Therabody SleepMask ($99)
"Not to brag, but I'm a great sleeper. Under normal circumstances, I've never had major issues falling or staying asleep. The only exception is when I'm stressed out. If I'm overwhelmed with deadlines at work or facing a sticky interpersonal problem, racing thoughts can keep me awake at the beginning or in the middle of the night. I can also be sensitive to light, and prefer a dark room to drift off in.
All that to say, I wasn't expecting much out of the Therabody SleepMask, because I don't need much help to begin with. But I was pleasantly surprised!
My first impression of the mask was that it is super comfortable. There's a plastic piece at the top of the mask (which contains the on/off button) that I was worried I'd feel all night, but it somehow disappears when you put the mask on. I loved the thick, plush cushioning around each eye cover, which was completely effective at sealing out light and kept the mask from actually touching my eyelids, so I could forget I was even wearing it.
The one downside: while the vibrations were relaxing, I had trouble falling asleep with them on. I'd get to the brink of sleep, then would suddenly become aware of the vibrations again and would jolt awake; it reminded me of a hypnic jerk. That said, I'm not giving up. The Therabody Sleep Mask has three different vibration patterns, each of which can be adjusted to use low or high intensity levels. I'm going to experiment to see if a different pattern and lower intensity works better for me."
— Mirel Zaman, health and fitness director
Rating:
