{"id":1115,"date":"2020-04-21T15:17:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T15:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=1115"},"modified":"2021-01-27T17:10:34","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T17:10:34","slug":"sleep-mask-key-to-great-rest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/21\/sleep-mask-key-to-great-rest\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a Sleep Mask Might Be the Key to Great Rest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"woman<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Whether it be a candle or a lightbulb, humans have historically found a multitude of ways to get around the darkness that nighttime brings. And now, we have more distractions than ever before that bring light into the night, from cars driving past our windows to phone and laptop screens. We may be more productive, but we\u2019re also sleeping less: in 1910, most people slept 9 hours<\/a> per night; now, one-third of Americans are getting less than 7 hours of sleep<\/a> on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Each person has a circadian rhythm that helps their body figure out whether it\u2019s time to be asleep or awake, based on light \u2014 light helps the body know it\u2019s time to be awake; darkness helps the body know it\u2019s time to be asleep. Sounds simple, right? However, in a world filled with more light than ever, true \u201cdarkness\u201d is becoming harder and harder to come by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been found that room light (any light that provides general illumination for a room) can confuse the body\u2019s circadian rhythm<\/a> and delay the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep\/wake cycle \u2014 not just the \u201cblue light\u201d emitted from phones and screens. Although, it should be noted that humans are especially sensitive to blue light \u2014 check out this study<\/a>. Having constant light peek through your window such as that from a street lamp, a car driving by, or even the moon may delay the production of melatonin, and for sensitive sleepers, even wake you up at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of Sleep Masks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Need proof that sleep masks can improve your rest? One study<\/a> was conducted on subjects in an environment made to resemble an ICU (an environment with a high amount of light and noise disruption). The study examined the sleep of two key groups: a group who slept with eye masks and earplugs, and a group who did not. Use of earplugs and eye masks resulted in an increased amount of REM sleep and less time spent between falling asleep and reaching REM sleep. It also resulted in less arousal and elevated melatonin levels. While this study observed the effects of the combination <\/em>of sleep masks and eye masks, it\u2019s reasonable to assume that using just one or the other will still work to improve sleep quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, according to this study, sleep masks and ear plugs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n