Apr 07, 2022
7 Weighted Eye Mask Benefits You’ll Love
Whether you’re struggling for some solid shut-eye, need pitch-black darkness to fall asleep or simply trying to get ahead of jet lag, a soothing weighted eye mask can do wonders for your health and wellness. Like its more popular sister, the trendy weighted blanket, these stress-busting eye masks harness the power of deep touch pressure therapy to calm the body and lull the user into a deeper sleep. Best of all, they’re affordable and easy to incorporate into your daily self-care routine.
Still not convinced they’re worth it? Check out some of the many benefits of weighted eye masks below.
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1. Create a Pitch Black Sleeping Environment
If there is one thing that sleep experts can all agree on, it's the importance of a dark sleeping environment. According to the Cleveland Clinic, exposure to light in the evening — even in small amounts — can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm and interfere with sleep quality.
High-quality sleep masks block out artificial and natural light, allowing the pineal gland in the brain to optimally produce melatonin (the hormone that regulates our sleep cycle). Additionally, they can create total darkness in any environment, which is especially useful for shift workers and those with irregular sleep schedules.
2. Facilitate a Deeper and Longer Night’s Sleep
Of course, one of the more well-known benefits of weighted eye masks is their ability to usher in a good night’s sleep. In addition to elevating melatonin levels, research shows that sleep masks can increase REM sleep and shorten REM latency (the time it takes a person to fall asleep and reach their first REM stage).
Weighted eye masks take these sleep-enhancing benefits one step further by delivering soothing pressure to the face, which is thought to trigger the production of mood-boosting hormones that counteract the effects of cortisol. When cortisol levels are too high, they can increase alertness at night and lead to insomnia. A high-quality weighted eye mask may counteract these effects, allowing you to fall into a deeper, more restorative sleep.
3. Enhance Relaxation
Struggling with evening anxiety? A weighted eye mask could be your new best friend. Although more research is needed, some experts suggest that weighted eye masks can potentially provide a similar relaxing effect to that of a weighted blanket, but on a smaller scale. At the very least, they can be part of a calming bedtime routine that helps signal your brain that it’s time for sleep.
4. May Provide Relief from Headaches and Migraines
Headaches and migraines are the worst. If you’re looking for a natural way to treat the throbbing pain in your head, you may want to try a cooling weighted eye mask. Along with creating total darkness — about 80 percent of migraine sufferers are sensitive to light — cooling eye masks can alleviate headache symptoms by narrowing the blood vessels and affecting the circulation to the nerves associated with pain. Put another way, they create a numbing effect that feels unbelievably good on a hot forehead.
5. Ideal for Travel
Once you bring a weighted eye mask on vacation, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one. For starters, they can help you nod off anywhere in no time. They’re lighter in weight than a weighted blanket yet still manage to deliver on-demand stress relief (which is extremely helpful if you’re an anxious traveler). On top of all that, they block out unwanted sunshine, helping you get ahead of jet lag.
6. May Help Reduce the Formation of Wrinkles
Did you know that your sleeping position can influence wrinkle development? When you curl up on your side or stomach to sleep, the skin can become creased if you stay in the same sleeping position for too long, and this external pressure can create facial wrinkles.
Of course, the best way to avoid sleep wrinkles is to stop sleeping on your stomach or side. If that’s not feasible, eye masks are another option worth considering. Wearing an eye mask to bed — especially one made from smooth materials, like charmeuse or silk — can provide a barrier between your face and your pillow, resulting in less friction on the skin.
7. Can Help Prevent Dry Eyes
Do you often wake up with dry eyes? If so, wearing a weighted eye mask at night may help you get some relief. Heated eye masks are especially great for treating dry eye symptoms because they can help boost hydration, increase oil production and reduce inflammation.
Finding the Right Sleep Mask Is Key
Whether you’re a frequent traveler, a shift worker or someone who wants to achieve better quality snooze, investing in a weighted sleep mask is a no-brainer. The right sleep mask will help you get the quality and quantity of sleep you need, which in turn will improve every aspect of your physical and mental health.
If you’re in the market for a great sleep mask, check out the selection at Gravity Blankets. Made from premium quality materials, our weighted eye masks will help you get the sleep you deserve!
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