We all know how important it is to get a good night\u2019s sleep. Without giving your body some time to rest and recharge, you\u2019ll be less alert, your ability to think and process information will be impaired and it can throw off your entire mood. But that\u2019s only in the short-term. In the long-term, chronic sleep deprivation can play a role in increasing your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re having trouble getting to sleep, using a sleep mask like the Gravity Weighted Sleep Mask<\/a>\u00a0could really help. In fact, here\u2019s why sleep experts say you should be using sleeping masks.<\/p>\n Our bodies were designed to sleep in complete darkness Sleep masks help to balance out your hormones Sleep masks will keep you in REM longer xx, The FabFitFun Team<\/p>\n Psst! Have you signed up for FabFitFun yet? Don\u2019t miss out on $200+ in amazing beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products, access to exclusive fitness and cooking content on\u00a0FabFitFunTV<\/a>, members-only sales, and more. Use code\u00a0METAMORPHOSIS<\/a>\u00a0at checkout for 10% off your first box.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cAs day shifts to night and the brightness of the day subsides, it\u2019s the cue from our eyes to our brain to release melatonin aka \u2018the Dracula hormone\u2019 because it only comes out at night,\u201d sleep coach Jason Piper<\/a>, tells FabFitFun. \u201cIf it\u2019s too bright or there\u2019s a lot of blue light dominated illuminating\u00a0going on, the body will delay releasing melatonin.\u201d When melatonin isn\u2019t being released, you\u2019ll fall asleep much later than you want to. That\u2019s where sleep masks come in. According to Piper, a sleeping mask is a \u201ctool\u201d for better sleep as it\u2019s designed to block out all light at night.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cStudies show that people who\u00a0sleep without a sleeping\u00a0mask<\/a> produce significantly lower levels of cortisol and melatonin, the hormones that help regulate your sleep pattern,\u201d Ally Hadfield<\/a>, certified sleep science coach, tells FabFitFun. This means that people who use sleep masks are less likely to wake up throughout the night, and are more likely to get better quality sleep overall.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep usually occurs after 90 minutes of you falling asleep. It\u2019s an important part of your sleep cycle because it stimulates the areas of your brain that are responsible for learning and retaining memories. It\u2019s also the point in your sleep cycle where you dream. According to the National Sleep Foundation, people who use sleep masks<\/a> not only had elevated melatonin levels, but they were also in REM sleep longer.<\/p>\n