Do you get bothered by light in your bedroom at night? Are you traveling and can use a good eye mask for the plane? Eye masks have been proven to help you get to sleep and stay asleep when some external light is in your sleep environment.
Good and restful sleep is essential as it has a direct effect on our daily activities, to stay healthy we need to get enough restorative sleep. We all want to be productive and energized during the day. Some simple solutions, like eye masks, can make a big difference in our sleep quality.
Let’s take a look at some of the best eye masks on the market today and why we recommend them. But first, let’s see what eye masks are and how they benefit us.
What Are Eye Sleep Masks?
Eye masks are soft and lightweight pieces of fabric that you pull over your eyes that stay in place with an elastic band around your head. They come in different sizes, fabrics, and styles. Most are made of silk or cotton. Some incorporate gel inside to offer a cool sensation and others have calming herbs to promote aromatherapy as well.
The basic function of the sleep mask is to block out all exterior light to provide a total darkness experience which is optimal for good sleep.
How Do Sleep Masks Work?
Your body starts to produce the hormone melatonin when the sun sets for the day. This is a trigger warning for your body to start getting ready for sleep. Melatonin production can be altered if there is too much light around you when you want to get to sleep. You may experience difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.
Using an eye mask will produce a total darkness effect on your brain and body that will help melatonin production. Your sleep can definitely be improved when sufficient levels of melatonin are produced.
Reviews of the Best Eye Sleep Masks
Here is our list of the best sleep masks on the market today. Tried and tested by customers who have noticed significant positive outcomes while using them.
Mavogel Cotton Sleep Eye Mask
The Mavogel sleep mask is super soft and comfortable. It has been redesigned to fit better and more securely. It is recommended for both men and women and fits most head sizes. The Mavogel eye mask is handmade with 100% breathable cotton to provide maximum comfort while sleeping.
The Mavogel sleep mask is created to apply minimum pressure on the eyes to provide a non-invasive sleep experience. It comes with a handy travel pouch so you can take it everywhere you go.
75% of Amazon buyers give it a 5-star review and claim that it is super comfortable and easy to adjust for a perfect fit.
“I’ve tried so many different sleep masks trying to find “THE ONE”, and this, my friends, is it.
The things that make this different:
- The nose piece is adjustable, kind of like the brim of a ball cap. Once you get it fitted to your liking, the light stays out and the mask doesn’t shift!
- The cotton is super soft jersey and makes for a really nice experience.
- Side wings where the adjustable band attach ensure even pressure is distributed across your mask, not just on your eyes. The band is slightly textured and does not allow for slipping of the plastic adjuster piece.
The price point was more than I’d normally spend, but now I get it! This thing is great, and even helps when I have really bad sinus headaches. Definitely will be buying again.” – Kate Schaffer
Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask
The Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask is an Amazon favorite with over 11,000 reviews. 77% of the people who bought the Alaska Bear Silk Sleep Mask gave it a 5-star review.
It’s made of 100% Mulberry silk and adjustable to provide a perfect fit. The adjusters are at the back of the strap to accommodate side sleepers in total comfort.
“I struggle to sleep if there is very much light. But my wife and I seem to have different sleep cycles and schedules, so she likes to read later into the night while I need to get up early in the mornings. To accommodate, I purchased this sleep mask to block out the light so I can sleep. From the first day, it worked like a charm. Even after my wife turns out the lights, I keep it on all night to block out night lights, neighbors’ lights, clock lights, etc. I’ve been sleeping better and longer than I have for a long time. I wish I had done this years ago.” – Kindle Customer
ORIHEA Eye Mask
The ORIHEA eye mask is an innovative 3D design that contours your eyes and nose without putting any pressure on your eyes or eyelashes. You can freely open and close your eyes inside the mask with no constrictions. This is useful for those power naps without smudging your makeup.
78% of Amazon customers have given it a 5-star review with comments ranging from it’s the best for lash extension wearers to the ultra comfort around the nose area.
“I’ve never worn a sleeping eye mask before and I was hesitant because I thought it would be annoying. It’s the exact opposite. It’s very comfortable, soft, and fits great. I’m petite so I thought it might be too large but it’s not, it blocks out all the light with no pressure on my eyes. Love!!” – Natalie Evans
MZOO Sleep Eye Mask for Men And Women
The MZOO is a 3D contoured and concave molded eye mask, an Amazon Best Seller with a 90% 5-star rating. The memory foam contours your face perfectly and is super comfortable. It blocks out all possible light from entering by its unique design.
Similar to the ORIHEA, Mzoo too provides space for the eyes without applying pressure to the eyes and eyelashes. This seems to be an added feature that eye mask wearers appreciate. It’s easy to adjust and won’t tangle hair.
It comes in attractive packaging and also offers useful earplugs.
“I’ve purchased several different sleep eye masks over the years. Some have been better than others with the fit, comfort, and durability. With my previous pair finally breaking down, I decided to splurge for a nicer pair that included form-fitting padding integrated into the contoured mask. I was a little concerned the mask might warm-up, as with some foam pillow. To my delight, the MZOO mask is exceptional. Not only does it fit very comfortably, the foam padding around the edge creates a nice cushion when sleeping on the side or stomach. Unlike other masks that press into your eyes if you sleep with your face partially on the pillow, the foam cushion provides a very comfortable and contoured fit around your eyes. The mask also provides a very good seal for blocking light. Overall, an outstanding design for a very reasonable price!” – Doug
Joseche Bluetooth Sleeping Eye Mask Sleep Headphones
This cool and innovative sleep eye mask also provides Bluetooth headphones so you can listen to your favorite sleep music while you sleep. It can block out your partner’s snoring or other noises that wake you up at night.
It’s also a great accessory for mediation purposes. Relax and enjoy your meditation music while blocking out all exterior interferences.
It’s made of super comfortable cotton and the headphones when fully charged can last up to 9 hours. Remove the headphones and it is machine washable.
“This is perfect for falling to sleep with. I was using a pillow speaker, which becomes pretty useless once you roll over, and I was also using a blindfold. This does the job of both. It’s cordless, it uses Bluetooth so you don’t have to worry about wires. And I really like the space for your nose so that way it’s not too tight. Very easy and comfortable to sleep in. Definitely going to travel with this as well, this is going to make sleeping on a plane much easier while listening to some white noise.” – Bon
When to Use an Eye Sleep Mask
- Nightly
You can use eye masks every night with no negative effects.
- Travel
You can also use sleep masks occasionally when you travel where you can end up in situations where the light is too bright for sleeping, like in trains, buses, or airplanes. They are so lightweight and compact that it just makes sense to pack one in your suitcase before heading out.
- Jet Lag
Experiencing jet lag is no fun. But it is part of international traveling. Using an eye mask to get you to sleep is a good option if you need to get back on schedule from an extended stay in a different time zone.
The Benefits of Sleep Masks
- Simple Solution
Sleep masks are a simple and easy option to sleep problems. No medications or complicated rituals required.
- Affordable
Sleep masks are not expensive and an affordable solution for sleep issues.
- Safe
Sleep masks have no counter effects and can be used every night.
- Darkness
Block out all external light to get that total darkness effect that your brain needs to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Melatonin
Your body needs to produce enough melatonin to fall asleep and stay asleep. Sleep eye masks help your brain to think that it’s dark.
- Fall Asleep Fast
It’s proven that eye masks can help you fall asleep faster. They block out all light that may be keeping your mind agitated.
- Sleep Quality
You get a better night’s sleep when in total darkness.
- Travel Aid
Sleep eye masks are great for traveling and jet lag.
An eye sleep mask may be a good solution for you if you are having trouble falling asleep or experiencing frequent waking up at night. They are proven to provide that dark atmosphere that is needed in order to get a good night’s sleep. It’s a simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to improve your sleep.
