Can't sleep? This weighted eye mask works wonders
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My sleep routine has always been as follows: lie in bed, watch “The Office,” check my phone, toss and turn, fall asleep, wake up to turn off “The Office,” fall back asleep.
So basically, my sleep routine is trash.
My sister swears by her sleep mask, and I’ve even tried a couple, but I could never understand what the big deal was — it would fall off every time I’d wear it, light still seeped in, and it just become a nuisance.
But when I heard about the NodPod Weighted Sleeping Mask, I got curious. Why? Well, I get headaches pretty frequently and am very sensitive to anything touching my body during sleep, and all of the positive reviews seemed to be coming from people who described the exact same issues.
When I first opened the package, it didn’t look like a sleep mask but more like a miniature wavy blanket. I placed the mask on my eyes for a bit, figuring it would immediately feel uncomfortable, but I was pleasantly surprised: the pressure was comforting and secure.
The mask also has a unique design: it’s snap- and strap-free.
I fit the mask around my face and found there was no light shining through at all. When I changed my position, the mask didn’t move.
The next morning I was hooked — and excited to get to sleep that night. Flukes happen every so often, but this weighted sleeping mask is not a fluke.
Usually in the mornings it takes me a few snoozed alarms to move an inch. After sleeping with this mask on I was ready to go immediately after the first sound of the alarm. I felt energized and calm.
With weeks of using this thing constantly, I’ve found that my energy is constant throughout the day; I don’t experience any 3 pm energy ruts or sugar cravings I normally would; and it no longer takes me hours to fall asleep.
Not only is it great for at-home sleep, but it’s the perfect travel companion. The flexible design makes it easy to pack on any carry-on, and since it works so well I can sleep through even the brightest day flights.
Another issue this mask has seemed to cure is my tendency to wake up a bunch throughout the night. Instead, I wake up once a little before my alarms and have extra time to get ready.
In fact, I’m about to board a flight tonight for the first time since using my NodPod, and it was the first thing I packed. I can’t wait to fall asleep immediately on my three-hour flight!
Reviewers agree, celebrating the mask’s comfort and stability.
“I love this sleep mask,” wrote one reviewer. “It has just the right amount of weight to it, so it feels comforting when on. Then, the way it comes together in the back makes it comfortable to sleep on the side, back, or in the recliner. Oh, and the fabric is perfect. They thought [of] everything,”
Crafted from jersey cotton and microfiber fleece, the texture of the mask is soft and airy. Inside, little plastic pellets bring weight to the mask and mold to your eyes, hugging every curve.
“This is the BEST eye mask I've ever bought,” another shopper wrote. “The weighted fill conforms to the shape of my eyes, totally blocking out light. The weight pressing down gently instantly relaxes my body. And the outside lobes nestle over my ears, blocking out most ambient noises. Since I got it, my other eye masks have been gathering dust. A definite winner!”
You can also freeze the mask to aid in headache relief (however, it’s not microwave-safe). Perhaps the most important feature of this mask is how it entirely blocks out any light.
“I require midnight darkness to fall asleep,” explained a reviewer. “The breaking dawn does not work for me. The NodPod is perfect for keeping everything dark. I used it for the first time a week or so ago and it was perfect! I felt enveloped in blackness and fell right asleep.When I woke up the NodPod had slipped off my face but that was fine. It stayed on long enough for me to fall asleep — it’s heavy enough to stay put as you're nodding off but it isn't so heavy that you wake up with a pain in the neck.”
What’s more, the mask is one size fits all.
My sleep routine now is a whole lot simpler—and a whole lot more restful— thanks to this weighted sleep mask — but it still includes “The Office.”
NodPod Weighted Sleep Mask
Shop it: NodPod Weighted Sleep Mask, $28, bedbathandbeyond.com
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