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Baraka_Guru · 02-01-2009, 08:57 AM

This thread's been dead for nearly a couple of years, but....

I'm thinking of buying a sleep mask.

Our bedroom has a 78" wide window on one side, and a door with a window in the other. Outside the main window are two floodlights attached to two walls: one right next to our window, and another sort of pointing towards it. The window in the door has streetlights beaming into it, as the door faces a busy street not far from it.

We're thinking of blocking the main window with a dark shower curtain, but there will still be intense light beaming through the top of everything, as the window ends right below the ceiling, which doesn't give us much room to work with.

The door is kinda stupid. We have blinds to cover the window, but there is another shoebox-type window above the door that has nothing covering it.

Anyway, the bottom line is that we're not likely to get this room anywhere near pitch dark. The room as it is now, gets only as dark as candle-lit, even with the curtains drawn. When I close my eyes, I can see the light against my eyelids, and when I cover them with a pillow, the difference is obvious.

Is there anyone who uses sleep masks regularly? My concern, of course, is comfort. I've seen a wide variety, mainly based on materials: nylon, fleece, foam.... the higher up you go, the more expensive they get.

I see that some have contours to allow you to open and close your eyes, and to prevent pressure on your eyelids, which would probably be uncomfortable otherwise. Do these make a big difference?

I also see there are "premium" masks, some of which help block out sound, etc. I'm wondering if such masks and others get too hot. I think the material you get will be the biggest factor in this regard. I tend to get hot easily.

So...anyone use sleep masks? All I know is that I've read studies suggesting that even the tiniest bit of light in the bedroom can interrupt your sleep patterns: as in, an alarm clock beaming in your face...let alone a couple of damned floodlights and a few streetlights (not to mention the occasional headlight blast).

Will a sleep mask improve my sleep quality?

02-01-2009, 08:57 AM	#9 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	This thread's been dead for nearly a couple of years, but.... I'm thinking of buying a sleep mask. Our bedroom has a 78" wide window on one side, and a door with a window in the other. Outside the main window are two floodlights attached to two walls: one right next to our window, and another sort of pointing towards it. The window in the door has streetlights beaming into it, as the door faces a busy street not far from it. We're thinking of blocking the main window with a dark shower curtain, but there will still be intense light beaming through the top of everything, as the window ends right below the ceiling, which doesn't give us much room to work with. The door is kinda stupid. We have blinds to cover the window, but there is another shoebox-type window above the door that has nothing covering it. Anyway, the bottom line is that we're not likely to get this room anywhere near pitch dark. The room as it is now, gets only as dark as candle-lit, even with the curtains drawn. When I close my eyes, I can see the light against my eyelids, and when I cover them with a pillow, the difference is obvious. Is there anyone who uses sleep masks regularly? My concern, of course, is comfort. I've seen a wide variety, mainly based on materials: nylon, fleece, foam.... the higher up you go, the more expensive they get. I see that some have contours to allow you to open and close your eyes, and to prevent pressure on your eyelids, which would probably be uncomfortable otherwise. Do these make a big difference? I also see there are "premium" masks, some of which help block out sound, etc. I'm wondering if such masks and others get too hot. I think the material you get will be the biggest factor in this regard. I tend to get hot easily. So...anyone use sleep masks? All I know is that I've read studies suggesting that even the tiniest bit of light in the bedroom can interrupt your sleep patterns: as in, an alarm clock beaming in your face...let alone a couple of damned floodlights and a few streetlights (not to mention the occasional headlight blast). Will a sleep mask improve my sleep quality? __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 02-01-2009 at 09:02 AM..