ways to fall asleep faster.
And if it takes you a long time to fall asleep, that’s okay. Don’t take a nap the next day. Just go to bed at the same time. Again, see it as bed time, not sleep time, and just chill.
In time, your body (and more importantly, your mind) will start to adapt. You’ll start to get more and better, sleep.
Especially if you focus on eating healthier as well, because when you do that, you’ll naturally start to sleep better.
Which will make it a lot easier to keep eating healthier.
And turn sleep and diet into a virtuous cycle.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
That doesn’t mean exercise and nutrition aren’t important when it comes to building and maintaining muscle. “When I’m working with someone who’s really trying to build lean muscle, I always remind them that you have to hit protein macros, you have to lift heavy things, and you have to have high-quality sleep,” she explains. “You can’t build healthy, lean muscle without all three of those.”
As many as one in three American adults1 struggle to get a good night’s rest, and it’s safe to say most of them have tried a sleep aid at one point or another. Nightly sleep supplements can be a helpful addition to an otherwise solid sleep routine—if you choose the right one.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had trouble falling asleep. I’d often lay awake for two or three hours just waiting for sleep to come. Come morning I’d be exhausted, slugging through each hour, counting down the minutes until I could get back into bed. But of course, once bedtime came around, I’d feel stressed about not being able to fall asleep, and the viscous cycle would continue. About five years ago, I decided that this cycle had gone on long enough and it was time to get some help from a sleep aid.
Based on the findings, lighting could play more of a role in mental health than we thought, with participants who had increased light exposure at night showing an increased risk of psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression. Namely, light at night increased risk of depression by 30%, and similar patterns were also seen for self-harm, psychosis, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and PTSD.
If you’ve ever dealt with eczema, you know it’s more than just dry, itchy skin—it’s a full-body experience that can affect everything from your mood to your energy levels. But here’s something you might not realize: that persistent itch could be quietly sabotaging your sleep.
You know that week before your period when you’re inexplicably exhausted, yet somehow can’t stay asleep? When you’re snapping at everyone and can’t figure out why? Turns out, your hormones aren’t just messing with your mood—they’re quietly impacting your sleep, too.
Whenever I feel a little under the weather or sense that I’m coming down with something, these essential oil roll-on remedies are the first thing I turn to. These essential oil roll-on recipes are super simple to put together and really work. I’ll show you my favourite recipes to help relieve symptoms from headache, insomnia, and cold and flu viruses naturally!
Roll-on remedies are a quick and natural first line of defense against common (yet super annoying) ailments: headaches, disrupted sleep, and cold and flu viruses. They are made with high concentrations of herbs and essential oils in a gentle dilution of carrier oil that is convenient to use.
Today, I’ll share the three essential oil roll-on recipes that I turn to so I can avoid popping pills.
This post will cover…
Herbs have many different healing properties, depending on which you choose.
Do Roll-On Remedies Work?
In a word…yes!
Somehow, I’m always surprised at the effectiveness of my homemade roll-on remedies. Even though I use a lot of essential oils and remedies on myself and with my family, I still have the tiniest jolt of awe every time they work.
And why shouldn’t they? Herbal healing has been around for longer than me, or you, or Western Medicine, for that matter. The power of plants is something that you can easily harness into a pocket-sized roll-on bottle to help with little ailments before they get out of control.
I include essential oils in many of my recipes both for their scent and herbal properties.
Selecting Essential Oil for Your Roll-On Recipes
Before I give you the recipes for my roll-on remedies, I want to share a little about essential oil brands. I’m not affiliated with any essential oil network marketing companies and, to be honest, I’ve only tried a few of the products they offer.
Over the years, I have tried a large number of brands from traditional stores, though, and I like to shop around for different brands to experiment with. I use my nose and other senses to evaluate how the oils work for me.
I have researched and even chatted with the makers of a number of brands and have learned two things:
There is no certification or industry standard for essential oil brands, meaning the quality of the products is all over the map.
More expensive oils are not necessarily better. Some brands that have high price points have far inferior products than those with lower price points. Yes, ingredients are one reason for the price of the bottle, but that number is also influenced by marketing, customer demand, and supply scale, among other things. I used to bypass the inexpensive essential oils brands, thinking that they were of poor quality, when in fact the price of some brands is low because they produce so much that they are able to gain more economies of scale.
Do your research to ensure your essential oils are of good quality.
Are Roll-On Essential Oils Safe?
Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants, meaning they are supercharged with the plant’s aromas and herbal benefits. They’re potent and strong, one of my favourite herbal ingredients, and completely safe for use when used right.
When using essential oil roll-ons, it’s important to get the dose right. Typically, you never want to place pure essential oil directly on the skin. That is why I dilute it with a high-quality carrier oil to make it completely safe for skin application. Certain essential oils should also be avoided for skin use, such as cinnamon bark and oregano.
And as mentioned above, you want to make sure you’re using high-quality essential oils. So do your research into any brand before buying, regardless of price point. This will make certain that you’re actually getting results from your roll-on oil!
Essential oils will need carrier oils to be safely applied to the skin.
How to Use an Essential Oil Roll-On
I made three of my favourite roll-on remedies from the essential oils, and I used grapeseed oil as the carrier oil to dilute them.
To apply your roll-on oil, make sure to perform a patch test beforehand to see how your skin will react. To do this, wash your forearm with soap and pat it dry. Roll on your essential oil remedy and wait 24 hours to see if there is any kind of reaction.
I apply every one of my roll-on essential oils differently. Some I like on my face, behind my ears, on my chest, and even on the bottom of my feet. I noted for each roll-on oil how I like to use it, but experiment for yourself. Just make sure to keep the oils far enough away from your eyes!
So let’s put these oils to good use, shall we?
Headache Relief Roll-on Remedy
Add the drops of essential oil into the roller bottle and fill with grapeseed oil, leaving a bit of headspace for the roller cap. Pop the roller into the bottle and add the cap.
How to Use
When I first feel a headache coming on, I use this roll-on for headaches by creating a halo around my head. Rolling it around my hairline from my forehead to temple, around the nape of my neck, and back up to the starting point. If I catch a headache before it gets momentum, this remedy will help take it away.
Sleep Well Roll-on Remedy
Add the drops of essential oil into the roller bottle and fill with grapeseed oil, leaving a bit of headspace for the roller cap. Pop the roller into the bottle and add the cap.
How to Use
I apply this remedy before bed to help promote restful sleep. To use, I roll it behind my ears, the back of my neck, and the soles of my feet. I also apply hand and foot lotion at night, so I roll the ball in the palm of my hand, mix it in with the lotion, and then rub it into my hands and feet.
Cold and Flu Roll-on Remedy
Add the drops of essential oil into the roller bottle and fill with grapeseed oil, leaving a bit of headspace for the roller cap. Pop the roller into the bottle and add the cap.
This one has a lot more ingredients, but every drop is worth its weight in gold! Having gone through every single virus the last few years that my son was in daycare, I stopped getting 80% of them when I started using this combination.
How to Use
I apply this remedy in cold and flu season and when there is a virus going around. Usually, I roll it on my chest and the soles of my feet. I also use it as a hand sanitizer when I’m out in public and can’t wash my hands.
Thanks to their small size, you can bring these remedies with you on the go.
For fun, I added some fresh herbs to my essential oil roll-ons to help me identify them. I added a tip of young rosemary to the cold and flu remedy, and a few small peppermint leaves to the roll-on for headaches.
I also added small lavender flowers on the stem, plus some purple Centaurea Classic Artist Mix petals (because lavender doesn’t hold its colour in oil, but Centaurea does) to the sleep remedy.
Add fresh or dried botanicals for appearance.
But…you can go a bit more traditional by using a label maker to identify the name of each of the essential oil roll-on recipes, too.
Add labels, especially if you plan on gifting these remedies.
Either way, you’ll be sure to love these fantastic essential oil roll-ons. I recommend mixing them up so they are ready for you the next time you feel symptoms coming on. You’ll be thankful you did!
More Ways to Use Essential Oils
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
If you want to talk about a star student, valedictorian, and top of the class for latex mattresses, organic stalwart Avocado Green has a streak like no other. The core component of all the company’s beds, the Green Hybrid included, is latex. But Avocado goes so far as to throw down receipts on how organic, natural, and traceable it is–13 certifications (see them all here) is a ton of work to achieve, and Avocado’s piling them up like the “good job” stickers you used to get when acing a test.
WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson was in charge of putting the Avocado Green Hybrid to the test, and it scored a 9 out of 10 by the time he was done with it. Dunlop latex is the firmer type of latex (see our FAQs, below, for the different types typically used) and the basis for this bed, along with an organic cotton-and-wool cover and pocketed coils. Scott noticed that although the materials didn’t perform strongly in stopping motion and shaking when his kids jumped in, they did a near-perfect job of keeping him from feeling too warm or unsupported at the edges. An important note from his testing: The base Avocado Green model is the firmest and uses Dunlop latex to achieve this feel. Thus, it is better suited for stomach and back sleepers who often thrive with this level of support. For increased softness and pressure relief, side sleepers or those who prefer a softer feel have the option to choose either a pillow or a box top that uses softer-feeling Talalay latex. However, it does incur an extra charge.
Avocado Green ranges from $1,499 for a twin mattress to $2,899 for a California king.
Materials
Organic cotton cover, organic wool, organic Dunlop latex, organic Talalay latex (with addition of pillow or box top), pocketed coils
Firmness
Firm, medium (pillow top), firm (box top)
Certifications
Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Made Safe, EWG verified, GreenGuard Gold, Formaldehyde-Free Claim Verified by UL Environment, Responsible Wool Standard Certified, eco-Institut label certified, The Climate Label certified, 1% For The Planet, Certified B Corporation, Global Recycled Standard, Forest Stewardship Council certified
One way to do so, Afolabi-Brown says, is to build breaks into your schedule (like, actual breaks). “We have to create pauses in the day—and we have to do so intentionally,” she says. “The day is not going to give that to us.” In addition to taking breathers throughout the day, carving out time for a consistent wind-down routine, or “buffer zone,” before bed is key.
It’s no secret that sleep is essential for a number of our body’s functions—from cellular repair to muscle growth and, of course, brain health. And one study published in the journal Nature Communications just put forward some evidence on the link between sleep duration and dementia risk1 in middle-aged adults. Here’s what it found.
The difference, however, was in the quality of sleep. “We were particularly interested in investigating the properties of their deep sleep,” adds Cedernaes. “Specifically, we looked at slow-wave activity, a measure that can reflect how restorative deep sleep is. Intriguingly, we saw that deep sleep exhibited less slow-wave activity when the participants had eaten junk food, compared with the consumption of healthier food. This effect also lasted into a second night once we had switched the participants to an identical diet.”
Yogasleep Rohm+ Travel White Noise Machine for $50: This is a more refined, adult sound machine option that looks significantly more chic than your standard sound machine (if that matters to you, that is). The timer and white noise options are solid, but for the price and audio quality, Momcozy’s portable option runs circles around the Rohm+.
Baby Brezza Sleep and Soother for $25: This is super light, can run on batteries or be plugged in, and has 18 sleep sounds and three timer options (or it plays continuously). There’s also a night light with three brightness levels. —Medea Giordano
Yogasleep Hushh 2 Portable Sound Machine for $30: The Hushh 2 is another great portable sound machine that you should consider. It has six sounds, three timer options, and a nice night light for softly illuminating your bedside table or guiding your way to the bathroom. The brand says this model is its most durable sound machine. I didn’t fling it down the stairs, but it has held up to falling off my nightstand. —Medea Giordano
Lectrofan Evo for $60: Another solid option from the brand that makes our top pick. The Evo has a few more sound choices (like ocean noises) and looks nicer, but we prefer the buttons on the Classic. They’re better for fiddling with in the dark. This one also jumped in price recently. —Medea Giordano
Dreamegg D1 for $60: This one plays a lot of the same sounds as the D11 portable machine, with a handful more fans and a spectrum of noises. The control panel is matte and soft to the touch, and you can set it to play continuously or for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. I tried the white version, but you can get a few other nice colors on the Dreamegg site. The rim also lights up. —Medea Giordano
Encalife Sound Machine for $46: This little sound machine has a blue light that you can match your breathing to in order to relax. You’ll also likely find it on sale often, which is good because I wouldn’t spend too much on it—there are better options on this list for less. —Medea Giordano
Sound Machines to Avoid
Allway Aqua10 for $120: I love that this looks like a cute Marshall amp and works as a decent-sounding Bluetooth speaker for sleep sounds and anything else you want to listen to the rest of the day. You need the Allway app to access the sounds, which include crackling fires, busy cafes, a spectrum of colored noises, and a wide selection of instrumentals. They’ll play for anywhere from five to 120 minutes. The Aqua10 also has a humidifier function, which looks extremely cool paired with lights that illuminate the vapor like a fire. But I found it to be fussy and leaky, and it seemed to stop even though the reservoir was full. It’s no longer available on Amazon, which might say something about its longevity. —Medea Giordano
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Keep a White Noise Machine on All Night?
If you plan on keeping your white noise machine playing sound on loop all night, make sure first that it has the capacity to do so. Some machines run on 30-, 60-, or 90-minute timers that auto-shut off, while others are continuous.
Does a Fan Make a Good White Noise Machine?
In a pinch, you can use a desk or box fan in place of a white noise machine. It will create consistent noise (as well as temperature control for hot sleepers) to help you fall asleep. However, if you aren’t wanting to keep the room a bit cooler, or want more varied noise options, a sound machine’s the stronger choice.
How Does WIRED Select Models to Be Reviewed?
WIRED’s product recommendations are made in service to readers based on what’s new, popular, and useful on the market. While we do get a small cut of most sales when readers click to buy recommended products, choices are made independent of revenue considerations. Samples are either provided by the companies or purchased and expensed.
What Does WIRED Do With the Sound Machines After Testing Them?
Just like all products we test, including mattresses, pillows, sheets, and more, everything is donated to our local communities when testing is finished.
