Thread: Opinions on light blocking devices (sleep masks, blackout blinds etc.)

I use a silk eye mask that I removed the stuffing from because it was too warm with it in. I’ve used Cotton as well. My complaints about other masks have been that I could feel pressure on my face and that they were too hot. They need to be light as a feather, breathable, and cool to the touch. I also use earplugs. I only wear a mask and earplugs when practicing lucid dreaming. It’s a sort of ritual that keeps the sun and cats from waking me up.

Sleep masks were always uncomfortable and ended up laying beside my head or on the floor. I felt like they could have got wrapped around my neck. And before they fell off, every time I would roll over or adjust position a little they would slide around and let light in and I'd have to re-adjust. Can I give them a 0? If not then a 1. What worked for me were blackout shades. I used to sleep in the day and without them I woke many times and had a hard time getting back to sleep, but with them I slept like a baby. Currently I use timing - I sleep at night and get up around the time the sun rises. That works even better, due to natural rhythms etc - melatonin rising toward night and your body wanting to get up when the sun rises.

• Sleep masks - 1
• Blackout shades - 10
• Sleeping when it's naturally dark - 10

Originally Posted by Petor95

So I'd like to ask 2 questions:

1. What light blocking products have you used/are currently using? Which is your preferred one to use and why? (If multiple)
2. One a scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (Very satisfied), how would you rate your current light blocking solution? (If applicable, if not rate in retrospect))
3. With any and all of the light blocking products you've tried, what (if any) are your pain points/problems with them?

Actually, you asked three questions

1. I've tried many things, and have wound up with a silk sleep mask that I bought at Brookstone 20 years ago, and have never seen its like since (light, truly dark, with no heavy/constricting foam that seems all the rage to use, and with clever little extra folds to keep my eyes from bumping into the fabric). It's old, fraying, and I've had to replace worn out silk more than once, but I am unable to replace it. I use the mask in combination with 2 sets of blackout curtains on each of my bedroom windows. Also, if perhaps irrelevant here, I use a white noise machine and a fan to complete my "blackout" equation.

2. My current arrangement rates an 8, I think, which is as good as I've ever gotten it.

3. The major problem I have with pretty much all the sleep masks available is that they are made with or from heavy, constricting, sweat-inducing foam that, if you can stand keeping them on for more than a few minutes, do little more than scream at you that you are wearing a sleep mask -- and that is no help for falling asleep or, say, staying focused on your WILD. I have no idea why manufacturers think using foam is a good idea, but that seems the most common material. Also, it seems that "blackout" is a relative term among curtain-makers, so be careful what you buy and remember that you get what you pay for (i.e., cheap curtains equals lousy blackout potential). Regarding specific "pain points," I think keeping material from touching your eyes and making the strap as comfortable as possible (an adjustable cloth strap, for instance, is far more useful than a cheap elastic one) ought to be priorities.

Good luck with your project!

Originally Posted by Sageous

Actually, you asked three questions

Ah, but he didn't say he was GOING to ask 2 - only that he would LIKE to! Maybe he only added another one reluctantly?