8 highly-effective sleeping masks that wrap you in a cocoon of darkness
Because falling asleep now requires me to create a black hole of nothingness.
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Ah, the irony of parenthood. Most of the day you feel like you could fall asleep in the middle of 6th Avenue during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But then comes bedtime and you’re mentally doing your taxes, crafting a witty comeback to a decades old diss and making tomorrow’s to-do list. One thing that can help? Controlling the amount of light your eyes let in by using a sleeping mask.
For ages, I thought of sleep masks as more of a cute sleep “prop,” used only in movies and clearly just for show if they leave eye makeup in tact (looking at you, Holly Golightly.) And isn’t blocking light what our eyelids are for?
But over the past few years I’ve grown much more sensitive to any light in my sleep environment. I started unplugging hotel alarm clocks and regularly imploring my partner to turn down the brightness of his phone when he’d read in bed after I’d already called it quits. Falling asleep now requires me to create a black hole of nothingness. Blackout curtains can help, but a sleep mask is key.
Our favorite sleep masks at a glance
Lunya Weighted Silk Sleep Mask
How do sleep masks work?
Scientifically speaking, light affects our circadian rhythms by signaling our internal biological clock to regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Bright light (especially blue light like the screens we stare at practically all day, everyday) suppresses the production of melatonin–the elusive sleep hormone which makes us feel more awake and alert during the day. On the flip side, darkness triggers the release of melatonin, helping us feel sleepy and eventually fall asleep at night. The conclusion? Managing our light exposure is essential to maintaining a healthy sleep-wake cycle and improving our overall well-being. (Here’s where I’m supposed to tell you to ditch the screens well before bedtime but you should know that would make me an insufferable hypocrite.)
5 benefits of sleeping masks
Whether you wear one every night, while you’re traveling or just when you’re trying to snag a nap during daylight hours, sleeping masks offer several benefits, including:
1. They promote deeper sleep
With the light blocked out, your body can relax into a deeper, more restful sleep. And not just because it keeps you from stewing about the neighbor’s obnoxious porch light–but because the dark gets your melatonin cranking.
2. They reduce eye strain
Whether you’re scrolling TikTok or updating hours of spreadsheets, screen time makes your eyes strained and tired. Wearing a sleeping mask can help to reduce eye strain and promote relaxation when it’s time to finally doze off.
Related: No more guessing: Screen time guidelines for toddlers to teenagers
3. They can help with jet lag/clock changes
If you are traveling across time zones, wearing a sleeping mask can help to regulate your sleep patterns and reduce the effects of jet lag. Similarly, that extra hour of day light means the sun creeps in your window an hour earlier. Slap on a sleep mask and you’ll never know the difference. (Unless you have small children. In that case, godspeed, friend.)
4. They make it easier to relax
Sleeping masks can create a sense of calm and relaxation, which can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Also, they hide any and all mess–especially piles of unfolded laundry.
5. They reduce wrinkles and puffiness
With their gentle pressure, eye masks can help promote better blood flow around the eye, reducing inflammation.
If you’re hoping to improve the quality of your sleep, we’ve rounded up some of our personal favorite sleep masks as well as some highly-rated, raved-about options that will send you off to Dreamland in the blissful black of night–even if it’s not.
Our favorite sleeping masks
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