Guide
How to choose a sleep mask
A dark room helps you sleep, and a mask is the cheapest way to get one. Three choices decide whether you keep wearing it.
Why darkness matters
Your body reads light as a signal. Health agencies put a dark bedroom on the short list of good sleep habits, next to a quiet and cool one.
A sleep mask gives you that darkness without new curtains, and it travels with you. It cannot fix a late coffee or a bright phone at midnight.
“Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark (a dim night light is fine, if needed).”
“Light, darkness, and other cues help determine when you feel awake and when you feel drowsy.”
First choice: what sits at your eyes
Flat silk rests on your closed lids and is the thinnest shape. A shaped pad cushions the area around the sockets. Hollow cups touch nothing, so they suit lash extensions and people who blink in light sleep. A wide band spreads the hold around the whole head.
Alaska Bear masks cover all four shapes, 14 models in total, from $9.99 to $39.99.
| Shape | Alaska Bear masks | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Flat silk | Mulberry Silk Mask, Two-Strap Silk Mask, Silk Headband Mask | $15.99 to $35.86 |
| Shaped pad | Silk Mask with Shaped Pad, Cotton and Bamboo Masks, Pack of Three, Weighted Silk Mask with Gel Insert | $9.99 to $29.99 |
| Eye cups | Deep-Cup Contoured Mask, Side Sleeper Mask, Wraparound Contoured Mask, Pull-On Band Mask, Airplane Mask with Headrest Strap, Silk Contour Mask | $14.99 to $39.99 |
| Wide band | Wraparound Silk Mask, Bluetooth Headphone Mask | $29.99 to $39.99 |
Second choice: the strap
One thin strap with a slider is the simplest and the lightest. Two straps hold better on a restless sleeper. Side sleepers should look at where the clasp sits: a clasp under the temple is what wakes you.
Measure your head if a strap range is given. The Alaska Bear silk masks state 15.8 to 27.6 inches.
Third choice: the fabric
Silk feels cool and slides over hair. Foam holds a shape and closes the gap at the nose. Cotton costs less and takes a machine wash without fuss.
If you sleep hot, pick the thinnest fabric you can. If light at the nose is your problem, pick a cup or a pad.
Questions
In short
What kind of sleep mask is best for side sleepers?
A mask with flat hardware. Side sleepers do best with a wide band or with clasps placed away from the ears, as on the Alaska Bear Side Sleeper Mask, which comes in 6 colors.
Should a sleep mask touch your eyes?
It can, if that feels fine to you. Flat silk rests on closed lids. If you wear lash extensions or dislike any pressure, choose 1 of the cup masks, which are hollow.
Sources
- Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency - Healthy Sleep Habits | NHLBI, NIHread 9 October 2026 · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- How Sleep Works - Your Sleep/Wake Cycle | NHLBI, NIHread 9 October 2026 · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
General information for shoppers, not medical advice. If poor sleep keeps coming back, talk to your doctor.
Keep reading
More guides
Silk momme explained
What 19, 22 and 25 momme mean, and how to read the fiber label on a silk pillowcase.
How to wash silk
Cool water, a laundry bag and no hot dryer: the care lines of each Alaska Bear silk product in one table.
Falling asleep to audio
Podcasts and white noise in bed: how loud is too loud, and what a headphone sleep mask changes.