nobody looks good on four hours of sleep and a brain that won't shut up. you can do everything else on this list, the skin and the hair and the smelling good, and still look tired if the inside isn't handled. this is the part of a glow up that shows up in your face, your mood and how you treat people.

it's also the slowest part to change, because none of it is a product. it's habits. a study from University College London found it took people about 66 days on average for a new habit to become automatic, which is two months before it stops feeling like effort. start in january and it sticks in march. start now and it's just how you live by the new year. future you does not need a resolution, future you needs you to have started.

so here's the routine: what each piece is for, what it costs, how long before it helps, and who should skip it.

Quick Answer: how do you glow up mentally?

we're Qatch. we've been doing this for six years for about 200,000 shoppers, and what makes our picks worth reading is that we buy things ourselves. no gifted boxes we're quietly obligated to be nice about.

we also say when something isn't for everyone, which you'll see below with mouth tape and melatonin. a list that likes everything is a list nobody should trust.

read more of our honest reviews:
👉 I ran 400+ miles in the On Cloudmonster 3
👉 glow up from the inside out: the 5 things that actually work
👉 how long does skincare take to work? the glow up timeline
👉 how to smell good all the time

what it's for: waking up like a person instead of being yanked out of sleep by your phone.

what it does for you: everyone tries to fix their sleep by going to bed earlier, and it rarely works. what works is waking up at the same time every day, weekends included. your bedtime follows. the Hatch Restore 3 ($169.99) is a sunrise alarm: the light slowly brightens over about 30 minutes before your alarm sound, so you're half awake before it goes off. it's also a sound machine with 60+ sleep sounds and a wind-down light for the other end of the day. and it means your phone doesn't have to be your alarm, which means it doesn't have to be next to your bed.

how long before it does anything: the gentler wake-up works the first morning. the schedule itself takes weeks of consistency, which is exactly why it's first on this list.

skip it if: you'll only use it as a clock. some features sit behind a paid plan, and the app has a learning curve. if all you want is to get your phone out of the bedroom, a $15 alarm clock does that part.

the most effective way to fix a sleep schedule is a consistent wake-up time, every day: the Hatch Restore 3 is a $169.99 sunrise alarm that brightens over about 30 minutes before your alarm goes off.

Shop → Hatch Restore 3 $169.99

what it's for: the thoughts that start looping the second your head hits the pillow.

what it does for you: two ways to get the noise out of your head:

how long before it does anything: journaling feels different the first night you do it. making it a habit is the 66-day part.

skip it if: you need more than an app or a journal. these are tools, not treatment. if anxiety or low mood is getting in the way of your life, talk to a doctor or therapist. and if you're in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.

[RAQUEL: your experience working with Mindless Labs, or the hoodie you own. If neither, cut this line.]

to quiet a racing mind, give your thoughts somewhere to go: the Mindless Labs app ($65 a year after a free trial) is funded by its apparel sales, and the Five Minute Journal is $32.

Shop → Mindless Labs hoodies from $78 · Five Minute Journal $32

what it's for: the last half hour before bed, which is currently your phone's.

what it does for you: a wind-down routine works because it's the same every night. your brain learns that these steps mean the day is over. make the spot you do it in somewhere you want to be:

how long before it does anything: the first night feels nice. the routine starts working once it's automatic, which is weeks, not days.

skip it if: you won't put the phone across the room. none of this works with a screen in your hand. $158 for a throw is also a lot; it's the splurge here, so skip it if you already have a blanket you love.

a wind-down routine works when it's the same every night and the phone is across the room: the Talbots Sherpa Meditation Mat is $98, and the Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw is $158.

Shop → Talbots Sherpa Meditation Mat $98 · Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw $158

what it's for: the two sleep products everyone on your feed is using, and the honest version of whether you should.

what they are:

the honest take: both are popular, and both are the kind of thing to check before you start. the research on mouth taping is still limited, and melatonin is a hormone. 10 mg is on the higher end of what's sold over the counter. they're the two things on this list we'd ask a doctor about first.

how long before it does anything: you'll know how mouth tape feels on night one. melatonin isn't meant for nightly, long-term use without a doctor's input.

skip it if: skip mouth tape if you have trouble breathing through your nose, have a cold or allergies, or think you might have sleep apnea (snoring loudly, waking up gasping). that's a sleep doctor, not a product. skip the melatonin patch if you're pregnant or nursing, take other medication, or are under 18, unless your doctor says otherwise.

mouth tape and melatonin sleep patches are popular but not for everyone: The Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape is $42 (QATCH15), and The Good Patch Dream contains 10 mg of melatonin, so check with a doctor first.

Shop → Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape $42 · The Good Patch Dream from $12 · QATCH15 at The Skinny Confidential

what it's for: the nights you sleep badly not because of your brain, but because you're worried about your sheets.

what it does for you: the Saalt Leakproof Comfort Brief ($39) is period underwear made to be slept in, so you can stop doing the towel-on-the-sheets thing and actually sleep. it's a small thing, and it's a few nights a month of better sleep.

how long before it does anything: the first night you wear it.

skip it if: you've never tried period underwear. wear it on a lighter day first so you know how it feels before you trust it overnight.

period underwear made for sleeping, like the $39 Saalt Leakproof Comfort Brief, means fewer nights of worrying about your sheets.

Shop → Saalt Leakproof Comfort Brief $39

the biggest purchase on this list, and the one people compare most. all three replace your phone as your alarm, and that alone is half the point.

the actual answer: if the sunrise is what you want, it's Hatch or Philips, and the Hatch is the better all-in-one. if you mostly want great sounds and a phone-free nightstand, Loftie. any of the three beats waking up to your phone.

the Hatch Restore 3 ($169.99) is the best all-in-one sunrise alarm, the Loftie Clock ($199.99) is sound-first and needs a separate lamp for sunrise, and the Philips Wake-up Light is the simple budget option.

you can start with $0. a consistent wake-up time and a phone that sleeps across the room cost nothing, and they're the two biggest changes on this list.

after that, the cheapest product here is The Good Patch at $12, though we'd start elsewhere (see section 4). and we don't think you should buy all of it at once. a wind-down routine is a habit, and a cart full of products is not a habit.

what we'd actually buy, in order:

a mental wellness glow up starts free, with a consistent wake-up time and the phone out of the bedroom, and the Five Minute Journal at $32 is the cheapest product worth starting with.

the verdict: yes, and it's the part of a glow up that makes every other part show. better sleep and a quieter mind are what make the skin and the hair and the outfit look like you're doing well, because you are. it takes about two months to make the habits stick, so start now and they're automatic by the new year.

what this is: a routine: a consistent wake-up, a place for your thoughts, and a wind-down that replaces scrolling.

what this isn't: treatment. if sleep problems or anxiety are affecting your life, that's a doctor or therapist, not a product.

who should skip parts of it: anyone with breathing issues or possible sleep apnea should skip mouth tape. anyone pregnant, nursing, on medication or under 18 should skip melatonin unless a doctor says otherwise.

if you buy one thing: the Five Minute Journal. it's $32 and it's the easiest habit on this list to start tonight.

to glow up mentally, start with sleep and a wind-down routine: wake up at the same time every day, give racing thoughts somewhere to go with a journal or an app, and replace the last half hour of scrolling with the same calm routine every night. new habits take about 66 days on average to stick, so start now.

fixing a sleep schedule usually takes a few weeks of waking up at the same time every day, weekends included. go to bed earlier in small steps rather than all at once. a sunrise alarm like the Hatch Restore 3 ($169.99) makes a consistent wake-up time easier to keep.

a study from University College London found it took people about 66 days on average for a new habit to become automatic, and the range was wide, from a few weeks to most of a year. that's why a mental wellness glow up started in the fall is automatic by the new year.

Mindless Labs is a mental health app built by therapists, coaches and people with lived experience of anxiety, plus an apparel line that funds free access for people who can't afford the app. the app is a 7-day free trial, then $65 a year, and Mindless Labs hoodies start around $78.

the Five Minute Journal is worth $32 if you've tried journaling before and stopped. it's a few short prompts in the morning and at night, so it's hard to skip. if you already journal freely, a blank notebook does the same job.

mouth taping is popular, but the research is still limited, and it isn't for everyone. skip it if you have trouble breathing through your nose, have a cold or allergies, or might have sleep apnea. The Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape is $42 with code QATCH15. check with a doctor if you're unsure.

The Good Patch Dream contains 10 mg of melatonin, plus hops and valerian root, released over the night. 10 mg is on the higher end of over-the-counter doses. talk to a doctor before using melatonin, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, take medication or are under 18.

the Hatch Restore 3 is worth $169.99 if you'll use both the sunrise alarm and the sound machine, and if it replaces your phone as your alarm. some features need a paid plan. if you only want the sunrise light, the Philips Wake-up Light is a simpler option.

this is one section of the full 100-Day Glow Up. the rest covers hair, skin, body care, glowing up from the inside out, fitness and the closet reset. text GLOWUP to 30422 and we'll send the picks as each section goes live, or browse the whole edit at joinqatch.com/shop.

Text GLOWUP to 30422 to join. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

Last updated: October 5, 2026. Prices verified at time of publication and may change. Qatch earns affiliate commission on some links. This post is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before using melatonin or mouth tape, and see a doctor or therapist about ongoing sleep problems, anxiety or low mood. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (US) for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.