The quality of one's sleep can affect one's overall physical health and mood. One of the most widely practiced ways to make sleep more restful is by using a sleeping mask. What are the benefits of sleeping with an eye mask? Check out the following review.

Benefits of Sleeping with an Eye Mask

A sleeping blindfold, also known as a sleeping mask, is a product made of soft fabric to help you sleep better. The main benefit of a sleeping mask is to block light from entering the eyes during sleep. This is because exposure to light from lamps can interfere with the production of the hormone melatonin, which is known to make you sleep better.

Some of the benefits regarding the use of an eye patch while sleeping include:

Helps you sleep better

Reporting from Healthline, a study revealed that ICU patients who are often disturbed by the sound and light in the ICU room can undergo the REM phase during sleep when using a sleeping mask.

The REM, or rapid eye movement, phase is the last and deepest phase of sleep. It usually lasts for 70–90 minutes after falling asleep. At this stage, the brain and other body systems are actively working, and the muscles become more relaxed. It is usually during this phase that one experiences dreams. With a longer REM phase, one can be said to sleep better.

Read more: Dampak Negatif Tidur Terlalu Lama dan Cara Menghentikannya

Reduces puffy eyes and migraines

Certain types of sleeping masks, such as weighted eye masks, can help give your eyes a massaging sensation and remove excess fluid that makes your face look puffier when you wake up. Weighted eye masks are eye patches that contain soft microbeads that act as ballast and massage the eye area.

For those who suffer from migraines, using a weighted eye mask while sleeping can also reduce migraine symptoms. In addition to weighted eye masks, you can also choose gel eye patches that can reduce puffiness.

Makes waking up more refreshing

Sleeping better means you can wake up more refreshed. When you wake up refreshed, it's easier to concentrate, and you'll be in a better mood to avoid stress. In addition, good-quality sleep can also affect the following things:

• • Reaction time or alertness level
  • Sexual function
  • Self-control
  • Improves short-term memory
  • Improve situational awareness

Read more: 6 Cara Alami Meningkatkan Kualitas Tidur

How to Improve Sleep Quality

Sleep quality can be affected by several factors, such as lifestyle or other health conditions. If you want to improve your sleep quality, you can try some of the following ways:

• Create a healthy bedtime routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, including on weekends.
• Make the room conducive to sleep. Before going to bed, make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature. Remove unnecessary items from your bed, as they may disturb your sleep.
• Keep electronic devices away from the bed. It is best to avoid putting electronic devices such as televisions and computers away from your bedroom. Before going to bed, limit cell phone use to at least 1-2 hours beforehand. Exposure to blue light from cell phones can disrupt the hormone melatonin that regulates your sleep.
• Limit heavy meals before bed. Avoid eating fatty foods before bed, as they can keep you awake. In addition to fatty foods, you should limit your consumption of caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.
• Exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

A blindfold or sleeping mask can help you get a good night's sleep. If you have sleep problems, we recommend that you seek medical advice or use the consultation feature on the Ai Care app.

Looking for more information and tips regarding health, first aid, and more home remedies? Click here!