It began with my friend and her duct tape.
Every time she stayed in a hotel room, she would look for the lights that had no off switch. USB ports. Blinking red fire alarms. Digital clocks. Small, stubborn glows scattered across the room. Then she would cover them.
She could not sleep unless the room was completely dark.
For a long time, she thought this kind of sensitivity is being “particular”. But what if it is not? What if the body is simply telling the truth?
Then there was me.
On a long-haul flight, I used an eye mask from a well-known airline’s wellness kit. It seemed soft enough. It did not feel painfully tight. But when I woke up two hours later, my vision was blurry, and it stayed that way for half a day.
That was when I understood something important: A sleep mask can block light and still fail the body. Because darkness alone is not enough. There must be design that understands what the eyes need when they are trying to rest.
