An eye mask can help you get a better night's sleep by blocking out light and helping you relax. It can also help reduce under-eye puffiness and wrinkles.
The Best Eye Masks for Sleeping
Wearing an eye mask when you sleep has plenty of benefits: It can help if you have trouble falling asleep and make sure you get enough REM sleep, and it can also help reduce wrinkles. Oprah Magazine asked Dr. Rebecca Tung, a board-certified dermatologist in Naperville, Illinois, to share the best eye masks for sleeping, according to your skin type.
If you have dry skin: A hydrating gel eye mask can help soothe irritated skin and reduce inflammation. Look for one that's filled with refreshing ingredients like aloe vera, cucumber extract, or green tea.
If you have oily skin: Choose an oil-absorbing sheet mask that contains clay or charcoal to mattify your complexion while you snooze. This will help control excess sebum production overnight.
If you have sensitive skin: Stick to a hypoallergenic silk eye mask to protect your delicate skin from irritation. This material is also great for reducing friction on your face, which can lead to wrinkles over time.
9 Science-Backed Benefits of Wearing an Eye Mask
It's no secret that getting a good night's sleep is crucial for our overall health and well-being. But did you know that wearing an eye mask can actually help you get better sleep?
Here are 9 science-backed benefits of wearing an eye mask:
1. It blocks out light: One of the main reasons why people wear eye masks is to block out light. Whether it's the sun shining in through your bedroom window or the bright lights from your TV or computer, too much light can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. By blocking out all light, an eye mask can help you get a better night's sleep.
2. It promotes relaxation: Wearing an eye mask also promotes relaxation by eliminating distractions and promoting focus on your breath and body. When you're trying to relax and fall asleep, any little distraction can keep you from dozing off. But when you're wearing an eye mask, it's easier to focus on relaxing your whole body and drift off to sleep.
3. It alleviates dry eyes: If you suffer from dry eyes, wearing an eye mask can help alleviate symptoms by providing a humid environment around your eyes while you sleep. Thiscan help prevent your tears from evaporating overnight and leaving your eyes feeling dry and irritated in the morning.
4. It reduces stress and anxiety: For many people, stress and anxiety can make it difficult to fall asleep at night.But worexperienced significantly less stressand anxietywhen they woreaneye mask duringa stressful task than those who didn't wear one .So if you're having trouble winding down at night, try putting on an eye mask to see if it helps reduce some of your stress and anxiety so you can fall asleep more easily."5
5.."It prevents wrinkles: Sleeping with an eye mask can also help prevent wrinkles around your eyes since it helps keep the delicate skin around that area hydrated .Dehydration is one of the main causes of fine linesand wrinkles ,so by keeping the skin around your eyes hydrated ,youcan help slow down the aging process ."6
6.."It protects against infections:"Wearing an eyemask while sleeping also offers protection against certain typesof infections ."Conjunctivitis ,or pink eye ,is highly contagious 7and often spread through shared towels or pillowcases .Bywearing eyelids during sleep ,"you createa physical barrierthat eliminates contact with external objects that may be carrying bacteria or viruses ."8
7.."It enhances romantic relationships:"Ifyou share a bed with a partner ,wearinganeye mask during sexcan actually enhance romance betweenyou twosinceit heightens the senses other than vision ."We tendto rely heavilyon vision when we engage in sexual activities ,buttouching ,smelling ,tasting ,and hearing arejustascrucial for sexual intimacy ."9Engagingin sexwith anaeye maskeliminates visual stimulation so thatother kinds offorms oftouchbecome more important —thus leadingto greaterintimacybetween partners ."
8..It helps with puffyeyes :"Wakingup with puffyeyes is never fun .But fortunately ,"anauthorizedDermatologistDrAtehpereksays,"sleepingwithyour head slightlyelevatedand usingaeye massagetool likeaeYEvi willdefinitelyhelp reducethe puffinessaroundtheeyes causedbyfluidretentionovernight."10
9..It stimulates hair growth :"Massagingthe scalp with coconut oileverynight beforegoingtobedforaweekshouldstimulatehairgrowth ," saysauthorisedTrichologist Dr Apoorva Shah."11Coconut oil haslauric acidwhich penetrates deepinto hair shaftsto reducesprotein lossfrom hair," she adds."This resultsin strongerand healthierhairfrom rootsto tips ."Plus,"coconut oilalso keeps afunlow hair moistureduring winterswhen themuch-needed moistureis lacking".
How Sleeping with an Eye Mask Can Improve Your Sleep Quality
Sleep masks are often thought of as a purely cosmetic item, something that may be necessary for getting good sleep on an airplane but not necessarily on a nightly basis. But if you have trouble sleeping, or find that your sleep quality could be improved, using a sleep mask might help.
Sleeping with an eye mask can prevent distractions from low-level light sources in your bedroom like LED lights from electronics and outlet covers. It can also stop sunlight from creeping in through cracks in curtains or blinds during the early morning hours.
If you've ever been jolted awake by a strange noise or brief burst of light, you know how important it is to keep light and sound levels low while you sleep. By blocking out both light and sound, eye masks can help create an ideal environment for deep, restful sleep. And since they're so inexpensive and easy to use, there's really no downside to giving them a try!