Best Sleep Masks for Travel and Home Reviews

If you are like me, then you have some serious issues falling asleep when it's not perfectly dark in the bedroom. I encounter this problem most often when I am traveling. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to get some sleep on an airplane, in a hotel or on a train - and it's not just the noise!

And now that there is a bright streetlight outside of my window at home, there is too much light that comes into my bedroom. That makes it super difficult for me to fall asleep.

The answer that I have found to both of these problems is a good eye mask for sleeping.

These little things are surprisingly awesome when it comes to helping block out street lights, night lights or hall lights that are coming in under the bedroom door. I have even used one of these to go to sleep on an airplane in the middle of the day! They are really that good at helping you sleep when it's not 100% dark in the room.

If you have ever shopped for one of these masks, then you already know that there is a lot of variety out there. So, to keep it simple, I like to look for certain features before I do the buying. Those features are:

• comfortable strap
• no light sneaks in around my nose
• doesn't press down on my eyelids
• easy to clean

And since I sleep on my side, I have to look for an eye mask for side sleepers, which means no uncomfortable strap. With that in mind, let me now share my very favorite models, in case you are looking for top rated sleep mask for yourself or for a gift. (These are great gifts for travelers!)

Don't think you need one of these for optimal sleep? Lots of experts agree that blocking light helps to give you a better night's sleep. So, consider one of these for better quality zzz's.

This is probably my very favorite sleep mask. I was actually using a different one before I heard about this one on Sleep Proofed. But after giving it a try, this one is hands down the best value sleep mask for the money. In fact, I take it with me every time that I travel! (unless I forget it at home)

What I like most about this one is that it is very comfortable. The strap on it is elastic with a velcro closure. This is so much more comfortable than the elastic band that you see on most cheap sleep masks. Another thing that makes it so comfortable is that there are eye cavities in it that prevent the mask from actually touching your eyelids. This is awesome because you do not get any pressure on your eyes from the mask.

A really cool feature on this mask is that it has extra fabric built in around your nose to keep the light from getting in your eyes. This often happens with cheaper models, so I really love this feature.

I also like that when you buy this one, it comes with a cute little carrying bag, which is great for packing it in your carry-on bag, and a pair of ear plugs.

I definitely suggest that you check this mask out for the best light blocking.

Before I started wearing these at night, I was not really sure where you could use them. Sure, I knew that they can be worn at home, but where else?

Well, for me, sleeping at home was the number one place for wearing my mask. Why? Because there is a streetlight directly outside of my bedroom window. And even though I have some thick blackout curtains up on the window, light still sneaks in around the top and edges. Enough that it makes my room too bright for sleeping.

I also use one of these when I am staying overnight at hotel. In my experience, it is rare to find a hotel room that gets 100% dark enough for some good sleep. If there isn't light coming in under the room's door, then the curtains won't stay closed to block out the light from outside.

Planes, buses and trains are another places where I use a sleep mask. When you want to get some shut eye while the lights on are, this makes it super easy to do that. You don't have to worry about the overhead lights coming on while you're asleep. Or about someone nearby who is keeping a reading light on.

You can also use one of these when you need to take a nap during the day. There is no easier way to shut out the daylight for a quick nap than by using one of these.

Once when I went on a trip and left my Dream Essentials luxury sleep mask at home, I ended up buying one of these Bedtime Bliss models at a local store. Honestly, I only bought it because it was my only option, but it turned out to be a really great eye mask option.

The size of this one is a bit thinner than the Dream Essentials mask above, but it still does a pretty good job of keeping the light out of your eyes while you sleep.

And you will notice that it also comes with a carrying bag and earplugs.

Probably the big advantage that this one has over the Dream Essentials mask is that is is a cheaper sleep mask. So, if you are on a tight budget, you will definitely want to look into this mask.

It is also a best seller and top rated sleep mask on Amazon. In fact, it has over a thousand reviews with people loving it. They can't all be wrong, right?

It does not matter if you sleep on your stomach, your side, your back or a combo of the positions - you CAN use a sleep mask to get to sleep when it's not fully dark in the room. Sure, people who sleep on their backs can use pretty much any of the masks available on the market. And side sleepers and stomach sleepers have to look for ones that won't cause discomfort or allow light in. But even then, there are a lot of great options to choose from that will help you get those zzz's.