Yes, you have eyelids. But if your room is not pitch-dark, your partner stays up scrolling long after bedtime, or you’re trying to take an afternoon nap, you may need an extra layer of protection. That is because any exposure to light can suppress your body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin. A good eye mask keeps light out, helping you sleep longer and more deeply. And unlike blackout shades, sleep masks are portable, so you can use them when you’re traveling, and relatively inexpensive.
While you could just slip on one of those free eye masks airlines sometimes hand out on long-haul flights, the straps are often thin and rarely adjustable, which means the mask can put too much pressure on your eyes or slide off overnight. When you consider that getting adequate sleep (that’s seven or more hours a night for most adults) can help you stay at a healthy weight, get sick less often, and even extend your lifespan by two to five years, springing for a good eye mask is one of the most cost-effective investments you can make in your health.
