Trouble sleeping? You might want to consider investing in a Sleep Mask.
If eye masks conjure up images of princesses in satin bedding or uncomfortable nights in the back of an airplane, it’s time to shift your perspective. From reducing disruptions to helping with stress, a Sleep Mask may just be your new best sleeping buddy.
They block out light
Light (or lack thereof) is the major way our body controls our sleep/wake cycle (or circadian rhythm). Darkness stimulates the production of the hormone melatonin, which tells our body it’s time to hit the hay.
A good quality sleep mask allows for total darkness, helping to trigger sleep in a wired brain.
(It can also help to make the bedroom a screen-free zone, because the light coming from our phones and laptops actually reduces melatonin production even further.)
They reduce sleep disruptions
Studies have shown there’s a link between sleeping with the lights on and a shallower, more restless snooze.
Not only can sleep masks help you fall asleep, they can also help you stay asleep by minimising the nightly disruptions caused by light.
This can be particularly helpful if you live on a busy street, have a partner that works different hours to you or you travel a lot.
They improve the quality of sleep
All this, according to the science, makes for better quality shuteye. In fact, one study found that sleep masks used in combination with ear plus had significant effects on arousal and melatonin balance, promoting longer and deeper sleep cycles. Winning!
They’re an essential for daytime nappers & shift workers
Sleep masks can also be a great tool for night and shift workers who need to bed down when the sun’s up, or for the rest of us who might need a power nap to see us through a big day.
They can calm you down
A 2016 study found eye mask aromatherapy – essentially applying an eye mask infused with relaxing essential oils – has dramatic effects on the automatic nervous system, responsible for how you handle stress and other stimuli.
On receiving the eye mask aromatherapy, the subject’s physical stress markers dropped by a whopping 33.5%, making the subjects calmer and more susceptible to a snooze.
You can recreate this at home by adding a drop or two of essential oil to the outside of your mask before hitting the hay. Hello, slumber town!
The perfect self-care treat or gift for a loved one, our 100% Mulberry Silk Sleep Masks are available in five gorgeous colours.
