7 sleep mask benefits to improve sleep quality

If you thought sleep masks just help you block the light from your eyes while you hit the sack, you are wrong! Getting your hands on a sleep mask is an affordable and portable solution to help you fall asleep faster and better. A sleep mask is said to help enhance the production of melatonin, which goes a long way in improving your sleep quality. This, in turn, helps to stick to sleep-wake cycles, making you fresher when you get up the next morning. In fact, a sleep mask can also help prevent dry and scratchy eyes the next day. Read on to learn more about the benefits of sleep masks!

What are the benefits of sleep mask for sleeping?

Sleep masks are beneficial for helping people to deal with sleep issues. Some of the benefits of sleep masks include:

1. Blocks out artificial light

Being exposed to light at bedtime can disturb your body’s natural sleep cues. This is because artificial light can suppress melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. Not having enough melatonin can result in sleep disorders like insomnia. An eye mask helps block out artificial light that prevents you from falling asleep. Nowadays, we are more exposed to artificial blue light emitted from our phones and television. This makes it difficult for us to fall asleep.

As per the Springer Journal, our circadian rhythm is impacted by light, making sleep masks all the more beneficial to block out excess light for quality sleep at night. Another 2017 study published in the Journal of Sleep Research noticed that using both sleep masks and earplugs might have a positive effect on the subjective sleep quality of patients in an intensive care unit.

Also Read: 7 sleep hygiene habits to improve your sleep quality

2. Limits distractions

Technology in your home not only keeps you awake at night with blue light, but it can also be distracting. When you are struggling to fall asleep, you can be tempted to check your phone every now and then. Use a sleep mask as a part of your routine just like you brush your teeth before bed. When you have a sleep mask on, you are less likely to toss and turn and do things that will stop you from falling asleep. As per the Journal of Annals of Neurosciences, using a sleep mask daily can help create a conditioned response in your brain, signaling it to fall asleep when you put it on.

3. Mitigates insomnia risk

If you are struggling to fall asleep every once in a while, then a sleep mask can also help block out any extra “noise” coming from the brain. Even with your eyes shut, you can still sense and feel activity happening around you. A sleep mask can make room for sensory deprivation, eliminating extra distractions that keep you awake at night, like the light around you that keeps on disturbing your sleep.

Also read: Tired, but can’t sleep? 10 reasons why it happens and how to fall asleep

4. May get you relief from headaches

As per the Journal of Neuro-ophthalmology, photophobia or light sensitivity is one of the common signs of chronic migraines. Anyone suffering from migraines knows that feeling when it hits during the middle of the day, finding it difficult to find a dark room to get back to a normal state.

A sleeping mask can give you that much-needed time away, no matter where you are. This is even more useful when you do not have blackout curtains or need to take a break at work, a sleep mask brings some quick relief and respite from the oncoming migraine.

5. May help minimise dry eyes

If you wake up and have irritated or scratchy eyes, a sleep mask might help curb that condition of dry eyes, as per BMJ Open Ophthalmology. The risk of dry eyes can get aggravated if you have a heater or air purifier running while you sleep. In this case, a humidifier can help balance that out by bringing in more moisture. But that is a very expensive alternative and is very high maintenance in order to keep the vapour sanitized and filtered. However, a sleep mask can come to your rescue in those cases. Even though it cannot add any moisture back into your home, it may lock the moisture around your eyes, keeping them hydrated, or guarding them from dust and allergies.

6. Might help prevent wrinkles

Do you want to know the most effective way to prevent wrinkles? Sleep! A recent study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that sleep deprivation can lead to more wrinkles and fine lines around the face. However, lack of sleep is not the only reason you develop wrinkles. As per the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, wrinkles can also get formed from facial expressions while we sleep. When we sleep on our stomach or side, we tend to compress our facial features, which can lead to more wrinkles. Wearing a silk sleep mask can help protect the sensitive features around your eyes from friction damage.

7. It is travel-friendly

It is always easy to sleep in a known and controlled environment at home with your favorite pillow. But when you are travelling to another city, your room environment is uncertain, and it is not always feasible to carry a pillow. Being in a new, maybe uncomfortable, environment can impact your sleep. As per a study in Current Biology, your body goes into “night watch” mode, making it hard for you to doze off in novel environments. This is where a sleep mask comes into the picture. It can help tune out unfamiliar environments, and help you fall asleep irrespective of where you are.

Also read: How to sleep with a cold if a blocked nose keeps you awake

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do sleep masks work?

A sleep mask can be a great addition to your nighttime routine that can help you get a better night’s sleep. It can block out extra light or limit distractions that keep you up at night.

2. Is it safe to sleep with an eye mask?

Yes, you can sleep by putting on an eye mask every night. Sleep masks are designed to be properly fit while still remaining comfortable, so you can rest properly throughout the night.

3. Who should use a sleep mask?

Anyone can get the advantages of using a sleep mask, but you will need them the most if:

• You do not have blackout curtains
• You have technology that keeps you awake at night
• You work a night shift
• You have insomnia
• You are travelling