It's not always easy to get a good night's sleep, but the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School says wearing a sleep mask can help you do just that. Sleep masks can be part of what Harvard's Division of Sleep Medicine calls sleep hygiene, a term it coined to describe behaviors that are conducive to a good night's sleep. You can find sleep masks at home and lingerie stores, but it's easy to make your own sleep mask.
Things You'll Need:
- Pencil
- Paper Scissors
- Straight pins 1/4 yard fabric 1/2 yard flannel fabric, to coordinate with your first fabric 12 inches fabric-covered elastic
- Sewing machine
- Thread
Draw a mask shape with a pencil on a piece of paper to create your pattern. Cut the mask out using scissors, so you can test the paper version in front of your face to check for size. Make adjustments if you need to, until you're happy with the mask you've made.
Pin the paper mask pattern onto your first fabric with straight pins, and cut out one mask. Set the mask aside.
Pin the paper mask onto the flannel fabric, and cut out a mask. Repeat two more times, so that you have a total of three flannel mask shapes.
Divide the mask pieces into two stacks of two pieces each, one with the non-flannel fabric piece on top. Spread 12 inches of fabric-covered elastic across the middle of the mask stack with the non-flannel top, tucking the ends of the elastic underneath the flannel on either side.
Stack the two mask piles together, so that the elastic is sandwiched in the middle and the non-flannel fabric is facing inward. Pin the sides of the fabric together, keeping the elastic in place.
Use a sewing machine to stitch around the outside of the mask with thread, leaving about 4 inches of the gap unsewn at the top or bottom.
Turn the mask inside out so that the right sides are facing out, and finish sewing the mask together.
Use your sewing machine to topstitch around the outside of the mask again, using a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch.
Tips and Warnings
If you want you mask to have extra cushioning, you can substitute cotton batting for the two inside layers of flannel. If you're giving the mask as a gift, or if you just want to make it extra special, you can decorate the mask with ribbons, rickrack, embroidery or lace.
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