Tis the seasons for parties, drinking, and merriment! But let’s also not forget that it’s the season for sleep! Now that we’ve passed the darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere we can all look forwards to the days light increasing gradually. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t still in Winter; in fact Winter just officially began with the Solstice on the 21st! We can all probably easily do with a bit more z’s in our lives, and I can’t more highly recommend a sleep mask if you’re trying to improve the quality of your sleep.

For those of you in the know already about melatonin production in your body this won’t come as a surprise, but the darker your surroundings when you sleep the more melatonin your body produces. Melatonin regulates your sleep cycle and has been shown to be important as an antioxident, improving immune function, and increased REM. Any light that say, comes from streetlights from an outside window, or even electronics in your room, can potentially inhibit your production of melatonin.

This is why the Sleep Mask is underrated! Because what especially inhibits melatonin production is when light hits your eyes. The eyelid doesn’t do as good of a job as you might think of keeping extra light out of your eyes while you sleep. Hence Sleep Masks to the rescue! I just love the Bindi Blue mask above from Flight 001. Not only do sleep masks help you sleep during a flight, but they are useful on a regular basis helping you get your best rest, and that in turn can possibly help your immunity and health in the long run.

So rest up this and maybe try a Sleep Mask this Winter as part of your New Year’s Resolutions for a better 2011!