Eye mask + cpap

Recently my company has switched to providing 24/7 'helpdesk' support to our clients and because I am one of the most experienced techs we have they asked if I'd like to work nights, I was a little hesitant at first but figured hey I could use the extra bonus to my check every pay!

how-ever now I'm having issues staying asleep, light really bothers me in the morning and my room faces East, so I went out and got one of them sleeping masks to over my eye's, this got super annoying as the mask I am most comfortable with right now happens to have a forehead piece (Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear)

I also live in an apartment building so I can't just "put blinds up", the ones already in place are these

while they do block light, they don't do an amazing job at it.

Any ideas on something I can try?

Assemble artist stretcher strips to fit just inside your window openings; then staple blackout drapery material onto them.
The fabric wrapped around the outside edge should provide enough friction to hold them in place.
For wider windows, make several frames. If it is not poufy enough on the edges, add foam or fiberfill to make the edges fatter until
they squeeze into the window opening and hold the frames in place. You can leave the original blinds in place,
and hide your blackout panels in a closet when you have guests.

CavemanSean wrote:Recently my company has switched to providing 24/7 'helpdesk' support to our clients and because I am one of the most experienced techs we have they asked if I'd like to work nights, I was a little hesitant at first but figured hey I could use the extra bonus to my check every pay!

how-ever now I'm having issues staying asleep, light really bothers me in the morning and my room faces East, so I went out and got one of them sleeping masks to over my eye's, this got super annoying as the mask I am most comfortable with right now happens to have a forehead piece (Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear)

I switched to the Quattro FX which doesn't have a forehead support. This mask will accept Onyix goggles which totally block out the light... but of course they take some getting used to, but just a few days for me. I've been told that they don't fit people with small faces, so there is that concern.

http://www.amazon.com/Onyix-Silicone-Sl ... B003DQQ4LW

chunkyfrog wrote:Assemble artist stretcher strips to fit just inside your window openings; then staple blackout drapery material onto them.
The fabric wrapped around the outside edge should provide enough friction to hold them in place.
For wider windows, make several frames. If it is not poufy enough on the edges, add foam or fiberfill to make the edges fatter until
they squeeze into the window opening and hold the frames in place. You can leave the original blinds in place,
and hide your blackout panels in a closet when you have guests.

Hmmm, quite interesting CF. Takes an afternoon of work but sounds like a good solution. SNO

Hi CavemanSean,
I started draping a bandana over my head before donning my mask (also use Quattro). I did this to keep the headgear clean...but I also noticed if I kept it low on my forehead, the edge of the bandana covered my eyes and allowed me to sleep a little longer in the morning. Try it...might work and surely will help a little. That's a bright room and day sleeping is not normal behavior.
Good luck,
J

I like the bandanna idea, cheap, soft and EASY!
If cotton is too hot or not flexible, you could try a soft knit, maybe even a buff.

I, too, work evenings. I went to Target and bought the blackout curtains. Since I'm permanently night shift, I opted just to use thumb tacks to stick the corners to the walls so it doesn't let light through the sides.

Having an actually dark room helps a ton for sleeping during the day because eye masks or bandanas can slip off. Besides, the darkness of a room really sets the mood for sleepy time.

jamiswolf wrote:Hi CavemanSean,
I started draping a bandana over my head before donning my mask (also use Quattro). I did this to keep the headgear clean...but I also noticed if I kept it low on my forehead, the edge of the bandana covered my eyes and allowed me to sleep a little longer in the morning. Try it...might work and surely will help a little. That's a bright room and day sleeping is not normal behavior.
Good luck,
J

Heh' thats not my room, just googled for a picture of fabric blinds
but it gives you an idea of what happens to my place -.-

I get home to sleep at 8am and start work at 11pm... at least at work, I get to take a hour napp when I'm super tired

BigBennyB wrote:I, too, work evenings. I went to Target and bought the blackout curtains. Since I'm permanently night shift, I opted just to use thumb tacks to stick the corners to the walls so it doesn't let light through the sides.

Having an actually dark room helps a ton for sleeping during the day because eye masks or bandanas can slip off. Besides, the darkness of a room really sets the mood for sleepy time.

Ahhh thumb-tac's, honestly I never thought of that!

Go figure us tech guys always look for the most complicated things to the most simple solutions D=, tomorrow I'm off to grab thumbtacs and a nice heavy blanket!