Earlier this month, my little sister told me she'd been struggling to fall to sleep. I knew the answer immediately. She needed a Drowsy Sleep Mask.
A Drowsy Sleep Mask first landed on my desk mid-summer last year. It was perfect timing, really – I hadn't bothered to invest in blackout blinds for my rented flat, and the (otherwise very welcome) summer light had begun to wake me up, early doors. In my mind, one of the only downsides to the warmer months. I'd also just finished reading Why We Sleep – that bestselling book by Matthew Walker which practically terrifies you into maintaining good sleep hygiene. ICYMI, according to Walker, good sleep can protect you from cancer, dementia, colds, flu, heart attacks and stroke – and better your skin and mental wellbeing. Yeah, you need it.
I'd seen Drowsy eye masks doing the rounds on TikTok and Instagram – everyone from Sophie Habboo and Selling Sunset's Heather Rae El Moussa to Trinny Woodall, Winnie Harlow and Jessica Alba had raved about them – and I was so intrigued. I'd tried countless sleep masks before and never really gotten on with them, but Drowsy not only promised uninterrupted sleep – a result of kipping in complete darkness – but no annoying ear straps, no falling off in the night and healthier skin and hair. Plus, they look really rather chic.
I've now been using my Drowsy mask for six months, and I can no longer sleep without it. I take it everywhere with me – on holiday, to my boyfriend's house; on planes – and feel naked if I'm not able to drift off with big, squishy cloud-like padding wrapped around my head. Dramatic to have such strong opinions on an eye mask, perhaps, but it really is that good. Here's the 101.
Let's rewind to the day it landed on my desk. It came packaged in a recyclable box – a little draw slips out of a cardboard outer to reveal your eye mask wrapped in tissue paper – and I could immediately see how thick, luxe and cushioned it was. I went for the dusky rose colour-way, but there are tonnes of other beautiful hues to choose from on the website – from navy to burgundy and lilac. One to match every pair of pyjamas.
Rather than just covering your eyes, the Drowsy sleep mask wraps the entire way around your head, fastening with a velcro patch – which means you can choose how tight you want it to be.
Once fastened, it's soft and squishy to lie on, and you're plunged into complete darkness. Seriously: this thing does not let a single ounce of light make its way around the edges. The mask is pretty deep – it covered my face from the top of my forehead down to the bottom of my nose – to ensure a total black-out design. But don't worry – you can still breathe.
For that reason – as well as the pressure over my eyes and the fact that it loosely covered my ears to dull background noise – I fell asleep within minutes. In fairness, it has never taken me an age to drop off, but this speed was impressive.
Overnight, I can safely assume the mask didn't budge an inch, as when I finally woke up to the sound of my alarm in the morning (not the light streaming through my windows), it was still perfectly in place. I think the fact that I stayed asleep for ~so much longer~ in the morning was the biggest benefit of them all for me. This thing's light-blocking abilities are impressive.
Another huge benefit was that when I woke up, I wasn't left with a single mark on my face – and after a week of use, I felt my skin looked glowier when I woke up in the mornings. An eye mask improving your skin? Really? I've not lost it – trust – there's a legitimate reason as to why (and how) this is possible.
The Drowsy sleep mask is made from 22 Momme mulberry silk, where the Momme count refers to the density of the silk – and indicates the quality of the material. A bit like thread count. Most quality silk products – like silk pillowcases – run between 19 Momme to 22 Momme, so Drowsy's sleep masks are up there with the most luxurious. Outside of Momme count, Mulberry silk, also, is a great silk choice. The fibres are longer and more uniform than you might get with cheaper silk variations, which makes the fabric super smooth and durable.
Not only is sleeping on a silk pillowcase – or with a silk eye mask instead of a cotton one – good for your hair (the reduced friction reduces frizz, tugs, static, breakage and split ends), but the reduced friction means that your skincare products won't rub off, instead being given the chance to really soak into the skin and work their magic. My eye cream suddenly seemed endlessly more effective, and my skin, plump.
That plays into another benefit of silk: it helps our skin to retain its natural moisture while we snooze, keeping it soft and supple – and in turn reducing fine lines, wrinkles and breakouts. Magic.
I've scratched my head for a Drowsy silk mask “con” over the course of the past week – surely nothing is perfect – and honestly? It was a struggle. The only thing I could think of was the fact that my paler-coloured Drowsy eye masks (cream or light pink, for example) became a little discoloured when I wore fake tan on my face overnight. Perhaps slightly obvious, but to keep your eye mask in tip-top condition – and make the £69 price tag worthwhile – I'd go for something darker. The burgundy is new new fave.
Over time, my Drowsy sleep mask has become a total evening comfort; part of my sleep routine. My nights are undisturbed, and I find the ritual of fastening it around my head to block out the outside world both calming and therapeutic. For me, it marks the beginning of a good nights' sleep; I don't ever want to be without it.
With that, we're back where we started: with my sister's text message. “I'm exhausted – I can't get to sleep for hours, and when I do, I wake up loads,” she said. “Buy a Drowsy sleep mask,” I replied to her in capital letters. She did, and rest assured her response to her friends will be similar when they next complain of a lack of kip, too.
After more sleep content? Shop the best duvets – including winter duvets and summer duvets – best weighted blankets, best mattresses and best pillows for side sleepers – all chosen to elevate the quality of your kip.
For more from GLAMOUR's Senior European Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.
