
Why an eye pillow can improve sleep and focus
Micro-sleep, or micro-napping, is a powerful tool to improve focus throughout the day and longer term can help strengthen sleep hygiene to help you get a good night’s sleep.
Gentle pressure over the eyes has been shown to induce deep relaxation as it triggers a process known as the oculocardicac reflex. First observed in 1908, and also known as the Aschner reflex or trigeminovagal reflex (TVR), this process acts on the the longest nerve of the body, the vagus nerve.
Through a gentle weight on the eye, this nerve can reduce heart rate and promote feelings of calm, rebalancing the parasympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as the 'rest and digest' response.
Recent research shows that the vagus nerve - stretching from the eye down the spine - provides a vital connection between the brain, chest, heart, belly, diaphragm, lungs, throat, inner ear, and facial muscles.
Our eye pillows provide the perfect tool to tap into this ancient process and boost focus, blocking out any light to aid deep concentration.
We fill our eye pillow with UK grown wheat and linseed. The natural movement of the grains allows the bags to settle against the contours of the eyes which ultimately deepens relaxation. The cellular structure of the grains are known to be great for insulation as the water molecules within the grain heat up. They are particularly good at evenly distributing both heat and cold. Again this aids relaxation and focus, but also provides great natural pain relief and comfort.
Covering your eyes is a common movement at the end of many yoga practices and has been used by yogis for centuries to deepen relaxation and focus, but science is increasingly showing that this simple process has far reaching benefits for your mind and your entire body.
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