I did everything right. Cut caffeine after noon, same bedtime every night, phone charging in the other room. And my sleep score still hovered in that annoying “meh” zone no matter what I tweaked. The one thing I hadn’t actually fixed? My sleep mask.
It was only cheap, so I put up with the flimsy strap and the fact that it was never on my face come morning. But as for blocking light, I figured it was doing a decent enough job. Light would leak under my nose or near my temples if I rolled onto my side, but I always assumed that’s the deal with sleep masks.
Wrong!
After going down a rabbit hole on how light impacts your sleep, I decided to invest in the most legit 100% blackout sleep mask money can buy: the Manta PRO Sleep Mask. And my sleep score has thanked me for it ever since.
The PRO Mask Boosts Melatonin Production at Night
Here’s the thing I didn’t get before: it’s not just about the light in your room before you turn in. It’s about what’s happening while you’re actually asleep – mask on, lights off.
I found this study that stopped me in my tracks. It says that exposure to light during sleep hours suppresses melatonin production by more than 50%.
And we’re not talking about the lamp on your nightstand, this is low-level light like:
- Streetlights through the curtains
- A hallway light peeking under your door
- Your partner checking their phone
- The glow of a full moon
Melatonin is basically the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep. So if your mask is leaking even a little light while you sleep, some part of you is quietly getting the signal to stay awake.
Since getting the PRO Mask, I’ve definitely found myself tossing and turning a lot less. And my sleep onset (if you want the fancy term) has improved too. I think part of this is down to the melatonin boost, but it’s also because there’s literally zero light to distract me.
Sunrise? What Sunrise?
Light at night is bad but, honestly, early morning light is so much worse.
I’m sure you’ve been there. You set your alarm for 7:30 AM, but it’s 6:00 AM and it feels like the sun is practically in your bedroom. And this time it isn’t just suppressing melatonin production, it also triggers a spike in another hormone: cortisol. This makes you feel more alert and makes it much, much harder to get back to sleep.
This is where the Manta PRO Mask has been a massive step up. The strap is super secure, with these wiggly anti-slip lines to keep it in place. So when that early sunrise rolls around, I’m still fast asleep in total darkness instead of scrambling around trying to find my mask.
How Manta’s PRO Mask Blocks 100% of Light
The PRO is built from the ground up to be truly 100% blackout. And once you see the engineering that’s gone into it, you’ll realize why my old mask never stood a chance.
Here’s how Manta’s PRO Mask achieves total blackout:
- Adjustable eye cups – You can remove the eye cups and reposition them to match your face shape. And because the cups surround your eye rather than sitting flat against your face, they seal out all the light.
- C-shaped design – PRO Mask’s eye cups taper at your temples, so you can lay comfortably on your side without the mask shifting or leaking light.
- Anti-slip strap – The PRO’s strap goes around the top of your ears instead of pressing against them. And the anti-slip gel makes sure it doesn’t move around at night.
- Cooling, breathable materials – Perforated foam and Tactel fabric mean it doesn’t turn into a sweaty mess halfway through the night, so you’re not tempted to peel it off at 3:00 AM.
I’m Getting 28% More Deep Sleep With the PRO Mask
I’d read the science. I knew that melatonin was the good guy and cortisol was the bad guy – and I understood how 100% blackout was supposed to keep them both in check. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll want the cold, hard facts.
So here’s what happened. After switching to the Manta PRO Mask, my deep sleep increased by 28% and my average has jumped from 78 to 100 minutes. This is the sleep stage responsible for muscle repair, immune function and basically feeling like a person the next day. And it really has made a difference to how I feel.
I put this down to two things: falling asleep faster and staying asleep until my alarm goes off. And on those few occasions that I do wake up in the night, I’m straight back to sleep.
You can try everything from blue light glasses to box breathing. But if you don’t have the fundamentals right first, all those tweaks will be undermined by too much light and not enough melatonin.
So if you’re looking for a sleep mask that gives you 100% blackout right through the night, the Manta PRO Mask 100% gets my vote.
