longbough

With my schedule I have to wake at 4am - so I try to get to bed while it's still daylight. I've tried sleeping with a pillow over my eyes and find myself suffocating ... so I've decided to buy one of those "sleep masks" I've seen.
Are all of them pretty much the same? Since I value my sleep I don't mind getting the nicest one that money can buy - I'd like some expert help finding one.

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"I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me what he should have done, had he been present when I was almost fatally assaulted in 1908, whether he should have run away and seen me killed or whether he should have used his physical force which he could and wanted to use, and defended me, I told him that it was his duty to defend me even by using violence." - Mahatma Ghandi

MexicanOnABike

have you tried just getting some good blinds for your windows? i wouldnt be able to sleep with a mask on my face.

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longbough

My bedroom has a balcony with a huge sliding glass door. I'd have to get heavy curtains they use in home theaters. I'd like to try the masks first for now.

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"I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me what he should have done, had he been present when I was almost fatally assaulted in 1908, whether he should have run away and seen me killed or whether he should have used his physical force which he could and wanted to use, and defended me, I told him that it was his duty to defend me even by using violence." - Mahatma Ghandi

Sultana

I have a naughty answer that makes me giggle so hard I can't think how to frame it best here.

But yes, it's pricey.

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"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come." -

Matt Groening

My goal? To fulfill my potential.

Kadath

Haha, Sultana, I thought of the same thing. Something from JT's Stockroom, perhaps? You could get a decent one for about $25.

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it's quiet in here

abaya

Hail Longbough, from the land of the Midnight Sun... we had two months straight of BRIGHT nights, with the sunlight managing to sneak around the edges of even our darkest curtains (the pull-down/snap-up kind, which you can buy as a "roll" at IKEA, btw). It kind of drove me insane.

But I managed to survive by using a plain old eyemask from a Lufthansa flight a couple of years back. It's the standard-issues complementary airline mask, with black cloth on the inside and dark blue on the outside. It was light enough on my face that I didn't really notice it. Do you have any old travel masks from the airlines, or perhaps stop in the travel section at Target?

Other than that, I recommend the near-blackout shades from IKEA, if you can get them. Or just tie a scarf around your head.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Adri

Yes! I can actually help with this! (this may be a TFP first for this newb!!!)

Several months ago I was waiting in the airport for my flight home from my parents' house, where my dog had died the night before. Because I couldn't hold back the crying, I decided to go to the Brookstone booth and buy a sleep mask so I could just sit there in the airport and sob and nobody could see. It worked...

Anyway, months later I still sleep with this thing sometimes... it's really super soft, to the point where I can barely even feel it on my face, except that it's warm and snuggly. Brookstone has a whole line of "NAP" products, including blankets, pillows and teddy bears. The fabric is like a really soft velour, sorta that stuff that beanie babies were made from?

Anyway, here are some links:

This is the stand alone mask; it's got gel in it... I don't have this one but it looks cool:

http://www.brookstone.com/store/prod...20&prodtemp=t1

And this is the "travel kit" I bought at the airport; I would suggest buying this first; the mask is a lot smaller than the one I posted above, and it comes with the handy dandy pillow, socks and a blanket, too.

http://www.brookstone.com/store/prod...20&prodtemp=t1

Enjoy!

longbough

I knew I could count on you to capitalize off my gaffes - naughty, naughty, love.
Whilst sensory dep per se isn't our explicit objective here - the very subject does open the realm of possibilities...

thanks for the stimulation

as Kramer once said, "I'm out of the contest now."

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"I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me what he should have done, had he been present when I was almost fatally assaulted in 1908, whether he should have run away and seen me killed or whether he should have used his physical force which he could and wanted to use, and defended me, I told him that it was his duty to defend me even by using violence." - Mahatma Ghandi

Baraka_Guru

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

Bear Cub

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Living in the United Socialist States of America.

Baraka_Guru

I'm looking for something more breathable....like foam or something.

__________________
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

Plan9

I use an Underarmor stretch beanie to cover my eyes. It isn't bulky, doesn't fall off, and keeps most of the light out.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

genuinegirly

Honestly, I have been quite comfortable with an inexpensive thin fabric mask that came along with a spa kit. It's just enough to keep the light out of my eyes, not weighty enough for me to notice its presence. It looks something like this:

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"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

Baraka_Guru

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

I found a Life Brand (Shopper's Drug Mart national brand) sleep mask. It was in with travel stuff, such as pillows, ear plugs, and blankets. It was meant to be cheap and portable for travellers. It was $5, but it isn't bad. It's cotton with a terrycloth interior, and it shuts out pretty much all of the light.

I've used it all this week and I've already noticed a difference. My sleep seems to be more effective, and I'm starting to remember my dreams. (I normally forget all of my dreams--we do always dream even though we might forget them. A sign of good quality sleep usually means remembering much of your dreams upon waking.) ...which reminds me, I think I need psychotherapy. But that's another thread....

I highly recommend sleep masks to anyone who does not or cannot sleep in at least near-pitch darkness. Even the tiniest amount of light can interfere with your sleep, and in my case, the amount of light in my room at night may have been interfering much more than I thought. We'll see how things go over time. Sleep patterns and habits only show their benefit/detriment over long periods of time.

It takes getting used to, since I've never slept with anything on my face before. But it's getting easier. Your brain makes adjustments to new and regular sensations eventually. It's becoming more like a blanket for my face. A face toque, or whatever. I might get myself a high quality one for comfort if things continue to work out.

__________________
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