[266] - Why You Should Wear a Sleep Mask — Every Single Time You Sleep

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If you're a shift worker struggling to get good-quality sleep—especially during daylight hours—this episode is for you. Today, I'm talking about one of the simplest yet most overlooked tools that can drastically improve your rest: the sleep mask.

Most people underestimate just how damaging light can be to sleep. Even tiny amounts of light from devices, early morning sun, or power boards can suppress melatonin by up to 50%. That’s enough to prevent your body from dropping into deep, restorative sleep—and for shift workers, that’s a big deal.

Here’s what I cover in this episode:

• How light disrupts your circadian rhythm and causes shallow, fragmented sleep
• A quick test to see if your bedroom is too bright for optimal sleep
• What to look for in a high-quality sleep mask (it’s not just about blocking light)
• Why using a sleep mask every single time you rest can actually train your brain to wind down faster
• And why, if you’re trying to sleep during the day, a sleep mask isn’t optional—it’s essential

If you’re looking for a reliable sleep mask that’s comfortable, light-blocking, and great for side sleepers, I personally recommend the Manta Sleep Mask Pro. You can find it on the Recommended Products page in the resources section at ahealthyshift.com.

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Disclaimer: Roger Sutherland is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before implementing any strategies mentioned in this podcast. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Roger Sutherland will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this podcast including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Shift work can be brutal, but it doesn't have to
be.
Welcome to a healthy shift.
My name is Roger Sutherland,certified nutritionist, veteran
law enforcement officer and 24-7shift worker for almost four
decades.
Through this podcast, I aim toeducate shift workers, using
evidence-based methods, to notonly survive the rigours of

(00:28):
shift work, but thrive.
My goal is to empower shiftworkers to improve their health
and wellbeing so they have moreenergy to do the things they
love.
Enjoy today's show.
Well, hey there, and welcomeback to A Healthy Shift.
I'm Roger Sutherland, and todayI'm talking about a really

(00:50):
simple thing, but a seriouslypowerful strategy for better
sleep a sleep mask.
Now, I know what you'rethinking, really, roger A mask,
yep, a sleep mask.
And I'm here to tell you why.
It could literally be one ofthe most underrated tools for a
better sleep, especially for you, the shift worker.

(01:14):
So let's get into it.
Light pollution is everywhere,so let's start with the problem,
and that is light pollution.
Now, what is light pollution?
Well, we live in a world thatis constantly lit up with
artificial light these daysstreetlights, phone screens,

(01:34):
standby lights on thosetelevisions in the bedroom that
glow from the hallway, even themoon on a clear night, and your
brain.
I'm here to tell you your braindoesn't know the difference
between sunlight and that lightcoming in under your bedroom
door.
It is literally just seeing theblue light.
Light at night, especially thatartificial light, which is

(01:59):
anything that you turn on or isrunning with electricity after
dark, suppresses melatonin,which is the hormone that helps
your body to know when it's dark.
Now this makes sense, doesn'tit?
Because if your body is seeinglight, why would it release a
hormone to tell it that it isdark?

(02:20):
It doesn't, and any form oflight in your bedroom, where you
are supposed to be sleeping,actually reduces melatonin by
approximately 50%.
Now, when melatonin getssuppressed, your body doesn't
shift into that deep sleep orthat sleep mode properly, and

(02:40):
for shift workers, who arealready trying to sleep outside
of the normal circadian hours,this will make things even worse
.
So how does light disrupt oursleep?
So let's talk about whatactually happens biologically
Now.
Melatonin production starts whenyour eyes stop detecting light.

(03:00):
Even small amounts of light,like that glow from a power
board in your bedroom or thatearly morning sunlight creeping
in through the curtains, canliterally be enough to
completely mess with it.
Your body clock relies ondarkness to stay in rhythm.
Think about that clock that'sin your bedroom.
Or looking at your phone, youare giving a direct signal of

(03:23):
light into your eye.
When light sneaks in, itliterally confuses that internal
clock.
You sleep lighter, you wake upa lot more often and over time,
it has an impact.
You end up feeling run down,you end up foggy and completely
out of whack.

(03:43):
So what is there that we can do?
And this is where the sleepmask comes in, because a high
quality sleep mask completelyblocks out all light, even that
little bit sneaking in throughthe blinds or around your eye
socket.
And this isn't just aboutcomfort.
I need people to understandthat.

(04:06):
This is about sending a clearsignal to your brain it's dark,
it's time to sleep, and yourbody will not see any light and
will release a strong stream ofmelatonin to signal darkness to
the body and to help you tosleep.
So when should we actually weara sleep mask?

(04:26):
I'm going to say this, I'll putit on the table, honestly every
single time you sleep what?
Every time?
That's right.
Every single time that yousleep.
If you're on night shift andyou're trying to sleep during
the day non-negotiable.
If you're going to bed earlyand the sun's still up,

(04:48):
non-negotiable, even if you'resleeping at night but there is
ambient light in your room, youalso need it here, and here is a
simple test to tell you if it'sdark enough in your room for
you to sleep.
Pay attention, I want you tohold your arm out at full length
in front of your face and Iwant you to turn your hand to

(05:10):
face you.
Can you see your hand?
If yes, it's too light and yourmelatonin is being disrupted
and you are probably not gettingthe deep, restorative sleep
that you need.
So for those of you that openthe windows, open the blinds and
love to feel the light and theair and everything coming in,

(05:33):
this is disrupting your deepsleep, your restorative sleep.
This can be a reason why a lotof people don't sleep properly
and wake up tired.
Now, what makes a good sleepmask?
Because there's hundreds ofthem out there and I know that
some of you probably a lot ofyou will have tried a sleep mask
, but not all sleep masks arecreated equal.

(05:54):
You want a sleep mask that Afully blocks out light.
It's got to be pitch black,you've got to be able to open
your eyes, and it's pitch black.
It doesn't press on your eyes,ladies, those lashes that you're
putting on your eyes.
We don't want those to betouching, because that just
becomes annoying.
We also need one that stays inplace if we move around.

(06:17):
We need to be able to lie onour side, on our back, lying in
a coma position.
We want the mask to stay inplace and to be comfortable and
it needs to feel reallycomfortable so that it doesn't
interrupt sleep in itself.
And if you want to know becauseI know you're going to ask me,
if you want to know what mygo-to is, it's the Manta Sleep

(06:40):
Mask.
Now, it's, hands down, theabsolute best mask that I've
ever used.
It provides total blackout, ithas zero pressure on your eyes
and it's perfect for long, deepand undisturbed sleep.
Now I use the Manta Sleep MaskPro.

(07:00):
It's great for side sleepersbecause the eye cups are
flattened by the side and youcan literally put it on.
And I can tell you a funnyanecdotal story to go with me
and my Manta Sleep Mask BecauseI was on night shift, woke up,
wanted to know what time it wasreached for my phone kept

(07:22):
tapping the screen, couldn'twork out why, I couldn't see the
time, thought my phone wasbroken or had gone flat, but no,
I still had the sleep mask on.
That's how comfortable a Mantasleep mask is.
You just forget that it's thereTotally Best investment ever.
So if you're serious about yoursleep and this is what I will

(07:45):
say to you as well so manypeople come to me time and time
again and they talk to me aboutI can't sleep, I have problems
sleeping, and when I sit downand talk to them about and go
back into all of the differentwhys and wherefores around sleep
, it's then that we understandthat there is a contributing

(08:06):
factor that's causing theproblem ambient light in a
bedroom.
Please, I beg you, keep thattest in mind when you go to bed
tonight or today or thisafternoon or whenever.
Hold your arm out at fulllength, turn your hand to face

(08:28):
you and, if you can see yourhand, it's too light and that
shows you how much lightpollution there actually is
around these days.
So if you're serious about yoursleep, get yourself a sleep
mask.
It is literally one of the bestinvestments that you will ever
make, shift worker or not, makeit part of your routine.

(08:50):
Once again, our body thrives onroutine.
Putting the mask on tells ourbody it's sleep time.
But if you're a shift worker,it's one of the simplest things
that you can do to protect yoursleep and your health, and you
can check out the exact maskthat I use by heading over to my
website at ahealthyshiftcom andclick on the recommended

(09:14):
product page, which is underresources, and you will find the
Manta Sleep Mask right there.
That's it from me.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, take care of yourself.
Remember, put your arm out,hold your hand up If you can see
your hand.
It's too light in your room.
Get the Manta Sleep Mask.
It's on the website.

(09:34):
Thank you for listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to subscribe so you get
notified whenever a new episodeis released.
It would also be ever sohelpful if you could leave a
rating and review on the appyou're currently listening on.

(09:56):
If you want to know more aboutme or work with me, you can go
to ahealthyshiftcom.
I'll catch you on the next one.