If you’ve ever been to Times Square at night, you’ll notice one peculiar thing: it’s one of the few places on earth that has daylight around the clock. Millions of lumens of artificial light all day, every day. It’s a pinnacle of wonder and ingenuity, and a symbol of the blue-light excess that plagues the modern world.

But the rest of us should be fine, right? Even in modernities darkest corners, artificial light reaches our ancient brains: through screens and streetlights and a thousand little LED’s infesting our rooms. Over millennia our brains evolved to experience natural blue light in the daytime, and the warm amber light of flickering fires at night. Brains that grew to rely on those visual cues to signal to the body when it’s time to work, and when it’s time for restful sleep.

An inexpensive way to help mitigate this perpetual daytime is to sleep with a mask over your eyes. If you can’t be in the darkness, fake it.

But what makes sleep masks so effective? My eyes are closed anyway…

Eyes do more than see. They have sensitive photo receptors that detect light changes even through close eyelids. This change in light is then interpreted by the brain, which acts as the governor deciding when it’s time to wake and when it’s time to sleep. A sleep mask helps enclose your eyes in total darkness. A shield from modernities unintended consequences.

So how do I know which sleep mask to buy?

There are only a few simple rules to follow:

1. The mask should never touch your eyes. Most masks on the market sit flat over your eyes. A critical phase of sleep is REM sleep – Rapid Eye Movement. While science is uncertain why the eyes become active in this phase, we need to be mindful to not impede the natural function.
2. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Good enough works. You’ll wear it out, you’ll get it dirty, you’ll be buying a few each year. And you’ll probably want a spare for travel.
3. Look for a snug fit over your nose. That’s where the most light will bleed through to your eyes.
4. Watch out for the strap – some cheap masks will have a strap that cut into your ears.

Here are some good enough masks from Amazon:

(the one I use)

(For the fancy Sleepist)

Remind me why I need a sleep mask?

Darkness = Better Sleep

Eyes Sense Darkness

The Modern World = Too Bright

Sleep Mask = Faking Darkness

Keep it simple, find one that you’ll use consistently and embrace the precious darkness.

Good night!

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