10 Benefits of Sleeping with an Eye Mask, According to Experts

There’s no straightforward trick to getting a better night’s sleep, but slipping on an eye mask could be a huge help. Believe it or not, there are actual advantages to wearing an eye mask. Not only are there improvements to the quality of slumber¹, but some skincare benefits are thrown into the mix, too.

Before we dive into all of those, though, let’s talk about how to find the best eye mask.

First, you want to find the right fit, considering “where the strap will hit, your sleep position, and the relative size you need,” says certified sleep science coach David Rubin. “If you have sensitive ears or are a side sleeper, look for a mask with a strap that hits above the ears to avoid added pressure. If you switch positions while sleeping, you’ll want a mask with a tighter-fitting, more adjustable strap.”

Once you find a good sleep mask, be careful not to tie it too tight. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, MD warns that this can lead to wrinkling and skin trauma.

The material of your eye mask will also affect your sleep differently. Zeichner recommends sticking to natural fibers like silk, “which have been shown at a microscopic level to be softer and gentler on the skin barrier, [and] try to avoid synthetics like polyester.”

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Protects Skin While You Sleep

When we toss and turn at night, we’re actually rubbing against our pillows, sheets, and blankets. An eye mask can act like a protective layer to avoid any skin damage from friction. “When we sleep, there are frictional forces between our skin and our sheets,” Zeichner explains. “This means that there can be rubbing of the skin against the sheets, which leads to skin barrier disruption and inflammation. There also can be physical folding of the skin, which contributes to wrinkling.” Remember, the skin around our eyes is very delicate—you should treat it as such.

02of 10May Reduce Anxiety or Tension

If you tend to hold tension in your face or are prone to headaches or migraines, certain eye masks can help alleviate your symptoms. “A weighted eye mask usually contains small microbeads that offer a compression that some people find comforting as they settle into sleep,” Rubin says. “These masks apply light pressure to your face, which can be helpful for tension around the eyes as well as nighttime headaches or migraines.”

03of 10Improves Your Sleep on the Go

No matter how much you plan or try to adjust to a new schedule while traveling, uninterrupted sleep is hard to come by on the go. Eye masks can offer a sense of normalcy and more sound sleep in new environments. “Since sleep masks are portable and can be used on a plane, they [lead to] better sleep while traveling,” Rubin says.

04of 10Helps Reduce Puffiness

The cliché signs of being up all night are a puffy face and dark circles, but what if we said there’s an eye mask for that? “Weighted eye masks apply physical pressure to the skin under the eyes and remove excess fluid that contributes to puffiness,” Zeichner says. “This may improve dark circles to some degree, so long as they are the results of puffiness.” He also notes that cooling eye masks can also help depuff by constricting blood vessels.

05of 10May Increase Your REM Sleep

Eye masks can help improve REM sleep, which The National Sleep Foundation defines as the stage where most of our dreaming takes place, accounting for about 25 percent of our sleep time and also stimulating the areas of the brain that deal with learning and memory.² “Eye masks can provide total darkness, which generally improves overall sleep since you’re not bothered by external light,” Rubin says. He notes that fewer nighttime interruptions mean you are likely to get more REM sleep.

06of 10Provides Complete Darkness Anywhere

There’s nothing worse than your surroundings preventing you from getting enough sleep. If you’re sensitive to your environment, eye masks can provide some relief. A tip while shopping for eye masks? “Look for a mask that provides
as close to blackout conditions as possible,” Rubin says. “The idea is to eliminate any distractions.”

07of 10Allows the Skin Barrier to Heal

Our skin uses sleep as an opportunity to heal itself from damage it may have experienced during the day, according to Zeichner. This means getting a full night’s rest actually does have aesthetic benefits. “When your mom said to get your beauty sleep, she was right,” Zeichner says. “When you don’t sleep, cortisol levels remain high, which can interfere with wound healing, contribute to skin barrier disruption, and even lead to acne breakouts. This translates to skin inflammation and premature aging.” You bet we’ll be slipping on our eye masks for some extra beauty sleep.

08of 10Helps Maintain Skin Hydration

Hu explains that eye masks can actually help keep the skin hydrated. As in other instances where the body is covered or masked, this is mainly due to the products on the face, like eye creams, being protected from the outside—but it depends on the material used. “Unlike cotton, silk doesn’t absorb moisture from your skin, allowing it to retain its natural hydration overnight,” Hu says.

Shirazi adds that silk and satin eye masks are softer on the skin and prevent friction, while “cotton can absorb moisture and oils, potentially drying out the skin around the eyes.” Overall, silk and satin “have better temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking properties, keeping your skin hydrated throughout the night,” Shirazi says.

09of 10Hypoallergenic and Antimicrobial

Speaking of silk eye masks, Hu mentions that they’re not just protective but also hydrophobic, hypoallergenic, and antimicrobial. “Silk is naturally resistant to dust mites and bacteria, making it a great choice for sensitive skin and offering extra protection against skin irritation,” Hu says.

And while your silk of choice depends on personal preference, Hu has one suggestion: “Make sure it’s 100% mulberry silk.”

10of 10Resets Circadian Rhythm

The solution to fixing your sleep could really be as simple as silk on the eyes, which, in turn, helps reset your circadian rhythm (the body’s natural “internal clock”). Hu explains that “the gentle touch of silk may stimulate serotonin production to improve your mood, while its light-blocking properties boost melatonin levels, helping regulate your sleep cycles.”Got all that, sleepyhead? Good. Now, it’s time to take your sleep to the next level. Ahead, read about the 10 main benefits of sleeping with an eye mask, as explained by experts.