My bedroom has a huge window. Unfortunately, even though it faces west, this means that my bedroom gets quite bright well before my alarm goes off on weekdays. I rent, so I don’t want to spend the time and money to put in blackout curtains.
I tried looking into some sleep masks on amazon.com, but they all have mixed reviews. I’m hoping to get some feedback here from people who use (or used to use) sleep masks.
Of note to my particular situation:
[ul][li]The mask must be comfortable for a side-sleeper; don’t care about back or front[/li][li]Sound is not a consideration–I don’t think it would particularly bother me if the mask also blocked my ears, but there’s no need for it[/li][li]Ideally, I should be able to chuck the mask in with my normal laundry (or it should have a machine-washable cover)–hand-washing is a faaaaaar second[/li][li]The construction (including the strap) should be able to hold up to daily use[/li][li]Some light leakage around the nose would be not a big deal[/li][li]I don’t care if it looks ridiculous as long as it works[/ul][/li]
Thanks in advance!
I’ve been through a couple, because I love it to be absolutely black darkness when I sleep. I tried one of the ladylike satin ones first, but learned that the elastic strap had a very short life and soon didn’t have any stretchiness left. This meant that the mask slipped off my face way too easily and became useless.
Next I bought one from REI. They don’t have the exact one anymore, but here’s what they have available right now. The one I had is most like the middle one on that page. The key with my new one is that it has an adjustable strap, so as the elastic wears out, I should be able to cinch it tighter. The drawback is that there is a small plastic thingy on the strap that makes this possible, and it can be a little uncomfortable to feel that on the back of my head. I also try and wear the strap really high on the back of my head, because otherwise it can chafe behind my ears a little.
I’ve used it on a trans-Pacific flight and on the occasional night and have been very happy with it, although I usually wake up in the morning with it not on my face, but rather under me, or around my wrist, or on the floor. No harm done. FWIW I sleep on my side or my back. Here’s me with it on:
They’re pretty cheap, get one and see what you think. Good luck!
I have a couple of the “Opulence” ones and this one from the “Dreamers” section. They’re all soft and comforable and can be machine washed.
It is amazing the difference it can make to wear them. You can get a much deeper and restful sleep without the interfering light. Even if your room is normally dark, most people have some kind of LED light (DVR, Cable box, alarm clock) which can keep you from reaching the deepest levels of sleep.
Definitely Dream Essentials. I have the Escape Travel mask and a Dreamer mask and both are super comfy and actually stay on. They do a great job blocking out light. I use mine a lot when we go camping or when traveling, or if I have a headache. Very nice.
I tried the cheapo ones where the elastic stretched out quickly.
I now use a navy blue bandanna, folded into a strip wide enough to cover the eye sockets completely, like a blindfold.
It takes a few tries to tie it just tight enough. And it has to be retied after a few days because the cloth stretches a bit between washings. Also, it can slip off and you can wake up. But I just readjust it and go right back to sleep.
It does fit the OP’s last point: it looks ridiculous, but it’s cheap.
If the cloth still lets in too much light for you, add an additional thickness with either a second bandanna or a plain handkerchief.
Note that it covers the nose, eliminating the light leakage there, rather than just having a cutout for the nose. (Halloween eye masks used to be like that.)
**Sleeps With Butterflies **(how apropos, hah) and everyone else who suggested the Dream Essentials masks, I think that’s going to be what I’ll try first.
SHAKES, the reason I’m not getting curtains is I don’t have anything to attach them to (the windows have blinds), so I’d not only have to get curtains that match the rest of the room, I’d also have to get all the hardware and mount it, which I’d have to get approval for since I rent, and etc. etc. etc. Which is just a PITA I’d rather not deal with.
It is made from that foam material that they make beds from.
It feels comfortable when you put it on. However, as a side sleeper, it was too big a lump to be comfortable. I kept it on until about 4:00 then took it off for a better sleep.
I will try it again a few times, but I am also ordering something else.
It is still not very comfortable for me, and I will try a different one. I do think I sleep better with complete darkness so I’ll keep looking until I find one I like.
