Last updated: 8 September 2022, by Ethan Green
The short version
I review lots of sleep products here at No Sleepless Nights to help people find ones they like, and that will hopefully improve their sleep.
As much as I’d love to say I do it purely out of the kindness of my heart, it takes a lot of time to create video and written reviews, and I have to earn a living. I do that by sometimes earning commissions if you click a link in my article and then go on to buy the product from the company’s website where the link takes you.
These are called affiliate links, and they are widely used by individuals and companies in their blogs, websites, and social media pages.
Not all the links on this website can earn me a commission. For example, links leading to journal articles, news websites, medical information websites, and government organizations are not set up to earn me any money.
But if you’re reading an article in which I discuss a specific sleep product, or compare sleep products, it’s best to assume that I can receive a financial commission if you buy the product after clicking the link.
And if you’re not sure about a particular link, you should probably assume that it might earn me money if you click it and buy something from the next website you see.
Amazon associates disclosure
Amazon has specific wording that they expect people to use when including affiliate links:
As an Amazon Associate, No Sleepless Nights may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.
The longer version
Why I use affiliate links and not adverts
It takes time and money to maintain a website, create videos and write articles. Nobody pays me just to do this, so I have to find ways to earn money.
One of the main ways to make money with a blog is through adverts. You know, the kind some websites plaster all over their sidebars and header and sometimes pop up annoyingly out of the blue.
I don’t like those ads when I visit other websites as I find them ugly and distracting, so I don’t include them on my website either.
Instead, I choose to set up affiliate links with the companies that will allow me to, and where I feel it is appropriate to do so.
I don’t accept upfront financial payment
Sometimes companies ask me how much they can pay me to do a review. I always refuse. I do sometimes accept a demo product to test out, but in most cases, I personally buy the products I review.
How the affiliate commissions work
Every company has a different approach to setting up affiliate links and commissions.
I always know in advance how much commission I might make if you buy a specific product, but I don’t control that commission rate. It can be as little as 0.5% and as much as 20% in some cases.
The link I use will have a tracking code specific to me. That way, the company knows to pay me a commission if you buy a product after clicking on my link.
So if you don’t want me to earn a commission, you can just type the company’s name into a search engine and find the product yourself. Or type the company’s website address into your browser at the top of the screen, and then search for the product.
Obviously, I’ll always be grateful to readers who use my links, but understand if you’d prefer to remove the affiliate part.
Some companies have their own affiliate management program built into their website; others use third party websites like Shareasale, Impact Radius, or Parternize. That explains why sometimes you might click on a link and see an intermediary website address very briefly before landing on the company’s website.
Eventually, I will accumulate enough commissions from a company to get a payout. The threshold for this payout amount changes from company to company. After that, I have to declare it as earnings and pay tax on it – just like a normal job!
Companies I earn affiliate commissions from
Here are the companies that I can earn a commission from if you buy their products via links on this website:
- Amazon.com (also Amazon in other countries)
- Saatva
- Molecule
- BedJet
- Plush Beds
- Bearaby
- Mosaic
- Baloo
- Luxome
- Layla
- Weighted Evolution
- AcousticSheep
- Dubslabs / Moonbow
- Snooz
- Moona
- Gravity
- Quieton
- ReST Bed
- Puffy
- SlumberCloud
How I resist the temptation to promote products with the best commission rates
The very existence of affiliate commissions creates an obvious temptation to hunt for the highest paying products and say how amazing they are!
Personally, I try to resist the lure of the dark side based on principle alone. I’m here to help readers, not simply make as much money as possible.
I’d like to think there is some solid evidence that I stick to my principles on this website. Firstly, I don’t include any paid links at all in most of my reviews of sleep aids. So I’ve spent a lot of time testing and reviewing products that don’t earn a commission.
Secondly, I’ve spent lots of time creating videos and articles about products that pay smaller commissions comparatively, such as sleep masks, earplugs, and white noise machines. Sure, it all adds up. But it’s not the same as only focussing on expensive mattresses.
I also think it’s important to discuss products that interest me personally and that I’m happy to use in my home – either because I actually need them, or because I’m curious to see what they are like. And that decision is based on necessity, not price.
Any questions?
If you have any questions, feel free to write to me at ethangreen@nosleeplessnights.com
Alternatively, you can use the contact form on the contact page.