For years I told myself the problem was self-control. Just one more video, I’d think. But fast-forward forty-five minutes and I’m still wide-eyed, scrolling through something I won’t even remember come morning.
Turns out that’s not a discipline problem. Phone screens are built to keep your brain engaged. And mine wasn’t just falling for cat videos – half the time I’d end up dipping into messages about work, then I’d lay there for another half an hour planning what I have to do the next day.
I tried the standard fixes:
- App blockers – which are honestly far too easy to disable
- Charging my phone across the room – this helped a bit, but I’d walk over and grab it any time I struggled to fall asleep
- Grayscale mode – this one made my feed uglier, but no less compelling
Every fix assumed the problem was access. I just need to create more friction so I stop reaching for my phone, I would think. But it didn’t work. What actually changed things was realizing I didn’t need to fight the habit. I needed to redirect it.
I love podcasts and audiobooks, so I set about finding a great set of sleep earphones so I could listen in bed. And that’s when I stumbled across the Manta SOUND Mask – a 100% blackout sleep mask with ultra-thin Bluetooth speakers built right into it. The second I read the pitch I knew it was exactly what I needed.
With the SOUND Mask, My Phone Actually Helps Me Sleep
I still pick up my phone before going to sleep. But now I just hit play on Spotify before slipping on my SOUND Mask.
Sometimes I’ll go straight in for a sleep playlist or ocean sounds. But if I’m still feeling quite awake, I’ll put on a podcast or audiobook, giving me something positive to focus on while my mind winds down.
Before, my overactive brain would bounce from work, to family, to whatever life admin was on my plate that week. With Manta’s SOUND Mask, I just let my mind drift and find myself falling asleep much faster.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
The other great thing about the SOUND Mask is that my phone is out of sight. And I mean properly out of sight, not just over on the other side of the room.
Manta’s big thing with their masks is that they’re 100% blackout. So from the second I pull the SOUND over my eyes, I can’t see a thing. In the past, I would find myself lying there staring at my phone thinking, don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it. But somehow being able to see it across the room made it so hard to resist. Now that temptation is totally gone.
I knew blocking out my phone would be a big deal, but I totally underestimated the bigger picture of a blackout sleep mask. I’m no longer seeing car headlights shining through the curtains or annoying standby lights on the TV or the full moon that is surely the sun in disguise. There’s nothing to distract me from doing what I’m there to do: sleep!
Why I Feel the SOUND Mask Is Totally Worth the Price
The $159 price tag gave me pause at first. But when I looked under the surface, I realized that the SOUND Mask wasn’t just a set of earphones stitched into a sleep mask. Far from it.
Here are the key features that make the SOUND Mask a worthwhile investment:
- C-shaped, zero-pressure eye cups – True 100% blackout without anything pressing on your eyes or lashes, so I can blink in total darkness without feeling it. And of course, I can’t see my phone.
- Ultra-thin Bluetooth speakers – Only 5mm thick, about as thin as a yoga mat, tucked into the foam so there’s nothing bulky pressing on your ear all night. I even find them comfortable while lying on my side.
- Great for couples – My partner sleeps right next to me and has never once been woken up by whatever I’m listening to.
- 24-hour battery – I’ve never had it die mid-audiobook, and it shuts off automatically after 30 minutes of silence so it’s not draining once I’m out.
- Breathable, washable materials – Perforated foam and a moisture-wicking interior mean it doesn’t turn into a sweaty mess. And it’s easy to remove the headphones so I can put the mask in the wash.
What convinced me in the end is that this is really two products in one. It’s a set of sleep earphones, which would have easily set me back $100+ once I found a pair that are actually comfortable. And it’s also a breathable, 100% blackout sleep mask, which would have cost at least another $70. So at $159, I’m feeling pretty smug.
More Sleep By Night, More Energy By Day
Since using the Manta SOUND Mask, I’ve definitely been sleeping a lot better. I’d guess that I’m going to sleep anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours earlier each night, simply because I’m no longer scrolling on my phone.
But the real difference is in how I’ve felt during the day. I no longer find myself craving coffee every hour on the hour. And family and friends have commented that I’m looking healthier too.
I spent years treating this like a willpower problem – buying apps, building rules, breaking them within a week. It turns out the fix was never going to be to try harder. It was giving the habit somewhere better to go.
If you’re stuck in the same nightly scroll, the SOUND Mask could just be what you’re looking for.
