Is a weighted sleep mask autumn’s best beauty accessory?

Beauty fans have already moved on from the gravity blanket craze into something much more convenient. Weighted sleep masks for the eyes are trending and everyone wants one of these night-time accessories for a deeper sleep.

Interest in the masks has skyrocketed in the last year with searches up by 1,746 per cent and thousands of views on TikTok.

Users are raving about them, saying that they improve sleep, reduce anxiety and help with sinus issues and headaches.

I spoke to the wellness experts at beauty website Look Fantastic to find out why these masks have become the season’s must-have for bedtime.

So, what are weighted sleep masks, and can’t a regular eye mask work just as well to block out light?

‘Weighted sleep masks take sleep-enhancing benefits one step further by delivering soothing pressure to the face which is thought to trigger the production of moodboosting hormones that counteract the effects of cortisol — the hormone that can increase alertness at night,’ according to Look Fantastic.

The weight is a key part of how the masks work.

‘While the weight is nothing major — only about one pound — it’s a small-butmighty force. In a form of deep pressure therapy, the weight from the eye mask adds pressure to your eyes which claims to decrease the activity of the sympathetic

nervous system and stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. This calms your fight or flight response system, lowers your heart rate and blood pressure and relieves stress.

‘With this subtle pressure and your own dark environment, a weighted eye mask can provide a similar relaxing effect to that of a weighted blanket, but on a smaller scale. Although more research is needed into their scientific impact, using one can be part of a calming bedtime routine that helps signal your brain that it’s time for sleep.’

To calm a headache, the experts say: ‘Approximately 80 per cent of migraine sufferers are sensitive to light and alongside creating total darkness, weighted eye masks provide pressure to reduce sinus pain, tension headaches and migraines.

‘People have discovered that a cooling weighted eye mask can help alleviate headache symptoms by creating a numbing effect that helps you get to sleep.’

And they can be of use for those who suffer from dry eye. ‘Wearing a weighted eye mask at night can help those that often wake up with dry eyes in the morning. They help boost and retain hydration in the eyes, increase oil production and reduce inflammation.’

While a regular silk eye mask is great for getting to sleep quickly during the week, a weighted mask might be in order for those weekend nights when we want to guarantee a deeper sleep. The masks are available mostly online with prices from €18 to €50.