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I’ve always been terrible at sleeping, and the current state of the world hasn’t made it any easier to achieve that coveted eight hours of rest. As someone who can’t stand snoozing in silence, my most cardinal sin is leaving the TV on all night.
Doctors and sleep experts have repeatedly advised that any bright, glaring light disrupts our natural circadian rhythms and suppresses our melatonin levels, thus keeping our bodies from experiencing the deep, restorative sleep we need. But even science could not deter me from allowing Netflix to tuck me into bed for the past 28 years. Even when I didn’t have the luxury of a TV in my room, I would happily sacrifice mattress space for my laptop and my shows.
Tired of always feeling tired, I downloaded some hypnotherapy recordings meant to lull me to bed. But sleeping with gas station headphones was unsurprisingly uncomfortable. Thankfully, my late-night Amazon browsing opened the door to a new technology that allows me to enjoy some TV noise without the harsh blue light of my bedroom television: a Bluetooth sleep mask.
Unlike your grandmother’s silky eye covering, a Bluetooth sleep mask can wirelessly connect to your phone, tablet, or any other Bluetooth-capable device. You could drift off to a Spotify bedtime playlist, listen to Nick Jonas read you a bedtime story via Calm, or enjoy the comforting sounds of your favorite Netflix original. The possibilities are virtually unlimited.
I was skeptical at first, mostly because I always tossed and turned too much for other eye masks to ever stay in place. But the Bluetooth ones are designed with thicker material and Velcro straps that you can adjust for a more secure sleep. Out of all the products I’ve tried, the Topoint Bluetooth Sleep Eye Mask ($21, Amazon) never moves out of place and is easily the most comfortable—especially for side sleepers.
Most products have two headphone-size speakers, placed one on each side near your ears, which is pretty uncomfortable when you like to curl up in a fetal position. However, the Topoint places its speakers to the front of the mask while also allowing for a higher volume, so you can still hear your tunes without headphones jamming into your temples.
And I’m not the only one experiencing more REM cycles than ever before. This mask has over 2,000 reviews and 4.3 stars on Amazon, and it’s an absolute best-seller for side sleepers.
Another factor that sets this sleep mask apart from the rest is its battery life. Some of the ones I tried would die every night and require a full recharge every morning. The Topoint has not only lasted me multiple nights in a row, but it’s even survived an unintended run through the washing machine. (The masks themselves are machine washable, but you’re not supposed to leave the speakers in there.)
Even though I first started using the mask for hypnotherapy, I’ve found that it doesn’t matter what I listen to. Whether it’s a meditation or the same episode of Portlandia I’ve watched 10,000 times, enjoying a little background noise without the intrusive light of the TV has made all the difference in my rest this past year. I’ve come to rely on it so much that I take it with me wherever I go.
Perhaps the best testament I could give to my Topoint is my sleep longevity. I used to get only five to six hours a night, and I now snooze for a consistent seven and a half. It really is a miracle worker.
Topoint Bluetooth Wireless Sleep Eye Mask
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