Best Light Blocking Sleep Mask

Aaaaah, sleep! There’s nothing quite as satisfying as crawling into bed after a long, tiring day. (Or night, if you’re a shift worker.) Unfortunately, falling into a restful sleep is an entirely different story.

If you’re light-sensitive, streetlights or the glare from your partner’s endless phone scrolling, spell doom. Just so you know, even the tiniest pinpricks of light can creep in through your closed eyelids.

Bummer, we know. This leads to hours of tossing and turning and waking up repeatedly.

This leaves you sleep-deprived and beat night after night. Sucks, right? But don’t resort to a breakup just yet (good luck calling it quits with your streetlights). Try a simple but effective solution: a sleep mask that blocks light.

This article shows you how to choose the best sleep masks for 100% blackout.

Apart from being plain annoying, the link between light and poor sleep quality goes deeper than you might think.

Light impacts your 24-hour body clock (a.k.a circadian rhythm) in a big way. Exposure to light throws it off and signals your body that it isn’t time to sleep when it is.

Also, darkness signals your brain to start making melatonin, the hormone that primes your body for sleep. (Now you know why melatonin supplements exist.)

Shift workers have a harder time because they have to deal with the major light source, the sun. On top of this is the artificial light from gadgets and electrical sources at work.

Exposure to light makes it difficult to fall asleep causing sleep deprivation and at times, insomnia. It also disrupts your sleep, which impacts its quality.

So, do sleep masks work? Regardless of what time bedtime is, it prevents light from creeping in. And that’s why only the best light blocking eye mask will do. Plain and simple.

By all means, nitpick when it comes to choosing your best light blocking eye mask. Remember that this is something you’ll be wearing on your face regularly. So be on the lookout for quality, form and function.

Here are a couple of tips to help you out:

For very obvious reasons, the one tip to rule them all! (And there aren’t many that do the job, to be honest.) A sleep mask’s main function is to block out light, so please don’t compromise.

Find one that offers near-black out at the very least. Though ideally, you want one that has 100% light-blocking super powers.

There’s one feature that’ll help out here. Hint: It's in the fourth tip, so keep going.

While it's tempting to snap up any old sleep mask out there, pay attention to its fabric. What you want is high-quality fabric. Think about it. This is going to be your (favorite) bed buddy most nights.

For instance, if you’re eyeing an eye mask made from silk, look at what kind. Mulberry silk is of the highest quality. It’s not about status. It’s about reaping the benefits only the best silk can give.

You’re also going to want a comfortable sleep mask made from breathable and soft fabric since it’ll act like a second layer of skin.

Another thing to watch out for is the head strap. Run-of-the-mill sleep masks have a single elastic strap, which stretches beyond recall sooner than later. Look for something that’s anti-stretch or has more than one elastic layer.

We heard from a reliable source that an estimated 60% of adults sleep on their sides. Plus, this gets more common as you age and gain more body fat⁽¹⁾.

If you’re a side sleeper the last thing you want is extra bulk on the sides of your head. You also tend to move around a lot because you need to shift from left to right (or risk shoulder and hip pain).

Find a light blocking sleep mask that lays flat on the sides of your head and has enough grip so it doesn’t fall off when you shift sides.

Okay, so you know how goggles work, right? That’s how eye cups work on a sleep mask. But instead of sealing out water, they block out light. Also, they’re wayyy more comfortable.

They’re also great if you suffer from dry eyes and super helpful if you have lagopthalmos, a condition where you can’t close your eyes all the way. Eye cups seal in moisture and protect your eyes from dust particles.

So what if you can’t stand any form of pressure on your eyes? Clueing you in right now: there are sleep masks with eye cups that offer zero eye pressure.

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the shape of your head and face. That’s why it's important to choose an adjustable sleep mask.

An eye mask that’s a perfect fit means it’ll stay on your head keeping out unwanted light until it's time to take it off. Foam contoured sleep masks are one option.

Also, choose one with fasteners that don’t snag your hair. (Tip: If you’re conscious about your mane, a silk eye mask is your best bet.)

A great light blocking sleep mask is an investment. So before you buy, make sure to check reviews. Whether it's online or word of mouth, opinions and experiences matter.

To come up with a list of our best light blocking sleep masks, we took a look at what our customers had to say.