Why You Can Trust CNET Mother's Day Gifts for Tired Moms
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to give mom the best gift of all: more sleep.
Let's face it: we're all tired, especially the selfless and overworked moms and motherly figures in our lives. Consistent, quality sleep is essential to our overall health and well-being, but it can be particularly challenging for sleep-deprived moms with too much on their plates. This Mother's Day, treat your tired mom with a gift to help her relax and get more restful shut-eye. Here's a roundup of our favorite sleep products, tested by CNET's sleep experts.
Lightweight, incredibly soft and 100% vegan, this blanket is perfect for a cozy snooze. CNET sleep editor Caroline Igo and her dog have been snuggling with this blanket for over five years, and despite countless washes, it still feels as soft as the day she got it.
The outside is softer than traditional faux fur, and the inside is made of velvety comfort. It comes in a variety of colors to complement any space. Normally $109, you can get a medium-size Lil' Marsh Blanket for $99 this Mother's Day.
Sometimes, the best gifts are also the simplest. Awarded as CNET's best overall sleep mask for 2024, Drowsy's 100% pure silk sleep mask is a great gift to help mom block everything out and get some quality shut-eye. Made of premium materials, this cloud-like sleep mask is double-padded and fits comfortably without causing pressure on the eyes.
"I found that it didn't slip off my face while I slept like other masks tend to and the fluffy padding made it have a total blackout effect," says CNET's Caroline Igo.
A white noise machine may be the key to helping mom achieve deeper sleep, waking up rested and restored. The Homedics SoundSleep Machine, chosen as CNET's best overall white noise machine for 2024, is an affordable and easy-to-use device that provides soothing sleep sounds, such as white noise, and calming nature sounds like rain, ocean waves and thunder.
CNET's Angela Lang says one of the best features is that the Homedics Sound Spa is lightweight and portable, so mom can take it with her while traveling or even move it around the house, from the bedroom to the nursery.
New moms know how difficult it can be to sleep soundly with a baby. CNET’s Giselle Castro-Sloboda uses the Hatch Rest+ to help put her son to sleep in their shared bedroom, and it has worked like a dream. Easily controlled by an app on your phone, the Hatch can play gentle lullabies, white noise and nature sounds and even lets you play bedtime messages recorded by you or other family members. “I tried out this function when my husband was away on a work trip recently, and our son loved hearing his voice in his absence,” says Giselle.
Hatch is currently offering 15% off the Hatch+ 2nd Gen. Hatch also offers a 30-day trial period so you can find the right sounds and unwind routines for helping the little ones sleep -- which means mom can too.
If the mom in your life needs some extra relaxation, essential oils can help promote calm and sleep. An essential oil spritz offers the same benefits of an oil diffuser without the device. A bottle of oil spritz can be applied to bedding, linens, sleep masks, clothes or yoga mats. “I love spraying my pillows and sheets with the Sleep Spritz from Alevan Botanica,” says sleep editor Caroline Igo. “It is handmade in small batches from a local studio in Central Illinois. Not only do I like supporting small businesses, but the Sleep Spritz is my favorite due to its smell and ingredients.”
The calming spray contains lavender, chamomile and vetiver, and the scent isn't too strong. When applied to bedding, it encourages restful sleep.
These mood sodas from Recess are a personal nightly ritual favorite of CNET's Jessica Rendall -- not only do they taste great, but the natural ingredients help her relax and wind down. "They're like the sleepy girl mocktail, but you can buy from the grocery store," Jessica explains.
Recess offers a variety of delicious drinks and powders with flavors like strawberry rose, peach ginger, black cherry and blood orange. Consider a sampler pack if you're unsure which flavor mom would like. Regardless, the sparkling water infused with magnesium and adaptogens can help her feel calm, cool and collected.
A single purchase of the eight-pack costs $30, and Recess offers a biweekly 12-pack subscription for $40.
If mom suffers from allergies in the spring and summertime -- say she has pets or enjoys spending time outdoors -- or often wakes up feeling especially dry, then Canopy's Bedside Humidifier can help. Using sensors, the humidifier monitors and provides the optimal relative humidity in the bedroom while providing a soft and soothing white noise sound.
Its UV lights kill 99.9% of bacteria and inhibit mold growth, hydrating the room with clean air. The disposable paper filters also trap any lingering allergens or particles. To top it off, the Bedside Humidifier from Canopy also promotes more restful sleep with its signature Unwind aromatherapy essential oils, free from harmful ingredients.
I've used this humidifier for over a year, and I particularly love using the amazing-smelling aromas to help me relax and unwind. The white noise of the machine also lulls me to sleep, and I feel that it's decreased my allergen issues overall (especially since we share the bed with our pets and their dander).
Canopy's Bedside Humidifier is $150. Bundled with the filter and aroma subscription, it has a one-time cost of $125 and a $25 subscription fee every 45 days.