By Poosh - view the original article here.
I slept with the Sleep Crown for the past month to see if the viral, over-the-head pillow is actually worth the money. As a self-diagnosed light sleeper, anything can wake me up (and keep me up): early morning light, loud neighbors, and the dreaded 2 AM anxious, racing thoughts. So when we started carrying the Sleep Crown on our Poosh shop, I decided to get one for myself to see if it could actually make a difference in my sleep quality or if it was just another expensive wellness fad.
The short answer
Yes, the Sleep Crown is worth it, especially if you’re a light sleeper like me, sensitive to light or sound, comforted by soft, gentle pressure, or someone whose brain gets loud when it’s time for bed. The cost might throw you off at first (that much for a pillow?), but IMO you can’t put a price tag on quality sleep. Also, the Sleep Crown isn’t really a “pillow” in the traditional sense. It’s more of an over-the-head sleep eye mask/stuffed animal hybrid that blocks light, muffles sound, and provides a gentle, comforting weight.
Keep reading for the full breakdown.
Why you should take sleep more seriously
For those of you who are not well-versed in sleepmaxxing, I’ll give you a short rundown of my sleep hygiene ritual. My current must-haves include a silk sleep eye mask, magnesium (a little shameless #notsponsored promo for Lemme Sleep– it’s the absolute best for restless nights), no screentime 30 minutes before bed, and breathing exercises. So yeah, I’m kind of a sleep guru at this point.
I used to be somewhat neglectful when it came to my sleep, but the more that I’ve learned, the stricter I’ve become with my bedtime routine. The stakes are high: consistent, quality sleep can have a direct impact on your health span and overall longevity.
In 2022 The American Heart Association added sleep to its “Life’s Essential 8,” its checklist for cardiovascular health. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 studies found that poor sleep quality and shorter sleep duration were significantly associated with higher levels of Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers. And then there’s the laundry list of other health metrics that are impacted by sleep: mood, metabolism, and immune function, to name just a few.
In short, your sleep is not something to treat lightly.
How I put the Sleep Crown to the test
Sunlight wakes me up most mornings. For context: my bedroom windows face the east, and I’ve procrastinated putting up curtains for the past couple of years. Even the top-reviewed sleep eye masks have somehow not been effective enough for me (especially after the elastic stretches out over time), so the Sleep Crown’s ability to block out light was put to the test immediately.
Does the Sleep Crown replace the need for a sleep mask? It depends. Like I said, I’m a light sleeper so the more sunlight that I can block out, the better. What I will say is that using it in addition to my sleep eye mask has made a huge difference. The nights that I purposely didn’t use the Sleep Crown (for testing purposes, of course) resulted in mornings where I was woken up by the sun rising and ended up using it anyway.
My partner is a heavier sleeper than I am, so I begrudgingly lent the Sleep Crown to him for a couple of nights to get his opinion. He said that it was more effective than his usual sleep mask, plus he described his experience sleeping with the Sleep Crown as “cozy” and “like being in a little cocoon.” I rest my case.
What about the Sleep Crown’s ability to muffle sound? Well, my bedroom shares a wall with the apartment next door and my neighbor isn’t the quietest (why are you making a smoothie at 1 AM?), so I had the perfect testing conditions. This is where the Sleep Crown really shines. The vegan down filling is dense enough to muffle ambient noise while not feeling heavy during sleep.
And while we’re on the subject of materials, the pillowcase is made of a silky soft, breathable bamboo jersey. This means the Sleep Crown stays cold all night long, so say goodnight to flipping your pillow over every 2 hours.
So, is the Sleep Crown worth it?
Yes. I’m not saying that the Sleep Crown is going to cure decades of insomnia or replicate a sensory deprivation tank by perfectly blocking out all light and sound, but it has definitely earned a spot among my sleep hygiene must-haves that I recommend to friends and family.
FAQs
Q: Is the Sleep Crown worth it?
A: Yes, it’s definitely worth it, and has made a significant difference in the quality of my sleep.
Q: What does the Sleep Crown do?
A: It blocks light, muffles sound, and provides a gentle, comforting weight.
Q: Can people who sleep on their side or on their stomach use the Sleep Crown?
A: Yes, but with one caveat. While side sleepers shouldn’t have issues, sleeping on your stomach isn’t going to let you cover your face the way that the Sleep Crown is intended to be used. Regardless, I occasionally sleep on my stomach and use the Sleep Crown as a makeshift body pillow, so I’d still recommend it.
Q: Does the Sleep Crown replace the need for a sleep eye mask?
A: It depends. I’m a light sleeper, so the more light I can block out, the better. I’ve found that even the best sleep eye masks let in some amount of light (especially after the elastic stretches out over time), but adding the Sleep Crown has made a huge difference for me.
Q: Is the Sleep Crown hot to sleep with?
A: I don’t run hot at night so I can’t speak for everyone, but it is the coolest pillow I’ve ever used, literally. This is thanks to the bamboo jersey they use for the pillowcase.
Q: How well does the Sleep Crown muffle sound?
A: Extremely well, especially for ambient noise.
Q: Is the Sleep Crown washable?
A: Yes, but only the pillow case, not the pillow itself.
Q: Does the Sleep Crown come in other sizes?
A: Yes– there’s also Queen and Traveler, but honestly the Classic is the perfect size. It comes with a nylon fabric carrying pouch and is portable enough to bring in the car or on plane rides.
Q: Is the Sleep Crown right for me?
A: I’d recommend it to light sleepers, people with anxiety or racing thoughts, people who like weighted blankets, people who are sensitive to light, people with noisy neighbors, and anyone who misses their childhood stuffed animal.
Q: Who shouldn’t buy a Sleep Crown?
A: I’d skip it if I ran very hot at night, people on the hunt for a budget sleep eye mask, or people who sleep on their stomach (although I sometimes do, and I just like using it as a body pillow).