Our bodies need 6-8 hours of sleep every night to function properly. However, not many of us get enough sleep every night due to demanding lifestyles or other issues. Getting a good night’s sleep is a luxury and the addiction to screens makes sleeping on time even harder.
Do you also spend your night watching your favourite shows or scrolling your Instagram feed? It can disrupt your circadian rhythm, preventing you from enjoying deep relaxed sleep. This is where weighted eye masks can help you. They are different from usual sleeping masks and offer soothing pressure to calm your nerves and promote sleep.
If blue light exposure from devices isn’t letting you sleep at night, getting a weighted eye mask can help. Keep reading to learn how it works and its benefits.
What is a Weighted Eye Mask and How Does it Work?
Weighted eye masks go beyond the traditional masks that only help block out light. These advanced masks offer a boost of relaxation before bed to help you fall asleep. They work the same way weighted blankets do, adding light pressure on your head and eyes while blocking the light. This extra weight not only helps you fall asleep but ensures that you stay asleep for a longer time without any interruptions.
Due to their safe and non-invasive nature, these masks are suitable for everyone, from young adults to elders. Children or teenagers who experience sleeping issues can also wear these.
Benefits
Enjoy a Pitch-Black Environment
The first thing you need to enjoy better sleep is a dark environment. Even the smallest amount of light can pass through your eyes, interrupting your sleep. Research shows that blue light from the sun, digital devices or light bulbs can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm and prevent good quality sleep.
Weighted eye masks block all kinds of light, from natural to artificial. This allows the pineal gland (a part of the brain) to produce melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone). If you work different shifts or have irregular sleep schedules, using a weighted eye mask will create the perfect environment for you to sleep at any time.
Get Deeper and Uninterrupted Sleep
Scientists agree that deep sleep plays an essential role in your health and well-being. Most people sleep but don’t reach the deeper stage needed to feel well-rested and wake up multiple times throughout the night. This can be due to stress, anxiety, or increased exposure to blue light. The brain associates darkness with sleep. It produces more melatonin in the absence of light.
During one study, researchers found that eye masks and earplugs help increase REM time, reduce REM latency and boost melatonin levels. With weighted eye masks, you feel more relaxed due to the added weight.
May Lower Stress Levels
High cortisol levels at night also prevent people from falling asleep because these hormones are responsible for increasing alertness and focus. Ideally, these levels should be high in the morning and low during the night, but today’s lifestyle has disrupted cortisol levels for many.
Weighted eye masks may help lower stress levels by adding soothing pressure to your face. This pressure triggers the production of feel-good hormones that boost your mood and reduce cortisol levels. As a result, you feel much more relaxed and fall into a deeper sleep.
Increased Relaxation
Besides stress and anxiety, the excitement of something or distractions around you also prevents you from falling asleep. When you wear the mask, it makes it impossible for you to look at the distractions around you, such as the clock, phone, etc. This way, you are more relaxed and fall asleep more quickly than usual.
Safer than Taking Medicines
A lot of people take sleeping pills or melatonin supplements these days to fall asleep. While these masks aren’t a replacement for pharmaceutical sleeping aids, they are a safer option to consider. Sleeping pills come with side effects, and you may find it hard to sleep without them after some time. There is also a risk of overdose. Weighted sleep masks create a dark environment and increase relaxation, which tricks your mind into thinking it’s time to sleep. They don’t have any risks and might be effective for some people.
May Help Prevent Dry Eyes
Whether it’s a thriller movie or a serious conversation with a friend over text, you forget to blink your eyes due to increased focus. This lack of blinking reduces moisture, drying your eyes out. You must have felt this multiple times after scrolling your phones, working or binge-watching a show. Exposure to blue light increases the possibility of further damage.
Besides devices, the HVAC system in your home also increases dry air in your home. A weighted sleep mask acts as a protective barrier and allows your eyes to stay shut throughout the night.
May Help Improve Skin
If you’re someone who sleeps on their side or stomach, wearing these eye masks may help improve your skin. When you sleep against a pillow, the pressure and rubbing lead to collagen breakdown around your eyes, also known as crow’s feet. A weighted sleeping mask protects your skin from rubbing against the pillow and preserves collagen.
Costs Less than Other Alternatives
Whether it’s blackout curtains or melatonin supplements, a weighted eye mask costs much less than other sleep-inducing alternatives. You can carry it with you anywhere and enjoy a good quality sleep. Even if you’re not sleeping, you can wear these masks to relieve pressure on the eyes and feel relaxed.
Get a High-Quality, Breathable and Hypoallergenic Eye Mask Now
At MyBlueProtector.com, we offer weighted sleep eye masks from Ocushield®. These are developed by leading optometrists and sleep specialists. The manufacturers have used premium material to prevent any allergic reactions and offer increased breathability.
You can get other blue light protection products such as blue light filter glasses, screen protectors for laptops, monitors, etc., low blue light lamps, and eye supplements. All products are medically rated and approved. Contact us for details.
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