How Sleep Masks Elevate Your Beauty, Makes You More Productive and Promotes Better Health

Over the years, I've invested a small fortune in beauty purchases.  From pricey gadgets to luxury products I've pretty much tried them all.  Out of everything I own, my latest beauty purchase might be an actual game-changer that takes everything else I do to a new level.

I'm not sure what took me so long to finally do this but this week, I purchased a silk sleeping mask.  My current sleep situation is abysmal.  I often wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake for a couple hours scrolling on my phone, only to wake up early in the morning to start my day.  

 

Poor quality sleep is not something you want to play with because the short and long-term consequences can be detrimental.  While we sleep our bodies are hard at work building and repairing systems. Sleep is when our muscles are built and when our immune system is strengthened.  Not to mention the fact that our brain also goes through a repair and regenerative cycle during our deep phases of sleep.  Researchers have discovered that our brains undergo this cleansing process of clearing out toxins in our brains overnight.  They also speculate that lack of sleep could contribute to some brain degeneration diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's.

I've tried a few strategies to help me fall asleep like drinking cherry juice,  going to bed earlier, etc.  But I don't think anything has improved my sleep as quickly as this newly acquired sleeping eye mask.  According to this study, I might be experiencing more REM sleep and producing higher melatonin levels thanks to my trusty new sleep mask.  The results were pretty instant.  I felt like my sleep quality improved on night one.  

There's another reason that pushed me to finally make this purchase.  I heard a tip that one's meditation practice can be enhanced simply by pairing the routine with a sleeping eye mask. Once upon a time, I tried using float tanks because of the insane sensory deprivation experience they provided.  In float tanks, you experience complete darkness which allows the brain the freedom to focus without having to process outside stimulation (light and sound).  When I tried meditating with my eye mask and sound blocking air pods,  the entire experience changed.  

With fewer external distractions, I feel like I'm able to focus on following my breath much more easily.    This benefit of enhanced meditation is crucial because I could potentially meditate for shorter sessions and still experience the same (or better) results.  This means I could do shorter sessions more consistently.  Consistency is what will create the outcomes I'm looking for.  Once my mind becomes more focused through the practice of meditation, I approach my day in an entirely different way.

This weekend was the first time I used the sleep mask and it was probably one of my most productive weekends in recent memory.  Practically everything on my to-do list was accomplished thanks to the help of more solid sleep, waking up energized,  and a couple meditation sessions.  I'm not being dramatic when I refer to this as life-changing. 

I'm loving the productivity and mental benefits of enjoying more sleep.  But I'm also curious about the potential beauty benefits.  Mainly, I'm curious to see how this addition to my routine will affect the appearance of my eyes.  Currently, I'm dealing with some dark circles and a bit of wrinkling under the eyes.  Basically, my eyes look tired...and they probably are.  I'm hoping that getting more sleep will help with some of the visible aging effects of my insomnia.  I'm pretty sure my screen time after 9:00 p.m. has gone down considerably in the few days since I've owned my mask.  Even if I wake up in the middle of the night, and grab my phone, I still fall asleep faster once I place the mask back on.  As soon as the mask is on, it's lights out - literally.  

My goal is to reduce cortisol levels through the act of getting quality sleep.  Cortisol levels rise when we're sleep-deprived.  I think of cortisol as an anti-beauty hormone that can lead to unwanted weight gain and a myriad of skin issues.  As a hormone, cortisol has the ability to break down collagen.  Cortisol also causes inflammation which can lead to increased breakouts. They're also saying that cortisol can' also impede hair growth because it can trigger shedding (hair loss).  

I think about the long-term benefits of getting more quality sleep every night is very exciting.  So much so, that days after receiving my first sleep mask, I invested in a slightly higher quality one that concaves around the eye sockets to allow the eye movements during REM sleep, to occur without restriction.  You can also open your eyes and blink freely wearing one of these masks without any pressure directly over the eye socket.  I'm hoping this type of eye mask will me to apply moisturizer under the eye before bed without having to worry about the product rubbing off due to friction.

Too many benefits to ignore...especially if you're struggling to get a good night of sleep.  Buying a sleeping mask is a no-brainer.