Sleeping Eye Masks: Pros and Cons

A lot of people wear sleeping eye masks to improve their sleep. Covering the eyes and blocking out light can provide for longer hours of sleep, overall improving your next day. There are benefits to wearing a sleeping eye mask, but what about the negatives? Here are some of the pros and cons to wearing sleeping masks to bed.

Pros
Improved sleep:
Sleeping eye masks are fitted to cover the eyes and block out any source of light that might prove to be distracting or bothersome while trying to sleep. The darkness provided by the mask allows for more hours of sleep. Sleeping masks are reported to help ease restless sleeping, even helping those who suffer from insomnia. Because of the constant darkness the mask provides, sleepers will experience a more consistent and restful sleep.

Safer than medication:
It is much safer to try out a sleeping mask to aid your sleep than it is to take sleeping pills and other medication. Some sleeping pills can be detrimental to your health, while eye masks are safer when going through the “trial and error” stage of selecting the right one.

Might help prevent dry eyes:
If you centrally heat or cool your home or room, dry air is being blown about, stirring up dust and pet hair while you’re sleeping. A sleep mask can act as a protective barrier for your eyes against these particles.

Cons
Might cause oversleeping:
Because sleeping eye masks block out any source of light, and our bodies need that light to naturally wake up, users might experience difficulty waking up or risk the chance of oversleeping.

Pressing on eyelashes:
The sleeping mask might press on your eyelashes, which could be uncomfortable and, to some degree, painful. While this might be an issue for some, loosening the mask will fix this problem.

Blurred vision:
If the mask is worn too tightly, your vision might be blurry in the morning upon waking. Like the pressed eyelash issue, just loosen the mask to help with this.

Overall, sleeping eye masks are a low risk investment for better sleep quality. There are many to choose from, so try out which ones work for you. If you have any questions, please call our optical health experts at Accent Eyes for more information. Your eye health is our primary concern.