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One more reason why you need those ever-elusive eight hours of sleep each night: A new study from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that stressful, sleepless nights can have a negative impact on your memory. For a little help in finding sounder, sweeter sleep, consider using a sleep mask to block out light and lull you off to dreamland. Plus, eye pillows can make you look all diva-esque and fabulous while you snooze, especially if you’re wearing a hot-pink number like the Victoria’s Secret Wake Me With a Kiss satin sleep mask recommended by szlea.

A little less girly but still quite pampering, the szlea-selected Luxury sleep mask from Fluff Pillows is 100 percent linen and deliciously soft. Perfect for plane travel, the mask is also suited for those daydreamy moments when you just want to “close your eyes and see what your mind’s eye sees,” says szlea.

Some of the most soothing masks around are stuffed with lavender, an herb that possesses naturally sedative properties. Mariko Hirakawa considers East West’s eye pillows a “great tool to have for deep restorative experience,” adding that she “love[s] the silk pillows with lavender inside them for the aromatherapy effect.” Traci Meyer, meanwhile, adores her Lavender Flowers Relaxation Eye Mask from Essence, which comes complete with a pair of soft foam ear plugs for full-on out-like-a-light bliss. The pillow even features a black-out fabric stitched within its body to guarantee that light never reaches your sleepy eyes. “Wear it to bed and the next day you feel rejuvenated,” Traci promises. And my favorite source for all lovely-smelling, supremely pretty sleep aids is DreamTime, Inc., whose Buckwheat Bliss Eye Pillow might inspire you to work an afternoon nap into your everyday routine. Packed with dried lavender as well as chamomile and orange peel, the pillow has a flaxseed fill that’s said to give your tired eyes a little tension-melting acupressure.

If you’re not entirely sold on the wonders of aromatherapy, go a little more high-tech with one of the Glo to Sleep masks picked by Foreman. “Being well rested definitely helps you function better during the day,” Foreman explains. “The Glo to Sleep is a product that helps you go to sleep quickly by using glowing light to calm your robust level of end-of-day brain wave activity, which is a fundamental and pervasive problem that prevents people from sleeping well.”

And to bring some extravagance to your sleep ritual while on the road, invest in the Red Envelope Cashmere Travel Set recommended by kayzee. A “luxurious travel set” that’s ideal “for your world weary traveler,” the package includes a 100 percent cashmere throw, 100 percent cashmere neckroll, and a silk eye mask to grant you all the cozy comfort of your own bed, no matter where your travels take you.

By liz | Post a Comment
Tags: herbs, *Health/Wellness/Fitness, sleep, aromatherapy
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