Sleeping well is one of the joys of life. A good deep sleep can leave you energized the next day, keep your concentration and mind focused and even make your mood better. But so many of us have shallow unsatisfying sleep which does not do enough to replenish our energies at all. To have the best effect of sleep, it is advisable that you should try a sleep mask.
Well before we get to that, let’s ask this important question what in our anatomy makes us fall sleep in the first place? Well, our brain has an organ called the pineal gland. When the photo receptors in the eyes receive less light, this gland becomes more active and it releases a hormone called melatonin into the bloodstream.
The effect a higher concentration of melatonin has on us is to make us tired. During a regular 24 hour interval, our levels of melatonin drop to almost zero during the day and reach to the peak in the middle of the night. In short, it is important to understand that our bodies tend to become tired when less light is perceived by the eyes. Improving the quality of sleep by raising the amount of naturally released melatonin has to come from removing the light.
A good sleep mask does just that as it blocks out the light and provides a dark soothing blackness. This in turn tells our bodies that it is now time to fall asleep. Also, if more light comes in while we are sleeping such as the sunrise or someone turning on a light next to us, we won’t be able to sense it. We keep to our natural rhythms of wake and sleep and enjoy a healthier and deeper sleep.
Who can use a sleeping mask?
As a guideline, if you are annoyed by the light when you sleep or get woken up early and exhausted because of light, a sleep mask can be a great help for you and more specifically in the following cases;
Shift workers who have reverse sleeping patterns i.e. sleep during daytime and work at night.
Airline travelers who are suddenly enter into a new time zone.
New mothers who have to get up at weird hours of the night to tend to their baby and they can’t fall asleep during the day even if they have some free time.
People who go to sleep at different time then their partners, and so get woken up by light in the bedroom.
