If the sleeping mask is often used on the plane, a study reveals that using it every day would be good for sleep and the brain.
In order to help us sleep better, new products and accessories are regularly offered. Among the most used products are sleeping pills, certain food supplements, the 10-3-2-1 technique and even applications. However, their effectiveness can vary. In addition, they are not necessarily suitable for the youngest or sensitive people.
But a study could change our view of a known object while improving the quality of our sleep. Indeed, researchers wanted to determine the real impact of wearing the eye mask on our sleep. And the results are surprising! All of their findings were published in the specialist journal Sleep.
A mask that improves our cerebral capacities and the phases of deep sleep
To achieve this result, the researchers conducted two experiments on two different groups of volunteers. They all had the common point of being between 18 and 35 years old.
First, the first group has slept with a sleep mask for a week. Then they had to sleep the following week without the accessory. As for the second experiment, it also involved wearing a night mask for a week. But at the same time, the volunteers also wore a headband that measured their nocturnal brain activity.
However, the researchers noticed that the nights when the volunteers wore a mask, they were more effective the next day during tests of word associations. Even better, analysis headbands recorded greater deep sleep phases. And this detail is not trivial! Indeed, it is during this phase that our memory is restored and our body rests.
This study in SLEEP found that wearing an eye mask increased alertness & facilitated the encoding of novel information the next day. Furthermore, the benefit to memory was predicted by time spent in slow-wave sleep while wearing the mask. https://t.co/fdn1tVx2WV #sleep #learning pic.twitter.com/UYk2XZl8qM
— Sleep Research Society (@ResearchSleep) March 9, 2023
An inexpensive accessory to combine with some good reflexes
In fact, the accessory would help to have a better sleep without requiring particular changes or additional sleep. As for brain capacities, many of them are improved by a night with a mask: memory, concentration, alertness…
“This suggests that wearing an eye mask during sleep is an effective, cost-effective, and non-invasive behavior that could benefit cognitive functions and have measurable effects on everyday life,” the researchers said.
And to be even more effective, there are a few good things to do before sleeping in addition to the night mask. For example, it is recommended to close shutters and curtains so as not to be disturbed by natural light. Cut off all sources of artificial light also makes it easier to fall asleep.