When a friend recently shared an article about ‘getting paid to take naps’ by a sleep health company on a group chat, reflexively, everyone had the same thought: dream job.

Forget being compensated for it, getting enough sleep—a restful, deep one at that—does sound like a dream. Most of us are sleep deprived. A study conducted in 2019 by activity tracker maker Fitbit revealed that India is the second-most sleep-deprived country globally, based on an aggregated data analysis from 18 countries globally, including Japan, Italy, Canada and more.

And not having enough undisturbed shut-eye (yes, no less than eight hours) can have drastic effects on our mind, body, personality and productivity. “Sleep is a source of healing in the human body. It has four stages: falling asleep stage, light sleep consolidation stage, deep sleep stage followed by Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, says Dr Karthiyayini Mahadevan, head of wellness and wellbeing at Columbia Pacific Communities, who stresses on the importance of REM sleep for the immune system and the physical regeneration process. If we do not sleep adequately, our body’s immune system will be compromised. “The generation of growth hormones and thyroid stimulating hormones which happens during deep sleep gets hampered. Therefore, growth in children, and tissue repair and rejuvenation in adults are affected. At the emotional level, one becomes susceptible to mood swings. At the mental level, one develops a risk of cognitive disabilities, shorter attention spans, difficulties in focusing and concentration, recalling and retrieving information from memory,” adds Dr Mahadevan.

Our plugged-in lifestyles, erratic work schedules and excessive screen time have pushed sleep too low on our priority list. And while the key to better sleep and a healthy mind and body is following a routine and sticking to the circadian rhythm, it’s okay to get a little external help from products that help us snooze peacefully. From meditation apps, tranquil sleep sprays to chewable melatonin gummies and sleep-inducing teas, here are our top picks to help you doze off.

Products that promote a good night’s sleep