[FreeCodeFreak]

This is of course an entirely useless study, because participants know when they are wearing a mask.

Logic dictates that very likely wearing the mask has no effect at all, and it is in fact other factors influencing quality of sleep. It would make sense to look into those, and it is very surprising it was not already done from the beginning.

E.g. Obviously a participant can not use their mobile phone or other screen devices if they are wearing a mask, and the mere fact they are wearing the mask may force them to do the one thing they can do: sleep.

In other words, it could simply be that the mask itself incapacitated and prevented other activities from being carried out by the participant. Equal or better results can be achieved if participants are told to concentrate on sleeping. Heck, you might even pay them just to sleep so they do not stress about the fact they have to waste time sleeping – this alone should yield some interesting results.

My advice: forget the silly mask.

[toxik]

> E.g. Obviously a participant can not use their mobile phone or other screen devices if they are wearing a mask, and the mere fact they are wearing the mask may force them to do the one thing they can do: sleep.

This sounds like you describing the mechanism rather than rejecting the idea that a sleep mask helps. IOW, it may help because it "enforces" better sleep hygiene.

[mft_]

Firstly, it’s not “entirely useless”; it just has a slightly lower quality of evidence than a study that was blinded for participants. However, some things are quite difficult to practically blind – and this (not unreasonably) is one of them.

Secondly, you raise lots of interesting hypotheses that might contradict the findings of the study. These would indeed be interesting directions for further similar studies. However, in the meantime, a study (even of moderate evidence quality) is probably more valuable than off-the-cuff hypotheses.

(My low quality n=1 anecdote: i’ve discovered that I am quite light sensitive while sleeping. so measures which minimise ambient light improve my quality of sleep. Whether this is blackout curtains or a sleep mask is more situationally dependent.)

[desmond373]

Or use the silly mask as a tool. Just because the benefits are of a second order effect and not a Direct doesn't mean they don't have a benefit.

Light blocking, phone being harder to use and crafting some sort of sleeping ritual can all be achieved by using it.

[nodefortytwo]

> Logic dictates that very likely wearing the mask has no effect at all

What logic dictates that?