Sleep/eye mask: Thin, comfy, durable?

October 30, 2006 9:47 AM

Find me a good, thin eye mask for sleeping that would allow me to sleep on my stomach comfortably.

I'm kind of addicted to eye masks for sleeping, but I don't really like the ones I own. I got one of these, which is nice, except it's too thick to sleep on my stomach, it's a little rigid (so I need to put the strap way above my ears to align the thing such that it doesn't let in light from the bump created by my nose), and the velcro straps are a bit plasticy and hard.

Anyone know of a very thin, comfortable, possibly silk mask, that blocks out light from every side, and has a fastening system that is somehow as comfortable as thin elastic straps, but as durable as a velcro or buckling-type fastener? (I've been a fan of some of the better airline masks, but I'm hoping to find something that doesn't fall apart in a month or so)

posted by sdis to grab bag (7 answers total)

I'm a big fan of eye masks too. The best I've found are from Eagle Creek. I used the Comfort Eye Shade for quite a while and just recently got a Deep Sleep Mask. I prefer the Deep Sleep, very light and thin. Just keep them both away from the dryer, it kills 'em

Enjoy!
posted by mhm at 11:09 AM on October 30, 2006

Not to send you back from where you came, but I've got one of these and I'm a stomach sleeper too. It's soft and fairly thin. I don't find it feels weird on my face, and it feels fairly durable.
posted by Mercaptan at 11:31 AM on October 30, 2006

A bandana works fine for me.
posted by Carol Anne at 1:54 PM on October 30, 2006

I'd make one. Hit a fabric shop, find something thin and light blocking that feels nice on the skin (I'm thinking felt on one side, silk (or something silk-like) on the other. Stitch them together (hand stitch if you have to, it's for sleeping, it doesn't have to be pretty), and attach a thin strap. Viola. Thin sleeping mask. Total cost... no clue, but probably less than $5.

Personally, I would hit a craft store and get a small amount of suede leather, it's totally light proof, very soft and won't require the stitching, but I don't know your feelings on leather, so I submitted the fabric solution first.
posted by quin at 5:19 PM on October 30, 2006

I went parenthetically crazy there. And I missed one ;)
posted by quin at 5:26 PM on October 30, 2006

For over 30 years I have used the fantastic Mindfold. You can get these through Amazon or through their own website. They are plastic with recessed foam. Best I have ever found and you can sleep any way you want.
posted by madstop1 at 8:18 PM on October 30, 2006

Correction to my previous post, it's not an Eagle Creek Deep Sleep Mask I use, it's a Bucky 40 Blinks.
posted by mhm at 2:40 PM on October 31, 2006