Best Sleep Mask

UPDATED January 2020

From the lights flashing outside to the light coming under your dog, a sleep mask will block it all out.

BEST SLEEP
MASK 2019

BOTTOM LINE

Lavender can help you drift off easily at night, and this sleep mask makes it easy to use fresh or dried lavender as part of your nighttime routine. It also comes with a cooling mask designed to make quick work of puffy eyes.

PROS

Get a good night’s sleep with this eye mask, which comes with extra features like a gel mask that cools the skin on your face to keep your eyes from looking puffy. You also get a muslin bag that you can use with Lavender or any other herbs you want.

CONS

Some shoppers felt that this sleep mask was too heavy and that it weighed them down. Other customers found that it came with extra features they didn’t want or need.

BOTTOM LINE

Designed for anyone who wants to feel cool and comfortable as they sleep, this mask has a hypoallergenic design that makes it suitable for those with allergies and sensitive skin. It also has a unique design that blocks out more light than other masks do.

PROS

As one of the only hypoallergenic sleep masks on the market, this one is suitable for any user. It has a soft inner shell made from cotton with a satin layer on top that feels soft and smooth on your face.

CONS

This mask can feel a little uncomfortable or strange the first few times you use. You may find that it feels heavy on your forehead and/or nose too.

BOTTOM LINE

With this sleep mask, you can fall asleep easily on a plane or in your own bedroom. It features an intelligent temperature control and a USB adapter that heats up the mask.

PROS

Thanks to an ergonomic design, this sleep mask feels like you have almost nothing on at all. As a heated sleep mask, it comes with a USB adapter that helps you reach the temperature you desire.

CONS

Some customers had problems getting this sleep mask to reach the temperatures they wanted. Other shoppers found that it made their dry and red eye problems worse.

BOTTOM LINE

Feel comfortable and block out the light in the vicinity with this sleep mask, which uses memory foam for extra comfort. The Velcro strap fits tightly to ensure that no light gets through.

PROS

Made from memory foam, this sleep mask will actually mold to the exact shape of your face for added comfort as you sleep. This is one of the only masks that will block out 100% of the light around you.

CONS

The strap that wraps the mask around your head can feel a little tight and uncomfortable. Some customers found that the memory foam didn’t bounce back the way it should also.

BOTTOM LINE

Regardless of any allergies or skin problems you might have, you can use this mask and enjoy some big results. Made from silk, the mask has a layer of memory foam inside that matches the design and shape of your face.

PROS

Suitable for all ages and both men and women, this mask uses memory foam that won’t rub uncomfortably against your face or add weight to your head as you sleep. It uses real silk in its design that makes the mask suitable for those with skin irritations and allergies.

CONS

A very small number of customers had issues with the quality control of this mask. The Velcro strap either wore down quickly or came already damaged.

Shopping Guide for the Best Sleep Mask

Wearing one of the best sleep mask 2018 products can completely transform your life. There are few things worse than tossing and turning all night to get some sleep and waking early because of the light streaming through your windows. While some people love waking up to the sun’s rays, you may want to sleep in and get a few extra hours of rest. Using one of the sleep mask 2018 products we found can help you get all the precious sleep that you need.

We didn’t just simply pick one product and name it the best sleep mask because we know that shoppers have different needs. Some shoppers want a mask that they can wear when flying to block out the artificial lights on the plane, and others want one they can wear at home to sleep without interior and exterior lights getting in their way. The top masks even let you sleep while your partner or spouse watches television in bed beside you.

Start with a look at the chart on the top of this page. That chart shows you the top five products that are suitable for all shoppers. You can then read our guide to find out how to pick the right sleeping mask for you and how much one will cost.

Shopping Guide for the Best Sleep Mask

How Much Sleep Do People Need?

  • Adults over the age of 65 need at least seven to eight hours of sleep
  • Adults between the ages of 26 and 64 should sleep at least seven to nine hours every night
  • Young adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night
  • Teenagers and younger children need between eight and 12+ hours of sleep nightly

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Many people swear that the smell of Lavender has a relaxing effect that helps them fall asleep. Whether or not you tried Lavender in the past, this mask gives you an easy way to use either dried lavender or fresh lavender. The silk eye pillow feels so cool on your skin that you’ll never worry about overheating as you try to sleep. You can use this eye pillow directly on your eyes or use it with the included muslin bag. The eye pillow uses natural silk and has a zipper that lets you change out the filling inside. With the muslin bag, you can tuck the silk bag inside and get a stiffer bag that you can put on your eyes, though some customers complained that using the second bag made this eye pillow a little too heavy for them. Also included with the mask and bag is a cooling eye mask. Designed to help you cool down quickly, this mask fits right over your eyes and provides a soothing relief to the skin around your eyes. Using the cooling mask in combination with the other products can reduce the appearance of puffy eyes and help you sleep better.
In-Depth Product Review Lavender Silk Eye Pillow

Selection Criteria

Buying a sleep mask might seem easy when the thought first crosses your mind. By the time you view even a fraction of the options available to you though, you may feel like screaming. You need to look at the way it fits, the material used in the mask and even how the band or strap fits around/on your head.

As we know that there are a number of things to look for when choosing a sleep mask, we looked at all the most important features. The information that you’ll find on this page goes over absolutely everything you need to know about sleep masks. You can view our product chart to see the top five options and then read more detailed reviews on each of those masks. The further you move down this page, the more information you’ll find.

Our detailed shopping guide for sleep masks covers the different types of masks out there, the materials used in each one and how much you should spend on a mask that will help you sleep better. You’ll even find answers to some frequently asked questions and tips on falling asleep faster and sleeping throughout the night after you buy a sleeping mask.

Herbs and Flowers That Can Help You Sleep

Selection Criteria - Sleep Masks
Hops
Selection Criteria - Sleep Masks
Lavander
Selection Criteria - Sleep Masks
Passionflower
Selection Criteria - Sleep Masks
California Poppy

The unique design of this eye mask helps filter out more of the light that usually have around you as you try to sleep, including street lines shining through your windows and the light of your television screen. Its design not only covers your eyes but also covers the skin around your eyes to seal off the openings that other masks miss. While it may feel a little strange the first few times you put it on, many users found that they felt completely comfortable using this mask after just a few nights.

Made from several materials, this mask has a cotton lining that rubs softly against your skin as you sleep. It has a Velcro strap on the back that makes this mask easy to use. You simply cover your eyes, wrap the strap around your head and secure the strap. This strap also makes the mask adjustable and lets multiple people use it. You can even adjust the fit based on what you wear to bed or what you do with your hair before climbing into bed. As this mask is hypoallergenic, anyone can safely use it to block out the light when trying to sleep.

Benefits of Using a Sleep Mask

Though you might think that you can use blackout curtains, a sleep mask does more than just block the light streaming in from the outside. These masks have a number of benefits that you can take advantage of daily and nightly.

  • Using a sleep mask can trick your body into a relaxed state and make your brain ramp up your production of melatonin, which is the hormone that actually helps you sleep.
  • Wearing a sleep mask blocks out all the light surrounding you. Not only will it block the sun’s rays and other lights coming in from the outside, but it will also block out the lights from your child’s nightlight, the television or computer running in the room and any lights from the hallway or other nearby rooms.
  • A mask can help you get back on a set sleep schedule. When you don’t get enough sleep a few nights in a row, you may find it hard to go to sleep at your regular time. The mask helps you calm down and get in the right mood for sleeping, which can eventually help you get back on a set schedule.
  • Eyes masks can also help protect your eyes and the skin around your eyes as you sleep. Some users find that using a mask reduces red eye and dark under eye circles.
Benefits of Using a Sleep Mask

No matter where you want to sleep, this mask can help you fall asleep and stay asleep without any bright lights disrupting you. As one of the only sleep masks that actually heats up, this one uses infrared technology that helps you get all the sleep that you need. It comes with a USB adapter that you can plug into the port on your computer to power the mask while flying or traveling by train.

Many people like the ergonomic design of this mask, which reduces the pressure that they feel when using other masks. It fits comfortably on your face and won’t put pressure on your nose. The mask has an intelligent temperature control that lets you increase the temperature up to 113-degrees Fahrenheit, but you can use this mask at a lower temperature too. A safety feature causes the mask to shut off after one hour to prevent burns and other damage to your face and eyes.

As an added bonus, this sleep mask can reduce the dark circles under your eyes. The technology that it uses slowly penetrates your skin to heal your body from the inside out. Regular use of the mask can significantly decrease the appearance of dark circles, freckles and other blemishes.

Heated Eye Mask

What Materials are Best?

Manufacturers use a variety of materials for sleep masks, including cotton, silk and memory foam.

Silk
Silk is a natural material that many manufacturers use because silk is lightweight and breathable. Companies can dye silk to change the color of the material. Though you may prefer a black mask because you think it will block out more light, other colors of silk will work with a layer of material in the middle to block out those lights.

Cotton
Cotton is another material that is both breathable and lightweight. Though not as soft as silk, cotton tends to last longer. The more you wear your mask, the softer the cotton will become. Cotton masks come in different colors and patterns too.

Memory Foam
Many sleep masks made today feature at least one layer of memory foam. Similar to the memory foam used in mattresses and mattress toppers, it molds to the specific angles and design of your face for a more comfortable fit. Memory foam masks will usually feature a cover made from silk, cotton or synthetic materials.

Synthetic Materials
Sleeping masks that use synthetic materials are often cheaper than those that use natural materials, but these masks usually do not last as long as the other ones do. If you have skin troubles or allergies, you may experience breakouts when wearing a synthetic mask.

What Materials are Best

Signs You Aren't Getting Enough Sleep

  • You suffer from intense mood swings that leave you feeling anxious, depressed, sad and/or angry
  • You do not have as much energy as you usually do
  • You suffer from dark circles and bags under your eyes
  • You have issues making decisions at home and/or at work

Ergonomic sleep masks like this one follow the natural curves of the human face to reduce discomfort. The unique designed used on the mask allows it to run along the edges of your nose and eyes without putting pressure and stress on your nose. It fits so tightly against your face that the manufacturer claims it blocks out 100$ of the light nearby. As long as you use it properly, you’ll never again see light getting in around the edges of the mask and waking you up.

Made from a type of material called memory foam, this mask will mold to the unique angles and shape of your face for an even better fit. Using memory foam helped the manufacturer keep the weight of this mask down, which lets you sleep without feeling like there is anything on your face.

Women who wear makeup like this sleep mask because it covers their eyes without actually touching their eyes. Even if you wear full makeup on a flight, you can remove this mask without seeing those products smudged all over your face. As this mask is more breathable than others, it will also help you stay cool to reduce your risk of overheating.

In-Depth Product Review 3D Sleep Eye Mask Cover

Top Sleep Mask Features

After looking at our chart and seeing which sleeping masks we think are the best, you may feel confident in taking our advice and purchasing one of those masks. If you still aren’t sure that any of those masks are perfect for you, you can look at some of the features that other shoppers thought were the most important.

Material
Though we already looked at some of the materials, you should double-check that the material used is extremely breathable. Whether you want a mask that you can wear on a flight to another country or one you can wear while sleeping at home, the material should be both lightweight and breathable. This reduces the risk that you might overheat and get so hot that you keep waking up.

Fit
Some sleep masks come in a one-size-fits-all option that will fit any user. You can wear that mask while sleeping one night and then let your spouse or child borrow it the next night. Many of the products that we found and those that have the highest ratings online though will only fit adults. Kids wearing these masks will find that it keeps slipping down and letting light into their eyes. If you have the chance, you may want to try out the mask before you buy. When you put it on, make sure that it fits tightly over your eyes, that it doesn’t pinch your nose and that the mask stays in place as you move.

Type
Not all sleep masks are exactly the same. One type that might appeal to you is a traditional sleep mask, which looks like a flat piece of fabric with curves that cover your eyes and nose. These masks are lightweight and come with an elastic or Velcro band/strap that fits around your head. Traditional masks do an efficient job of blocking both natural and artificial light as well as fluorescent light sources. If you sleep on your side, you can look for masks designed for side sleepers. Regardless of how much you move in your sleep, these masks won’t slip or slide.

Other Options
You may want to consider a sleep mask that does more than just help you sleep. Aromatherapy masks are popular with those who like using different essential oils and herbs. These masks come with a bag that you can fill with the herb of your choice. You’ll then put the mask inside the bag and place it on your eyes. Cooling masks are similar but keep you cool and reduce the appearance of blemishes and problem spots around your eyes. With some of these products, you can put the mask right in the fridge or freezer to cool it down before using the mask on your face.

How Much Should You Spend on a Sleep Mask?

Despite what you might think, you can get a good sleep mask at a low price. When you do a search for these masks online, you’ll find some options priced at just $5. Cheaper masks may have some problems though. Many customers find that these masks break down over time, that the masks don’t block out all the light in the room and that the strap comes loose as they sleep.

A basic mask that comes with an adjustable strap and an ergonomic design will cost you just $20, though you’ll also find some products with good reviews online that cost even less.

Sets that come with an eye mask, earbuds and other accessories may cost in the range of $30 to $50. Designed for travelers, these sets help you block out all those things that irritate you about traveling, including crying babies and kids on planes and neighbors that keep shouting.

Some sleep masks now come with extra padding that helps you feel more comfortable as you sleep. These masks feature padding around the nose, which keeps the mask from slipping and stops it from putting pressure on your nose. Sleep masks that feature more padding retail for between $20 and $50.

How Much Should You Spend on a Sleep Mask

Tips for Getting Better Sleep at Night

  • Change out your pillows for ones that offer more or less support
  • Invest in a better mattress
  • Adjust the temperature in your bedroom
  • Avoid caffeine for several hours before bedtime
  • Workout for at least 30 minutes day
  • Follow a set schedule that has you going to bed and getting up at the same times every day

As a complete set, this set includes both a sleep mask and other accessories that will help you fall asleep. The included earplugs are great for blocking out the noises of people shouting outside, kids playing, the television shows your spouse watches and anything else you might usually hear. You also get a case that makes it easy for you to store all these supplies and take the set with you on vacation.

The real highlight of this set is the sleep mask itself. Made from a type of light silk, the cover on this mask feels so soft on your skin that you might want to wear it every night. An adjustable strap on the back lets you adjust the fit of the mask based on how you did your hair or the hat and other accessories that you wear.

This is one of the only sleep masks on the market that will fit any user. Not only can both men and women wear it when blocking out the light, but the Velcro straps make it fit the smallest of kids too. Also included is a handy booklet with tips on improving your sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

A: If you have long hair and constantly move or fidget in your sleep, a strap that uses Velcro may come loose to stick to your hair. An easy way to avoid this problem is with a mask that features an elastic strap. You can adjust this strap to fit around your hair without your strands sticking to the strap.

A: The answer to this question is that it depends on the mask that you buy. Masks that have a looser fit can slip off your face when you roll over or move and let in more light. If you purchase a mask that is a little too big or small for your face, it may not block out all the light either.

A: A standard mask is one that you can wear as you sleep in your bed at home. It should stay in place as you toss and turn until you climb out of bed the following morning. Travel masks are those that you can wear on a train or plane. Manufacturers design these masks specifically for those who sleep in a seated position.

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