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My Sleep Mask Review
Sleep masks provide a dark, sensory-deprived environment to aid sleep, meditation and Wake Induced Lucid Dream attempts. In this review I'll highlight the best uses of sleep masks for lucid dreaming and then show you my personal favorite.
For Busy Minds at Bedtime...
Your sleep cycle begins with the onset of darkness - and artificial lighting can confuse this process, causing your brain to stay alert when you should be sleeping.
Photosensitive receptor cells in your eyes signal to your brain when light levels are low. Your brain reacts by converting serotonin (the chemical of wakefulness) into melatonin (the chemical of sleep). So if you want to get to sleep faster, weak a sleep mask. It will create total darkness and relax your mind and body in just a few minutes flat.
For Catnaps, Shiftwork and Jetlag...
In these circumstances, you're dying for some shuteye in the middle of the day when light levels are high, even with the curtains drawn. Sleep masks block out all the light and trigger your brain to release melatonin, thereby making it much easier to drift off.
This also applies if you live in a place where there is lots of natural light, particularly during summertime when the days are longer. Napping on the weekend, in a hammock or at the beach is also much easier with a sleep mask.
For Meditation and Visualizations...
The purpose of deep meditation and visualization for lucid dreaming is to cut yourself off from the external world and create an altered state of consciousness within. So just like sleep, meditation for lucid dreaming requires a dark, peaceful environment.
A sleep mask helps create this sensory-deprived environment perfectly. It also prompts the release of relaxation chemicals, making your WILD attempts easier as your body will become more deeply relaxed, thinking it must be time to sleep. With mental focus, you can fall asleep while remaining conscious and thereby initiate your lucid dream.
My Sleep Mask Review
The Escape Travel Sleep Mask is supremely comfortable and is definitely my favorite.
While inferior masks let in light around the edges, pinch your nose, or put pressure on the corners of your eyes, this one combats all of that. It has a nice cushion support around the eyes, creating two deep chambers where your eyes will remain untouched. The extra padding also serves to block out the light entirely, once you adjust the straps just right.
I take this mask on my travels too because it's a million times better than the scratchy bits of flat material you get on airplanes which just seem like a poor joke to me. If there's anything you want to do properly on a long haul flight... it's sleep!
At home, I use this mask to relax, fight off headaches, practice meditation, and even get to sleep while Pete wants to read in bed with the light on. It's really good for visualization and WILDs too. In fact, there are so many uses for this mask, you'll get kind of attached to it. The Escape Travel Sleep Mask is available at Dream Essentials. Included for free are a carry pouch and a pair of soft, low-pressure foam ear plugs.
