[HN Gopher] Wearing an eye mask during sleep improves episodic l...
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       Wearing an eye mask during sleep improves episodic learning and
       alertness
        
       Author : mmaia
       Score  : 45 points
       Date   : 2023-05-03 21:20 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
 (TXT) w3m dump (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
        
       | NikolaNovak wrote:
       | If it's just the amount of light as per abstract,I assume
       | darkened room would be equivalent I.e. There's no magic
       | additional benefit of mask itself (pressure / touch / etc)?
        
         | plumeria wrote:
         | Isn't the pressure applied on your eyes a risk though? That's
         | one of the reasons keeping me away from using sleep masks.
        
           | aherz wrote:
           | I use a brand called Manta Sleep that has adjustable eye
           | holes in the mask so the pressure goes around your eyes
           | rather than on them.
        
             | nickthegreek wrote:
             | Same but I also use their overused cups as well. Really
             | helps move the pressure further from the eye.
        
         | knallfrosch wrote:
         | I don't understand how 'eye mask' made it into the title, if
         | it's all just about light. Here in Germany, you get window
         | shutters ("Rolladen") on every window and that's that
         | 
         | https://youtu.be/_KePLmie7lE
        
         | Nomentatus wrote:
         | Right. But a dark room is a room in which, if you put your hand
         | in front of your face, you don't see even the faintest outline
         | of a hand.
        
           | raffraffraff wrote:
           | I bet that with your eyes closed, the difference between
           | "black out blind dark" and "no light" isn't much. I bought
           | black out blind about 5 years ago and they're amazing. If I'm
           | in my parents house or staying in a hotel during summer, I
           | get crappy sleep and I'm wide awake at 5am.
        
             | Nomentatus wrote:
             | I might mention that, believe it or don't - a living skull
             | is translucent, and our brains can detect light all by
             | themselves. So a mask is good, but not nec a whole
             | solution.
             | 
             | In old experiments, just the light coming in under a door
             | diminished melatonin in mice.
        
               | nerdponx wrote:
               | The skull itself? That seems implausible. Something on
               | the skin other than the eyes seems more likely.
        
             | taeric wrote:
             | I thought the same, then I got an eye mask. It is still
             | noticeable.
             | 
             | Now, I make no claims that it is necessary to be that dark.
             | I have no idea.
        
           | lm28469 wrote:
           | Thanks God I'm in Europe and we have access to alien
           | technologies such as roller blinds, which are basically the
           | default on anything modern
        
           | C-x_C-f wrote:
           | I've been to some houses where the shutters had no gaps and
           | they fit the window frame so well that virtually no light
           | made it in, even during the day. It was surreal waking up in
           | the morning, thinking it was still night time, then checking
           | the clock only to see it was 8AM. A great feature to add to a
           | house if you ask me.
        
             | mcast wrote:
             | Alternatively, IKEA makes a great little set of curtain
             | tracks (VIDGA) you can attach to your ceiling to get full
             | floor-to-ceiling blackout in a room, similar to many hotel
             | rooms.
        
           | notacoward wrote:
           | That might be possible with good blackout curtains, except
           | for the LEDs on damn near everything. Even in my own room at
           | home, I have to remember to cover the USB charger that I use
           | for laptop and random other devices. When I travel, it's a
           | nightmare - clock radios, TVs, microwaves, and especially the
           | lights _built in_ to many GFCI outlets in bathrooms. I used
           | to bring a roll of electrical tape for exactly this reason.
           | Masks are the solution that _works everywhere_ to block
           | light, though they 're less than ideal in other ways.
        
             | Nomentatus wrote:
             | Someone needs to sue any manufacturer that uses blue leds
             | on anything that might have to be on at night.
        
               | notacoward wrote:
               | Absolutely agree. If I recall, there used to be an actual
               | standard regarding this, but it was (is?) widely ignored
               | and never enforced. I remember the time before blue LEDs
               | with quite some fondness.
        
       | telchior wrote:
       | But wearing an eye mask is nigh impossible for restless sleepers;
       | it slips off constantly. My best solution after trying many masks
       | is an old t-shirt draped across my eyes, which inevitably slips
       | off but at least doesn't drag elastic bands over my face.
       | 
       | Anyone know of research showing the effectiveness of varying
       | levels of darkness in a room, from complete blackout to fairly
       | dim?
        
         | mcshicks wrote:
         | Maybe try sleeping in a thin loose black hoodie and pull the
         | drawstrings until your eyes are covered. Works for me.
        
           | aksss wrote:
           | Just put the hoodie on backwards.. and during the day the
           | hood can act as a feed bucket.
        
         | LinuxBender wrote:
         | The masks that are cloth all the way around and have velco work
         | for restless sleepers and side sleepers, or at least that has
         | been my experience. I was on a medication ages ago that made me
         | restless. Look online for the masks that are 100% cotton cloth
         | and have a thin padding inside. Avoid the masks with the eye-
         | shaped face and avoid the masks with the stretch band as they
         | do exactly as you describe.
        
         | smlacy wrote:
         | Try using a black fleece neckwarmer as an eye mask.
        
         | SapporoChris wrote:
         | First line of the abstract: Ambient light can influence sleep
         | structure and timing.
         | 
         | So of course the eye mask isn't necessary at all, reducing the
         | ambient light is the key. Mask is one option, but black out
         | curtains (in most areas) and eliminated or shielding any light
         | emitting devices in the room is key.
        
         | Eupraxias wrote:
         | As a restless sleeper, I use a headband-like bluetooth headset
         | for ambient sound to help me sleep.
         | 
         | I can imagine a slightly larger one that extends over the eyes
         | - if I can find one, I will buy it.
        
           | aksss wrote:
           | https://mantasleep.com/products/manta-sleep-mask-sound
           | 
           | No experience with it but sounds like the kind of thing
           | you're after.
        
             | cjmb wrote:
             | I can confirm this thing is amazing
             | 
             | the pro one, not the one you linked (headphone inserts seem
             | like needless ear pressure):
             | https://mantasleep.com/products/manta-sleep-mask-pro
             | 
             | i toss and turn all night and this thing stays on most of
             | the time, is incredibly comfortable, and i am so grateful i
             | received it as a gift (would never have bought for self)
        
             | TylerE wrote:
             | Got one and it's pretty much the bees knees. A nice
             | evolution over their earlier generation, which I also own.
             | It even seals about 99% of light over a full task CPAP
             | Darth Vader setup
        
       | ortusdux wrote:
       | I remember a 'body-hack' fad around inducing lucid dreaming via
       | sleep masks. IIRC, it used EMG sensors to detect eye muscle
       | movement and then it would flash an LED mounted inside the mask
       | in an attempt to slightly wake you up during REM. Can anyone
       | speak to the method's efficacy?
        
         | 31337Logic wrote:
         | I have this and can say it's roughly 50% efficient. Message me
         | if you want to learn more.
        
       | m3kw9 wrote:
       | Get better drapes that black out and instead
        
       | aaron695 wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | MrDresden wrote:
       | Living in Iceland, where in the summer time we get midnight sun
       | effectively for a few weeks, I've slept with darkening blinds and
       | an eye mask for some years now.
       | 
       | I've gotten so habituated to it that I almost can't fall alseep
       | without one.
        
       | nickthegreek wrote:
       | Been using eye masks for almost a decade now. Current fav is the
       | Manta Sleep with the big cups but always looking for something
       | better. Any recommendations?
        
         | aksss wrote:
         | I'd be curious if anyone has experience with the Manta Sound
         | mask, specifically if they're really able to sleep on their
         | side without uncomfortable pressure from the speaker between
         | pillow and ear. Hard to imagine it working for anyone but back
         | sleepers.
        
           | TylerE wrote:
           | It's pretty slick. I'm mostly a back sleeper but do roll onto
           | my side maybe about 2 night in 3. Totally fine.
        
         | kimbernator wrote:
         | Haven't tried that one, but after going through a few this one
         | is far and away the best I've had:
         | https://www.mattressfirm.com/sleep-mask/5637147694.p
        
         | peter422 wrote:
         | I'm a big big fan of the lunya eye mask:
         | https://lunya.co/products/womens-washable-silk-sleep-mask-me...
         | 
         | I used a little bit of sewing to tighten up the fit exactly to
         | my head and it never falls off and is incredibly comfortable.
         | 
         | No sound though.
        
       | flappyeagle wrote:
       | I wonder how much of the effect is: you can't stay up with your
       | phone with an eye mask on
        
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       (page generated 2023-05-03 23:00 UTC)