Trouble sleeping? You’re not alone. 

As many as 16 million UK adults have admitted that they struggle to sleep through the night, and it’s a problem that impacts women more than men. In the US, the numbers are even more dire: up to 70 million adults could have a sleep disorder, the most common diagnosis being insomnia. 

One of those 70 million American adults who have trouble sleeping soundly is Eva Mendes. The actress has admitted that she has battled sleep issues for several years, but has finally found something that helps her get to sleep.

“I just don’t sleep well,” she told Yahoo!. That all changed when Mendes purchased a white noise machine, which she uses in her house with partner Ryan Gosling and daughters Esmeralda and Amada. 

“White noise machines are lifesavers in our house,” Mendes explained. “I use them anytime the kids are sleeping, whether it’s a nap or at night time because then you’re allowed to actually have a life or a conversation without waking the kids up, or you can actually have people over while they’re sleeping.”

Mendes explained that she has gotten so used to the white noise machine that she now travels with one wherever she goes. “[They] are the answer to so many of our problems,” Mendes said. “You know, if there’s barking dogs next door or if there’s construction in the area. It’s just life-saving. Now when I travel and I’m not with the kids, I take on with me anyways because I’m really used to it and it really helps.”

The success of the white noise machine has led the actress to invest in another piece of sleep tech: a red light machine.

“I just made this purchase so I’ll let you know how it goes,” Mendes said. “But I’ve been reading a lot about red light therapy. I recently bought a red light device that is supposed to improve your quality of sleep, improve circulation amongst many other things. So I’m going to try that and see if that is my new relaxation tool.” 

Red light is far less harsh and abrasive than other lights, in particular, the blue light that is emitted from screens, which is why it can be so successful in combatting sleep disorders. Using a red light machine at night could help kickstart your body’s circadian rhythm and ease you into your sleep cycle. 

Mendes isn’t the only celebrity who suffers from sleep-related issues. George Clooney has admitted that he often wakes up five times throughout the night, while Kim Cattrall had to withdraw from appearing in a play in London because of her insomnia.

In an interview with the BBC, Cattrall said her insomnia felt “like being pinned down by a three tonne gorilla” and that it impacted her whole life. “I think I’m losing the ability to think clearly,” Cattrall has said of her sleep problems. “Words are harder to remember without sleep… Without sleep, there is no way to wash away the debris that collects throughout any given day, no way to clear and cleanse the thoughts that bracket morning through night.” 

Some celebrities have found remedies for their insomnia. For Jennifer Aniston, meditation has proven a very successful tool, as has putting away all her electronic devices an hour before getting into bed. Aniston has a hack whereby she places her phone five feet away from her when she sleeps, which has helped her in her battle against insomnia. 

It’s not dissimilar to the routine used by Arianna Huffington, someone who has been fascinated with sleep and how it impacts every aspect of our lives for several years now. Huffington had a charging dock for her devices built that resembles a teeny tiny bed, complete with pillows and blankets, where she leaves all her technology overnight. 

“You put your phone under the blanket, and you tuck it in and say goodnight,” Huffington explained. The idea is to put distance between you and your devices, and remind yourself that the evenings are a time to switch off.  It might sound extreme, but anything that helps people get more sleep is a good thing in our books. 

Images: Getty, Unsplash