THE ONE THING I CAN’T SLEEP WITHOUT

I know I’m not the only one who has a hard time falling asleep at night (just read the comments on this post!) and I wanted to share one thing that’s really helped me wind down at night, so much so that I have a bedside table full of them and never travel without one in my carry-on: sleep masks. 

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I started sleeping with one when I lived in New York and had a street light streaming into my window all night and now I can hardly sleep without something covering my eyes. It helps so much to block out light (whether it’s moonlight, street lights, or the blinking digital variety) but there’s something about having something gently pressing down on my eyes that signals to the rest of my body that it’s time for rest. Sleeping with an eye mask has vastly reduced the temptation to aimlessly scroll through my phone late at night (I really should start sleeping with it on the other side of the room already…) and it’s a nice part of my nighttime routine that I can take with me anywhere I go (they’re especially necessary on a long flight). Do you sleep with an eye mask? Do you have a favorite you can’t live without? I’m rounding up a few I love below:

design darling sleep masks

one  //  two  //  three  //  four

five  //  six  //  seven  //  eight

I received this silk sleep mask on a press trip last fall and it’s probably the one I use most often now. I love the super soft silk and the fact that it doesn’t crease my hair in the back. But I should mention that the pale pink isn’t ideal for sleeping in (or napping on a bright flight) so I’d recommend getting a darker color that blocks out all light if that’s important to you. I also love this monogrammed seersucker sleep mask — how cute would these be as favors at a bachelorette party?

P.S. Has anyone tried a silk pillowcase? Thinking that could become my next sleep obsession…

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