My Favorite Sleep Hacks for Better Sleep: Eye Masks, Mouth Tape, Nose Strips, Wrinkle Patches + Hair Wraps
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Sleep is one of those things that affects almost everything—energy, mood, focus, recovery, hormones, appetite, skin, and just how well you feel the next day. And while there are plenty of complicated sleep routines out there, I have found that some of the simplest little changes can make bedtime more comfortable and help create an environment that actually supports good sleep.
Over the years, I have tried all kinds of nighttime products: eye masks, mouth tape, nasal strips, wrinkle patches, Frownies, scar tape, different kinds of medical tape, and hair wraps.
Some I loved.
Some I definitely did not.
And some of my favorite solutions ended up being the inexpensive, uncomplicated ones.
So I wanted to put all of my favorite nighttime sleep ideas in one place, along with why each one may help and a few things to know before trying them.
Why Your Sleep Environment Matters So Much
Good sleep isn’t just about getting into bed early enough.
Your brain and body are constantly picking up signals from your environment that help determine whether it is time to be alert or time to sleep.
Light is one of the biggest of those signals.
Your breathing can affect how comfortable and settled you feel overnight.
Temperature matters.
Noise matters.
And even little things like hair rubbing against your pillow or your face becoming creased against your pillowcase can affect how you feel when you wake up.
I like thinking about my nighttime routine as creating the best possible environment for my body to do what it already knows how to do: sleep.
Cover Your Eyes at Night
One of the easiest sleep changes is simply making your bedroom darker.
Melatonin is a hormone involved in regulating the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Darkness helps signal to the brain that nighttime has arrived, while light—particularly bright light at night—can interfere with that signal.
This is why an eye mask can be surprisingly helpful, especially if your bedroom isn’t completely dark.
Streetlights, electronics, hallway lights, early morning sunlight, and even little indicator lights around a bedroom can create more light exposure than you realize.
An eye mask doesn’t magically produce melatonin by itself. Instead, it helps block environmental light, which supports the natural nighttime signals involved in melatonin production and circadian rhythm.
If you struggle to keep your room completely dark, an eye mask is such a simple thing to try.
Look for an Eye Mask That Is Actually Comfortable
Not all sleep masks are created equal.
I prefer something that:
- Completely blocks the light
- Doesn’t press painfully against the eyes
- Doesn’t feel too tight around the head
- Stays in place when I move
- Is soft enough to wear all night
- Doesn’t make my face feel hot
Some people love contoured masks because there is space around the eyelashes and eyelids.
Others prefer a very simple, soft fabric mask.
The best one is really the one you will consistently wear.
Why Nasal Breathing Matters at Night
Another thing I have become much more aware of is how I breathe while I sleep.
Our noses are designed for breathing.
The nose filters, warms, and humidifies incoming air before it travels farther into the respiratory system. Nasal breathing also creates resistance to airflow that helps regulate breathing.
For someone who tends to sleep with their mouth open, it can be worth figuring out why.
Sometimes it is habit.
But mouth breathing can also happen because of congestion, allergies, enlarged tonsils, structural nasal obstruction, or sleep-disordered breathing.
That distinction matters.
The goal should not simply be to force your mouth closed regardless of the reason you are opening it.
It is to make comfortable nasal breathing easier when it is appropriate for you.
Nasal Strips Can Make Breathing Through Your Nose Easier
Those little strips that go across the bridge of your nose are called nasal dilator strips or external nasal strips.
You have probably seen athletes wear them.
They gently pull outward on the sides of the nose, which can make the nasal passages feel more open.
They are especially nice when your nose feels a little narrow or stuffy at bedtime.
They don’t cure sleep apnea, and they aren’t a replacement for treatment if someone has a significant breathing disorder. But for simple nasal stuffiness or resistance, some people find that nasal strips make breathing through the nose more comfortable.
There are also little internal nasal dilators that sit just inside the nostrils.
I personally like the simplicity of the strips because you stick one on before bed and remove it in the morning.
Mouth Taping for Sleep
Mouth taping has become incredibly popular.
The idea behind mouth taping is pretty straightforward: if someone can comfortably breathe through their nose but habitually opens their mouth during sleep, a small amount of tape may encourage the lips to stay together.
I’ve experimented with several different kinds.
There are expensive tapes marketed specifically for sleep.
There are special mouth-shaped patches.
There are strips that leave part of the mouth uncovered.
And then there is plain old medical tape.
After trying several options, my favorite has actually been one of the cheapest.
My Favorite Mouth Tape Is Just Cheap Medical Tape
After experimenting with different mouth tapes, I discovered that I personally don’t need a fancy product.
I like the inexpensive paper medical/surgical tape you can buy in the first-aid section at Walmart.
Basically, the kind of gentle tape you would use for an injury or to hold gauze in place.
It’s inexpensive.
It’s easy to find.
I can cut exactly the amount I want.
And I don’t feel like I’m paying a premium just because something has been labeled “sleep tape.”
I would look for a gentle, hypoallergenic medical paper tape rather than something extremely adhesive.
And you absolutely do not want to seal your mouth in a way that makes it impossible to open it quickly.
Mouth Taping Isn’t Right for Everyone
This is important.
Mouth taping hasn’t been well studied enough to say that everyone should be doing it, and it may be inappropriate or unsafe for some people.
Don’t tape your mouth shut if you cannot breathe freely through your nose.
And if you regularly wake up gasping, snore heavily, experience pauses in breathing, wake with headaches, feel excessively sleepy during the day, or suspect sleep apnea, talk with a medical professional instead of trying to solve the problem with tape.
People with significant congestion, nasal obstruction, breathing problems, or certain medical conditions should also get individualized advice before experimenting with mouth taping.
Your airway comes first.
Start With Your Nose Before You Start With Your Mouth
This is probably the most important distinction.
If someone is mouth breathing because their nose isn’t providing enough airflow, closing the mouth doesn’t fix the underlying issue.
So before experimenting with mouth tape, work on making nasal breathing comfortable.
That might mean:
- Using a nasal strip
- Treating allergies appropriately
- Addressing congestion
- Using a humidifier if your bedroom is extremely dry
- Talking with a doctor about chronic nasal obstruction
- Being evaluated for sleep apnea if you have symptoms
You should be able to comfortably breathe through your nose while lying down before you even consider mouth tape.
Wrinkle Patches While You Sleep
Then there is an entirely different category of nighttime experimentation:
trying not to wake up with your face folded in half.
If you are a side sleeper, you know what I’m talking about.
There are normal expression lines that develop from repeatedly moving our facial muscles, but sleeping with your face pressed against a pillow for hours can also temporarily crease the skin.
I have tried so many products for this.
I’ve tried:
- Frownies
- Silicone wrinkle patches
- Scar tape
- Medical tape
- Specialty facial patches
- Different kinds of mouth tape used as facial tape
And I think this is one category where you absolutely don’t have to spend a fortune experimenting.
Frownies vs. Scar Tape vs. Wrinkle Patches
Frownies are probably the best-known traditional facial patches.
They are stiff paper patches that you wet and apply to areas of the face. Once dry, they create a firm surface that limits some of the facial movement underneath.
Some people absolutely swear by them.
There are also silicone patches designed for the forehead, chest, around the mouth, and other areas.
Silicone patches tend to be softer and reusable.
Then there is scar tape.
Silicone scar tape isn’t technically designed to be a wrinkle patch, but plenty of people have experimented with it for exactly that reason.
It can be inexpensive, soft, and easy to cut into the shape you want.
Just remember that a product marketed for scars hasn’t necessarily been tested or approved specifically as a wrinkle treatment.
And, as always, if your skin becomes red or irritated, stop using it.
Don’t Overlook Plain Medical Tape
I’ve also tried different inexpensive tapes.
Sometimes the simplest product really is enough.
If your goal is simply to reduce the amount an area folds or creases overnight, you may not necessarily need an expensive box of specialty patches.
However, be careful with adhesive on sensitive skin.
The skin on your face is not the same as the skin on your arm.
Avoid aggressive adhesive tape, especially if you use retinoids, exfoliating acids, or other products that make your skin more sensitive.
And don’t rip tape straight off your face in the morning.
Gentle removal matters.
Your Pillowcase Matters Too
If nighttime facial creasing bothers you, consider the entire sleep setup rather than relying only on patches.
A smooth pillowcase can reduce some friction against the hair and skin.
Silk pillowcases are popular for this, although there are plenty of less-expensive satin alternatives.
They can also be helpful if your hair tends to become tangled or frizzy overnight.
Which brings me to another one of my favorite nighttime tricks.
Protect Your Hair While You Sleep
If you have wavy or curly hair, sleeping can completely undo all the work you put into your hair the day before.
You go to bed with nice curls.
You wake up with one side flattened, the other side frizzy, and several pieces doing things you didn’t know hair could do.
One of the easiest fixes is simply covering your hair at night.
You can use:
- A satin bonnet
- A silk bonnet
- A satin scarf
- A wide sleep headband
- A hair wrap
- A tubular dreadlock wrap
I actually use a head wrap designed for dreadlocks.
You definitely don’t have to have dreadlocks to use one.
I like the shape because it gives your hair room instead of smashing everything tightly against your head.
Why Hair Wraps Can Help Curly Hair
The main idea is reducing friction.
Hair rubbing against a cotton pillowcase all night can contribute to:
- Frizz
- Tangling
- Breakage
- Flattened curls
- Dry-looking ends
A smooth hair covering helps protect the shape of curls while keeping the hair contained.
If you have longer hair, look for a wrap with enough room that you aren’t stuffing your hair into something tiny.
You want your curls protected—not compressed into a little ball.
I’ll include the exact dreadlock-style hair wrap I use here once I add the link.
Affiliate link: Shop here
Create a Sleep Routine Your Brain Recognizes
All of these little products can be useful, but the bigger picture still matters.
One reason a bedtime routine helps is that repeated behaviors become signals.
Your brain begins associating them with sleep.
Wash your face.
Dim the lights.
Put on your wrinkle patches if you’re using them.
Put on your nasal strip.
Wrap your hair.
Put on your sleep mask.
Get into bed.
The routine itself becomes part of the transition from daytime activity to nighttime rest.
Keep the Bedroom Dark
A darker room is one of the simplest environmental changes you can make.
In addition to an eye mask, consider:
Blackout curtains.
Turning off unnecessary electronics.
Covering bright indicator lights.
Keeping your phone screen away from your face before bed.
Using warm, dim lighting in the evening rather than turning on every overhead light in the house.
The goal isn’t to become obsessive about eliminating every tiny photon.
It is simply to give your brain a clear signal:
It is nighttime now.
Keep the Bedroom Cool and Comfortable
Most people also sleep better in a bedroom that is comfortably cool rather than hot and stuffy.
That doesn’t mean you need to freeze.
Find a temperature where you can stay comfortably tucked under blankets without waking up overheated.
Breathable pajamas and bedding can make a surprisingly big difference too.
Your Sleep Routine Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
This might be my biggest takeaway from trying so many different nighttime products.
You don’t need a drawer full of expensive sleep gadgets.
Some of my favorite things are incredibly simple:
An eye mask.
A nasal strip.
An inexpensive roll of paper medical tape.
A hair wrap.
A comfortable pillowcase.
Maybe wrinkle patches if you enjoy using them.
Some inexpensive products work just as well for me as the specialty versions that cost much more.
My Simple Nighttime Routine
If you’re overwhelmed by all of this, start small.
You absolutely do not need to suddenly cover every inch of your head in tape, patches, and fabric.
Try one or two things.
My ideal setup looks something like this:
Darkness: Eye mask or a completely dark room.
Breathing: Comfortable nasal breathing, with a nasal strip when helpful.
Mouth: Gentle mouth tape only when nasal breathing is completely comfortable and appropriate.
Skin: Wrinkle patch or gentle tape on areas where I want to reduce nighttime creasing.
Hair: A soft wrap or dreadlock-style sleep headband to keep curls protected.
Room: Cool, quiet, dark, and comfortable.
And then—probably the hardest part—actually go to bed.
The Most Important Sleep Hack Is Still Sleep
It is very easy to spend so much time researching sleep optimization that we forget the most important part:
You need enough sleep.
No eye mask, nasal strip, red-light gadget, wrinkle patch, pillowcase, supplement, or mouth tape can replace consistently giving your body enough time to rest.
Think of these products as small ways to make sleep easier and more comfortable—not substitutes for sleep itself.
Final Thoughts
I love finding little changes that make everyday routines easier, and bedtime is no exception.
For me, protecting my eyes from light, thinking more intentionally about nasal breathing, experimenting with inexpensive mouth tape, protecting my skin, and wrapping my hair at night have all become part of figuring out what makes sleep more comfortable.
But you don’t need to do everything.
Pick one thing.
Try it.
See whether you actually notice a difference.
And remember that sometimes the simplest solution is the best one.
My fancy sleep hack collection includes a product originally made for dreadlocks and inexpensive medical tape from the Walmart first-aid aisle.
Sometimes wellness really doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.
IMPORTANT NOTE
The information in this post is for general educational purposes and describes products and routines I have tried. It is not medical advice. Mouth taping in particular is not appropriate for everyone. If you have chronic nasal obstruction, significant snoring, breathing pauses, suspected sleep apnea, or another respiratory or sleep condition, talk with your healthcare provider before trying mouth taping.
