I don’t know about you, but I find sleeping at the best of times difficult. And as the years progress and I get grumpier because of twinging hips or gritty knees, being too hot or too cold, spending too long on social media instead of a good book, it has all become a real drag to try and get even five hours of continuous sleep, I’ve long since given up on the elusive eight hours. Put that into the mix along with Lockdown and I have now ramped up my anxiety to previously unheard of levels along with dropping my activity level to getting on for zero. I was in trouble. Scratching along at three hours a night with a power nap in the day was doing no one any favours, I needed a solution.

Firstly there came beer and wine. A panacea that has been known for many a generation when tea won’t do, a night cap or two was often called for, and it had the additional effect of numbing the aches and pains. But in the long term we all know, that alcohol, is not the solution. So I looked for another aid that might help.

When I remembered that I had a silk eye mask from my advent calendar from Fortnum and Mason from a lovely company called Yolke, I rummaged through my cosmetic drawers and there it was, cast aside in the dark depths of winter but joyously found now it is bright as a summers day at 4.30 a.m.

And it really works, wearing this I can on a good day sleep through until 7.30 a.m. where as before I was waking at 5.00 a.m. even though I have heavy curtains, they still weren’t thick enough. And now I can leave them open a little bit to allow the refreshing morning breeze in, so important in the middle of our mini heat wave. The silk is supersoft on the eyes, the mask not too big that one feels claustrophobic in it, but big enough that it doesn’t slip off the eyes, its not too hot in the middle of the night and its not too tight. It feels like the most gentlest of security blankets, like a little silken hug, in the middle of the night. And my brain is becoming hard wired to doze of rapidly when I settle down to sleep and put it on, which is a plus I hadn’t thought off.

Along with that it really comes into its own if I need a power nap in the afternoon. Pop it on, the room goes dark, and I feel like a starlight from a 1950’s film but without the silk pyjamas and doze beautifully for an hour or so waking up wonderfully refreshed.

I shall definitely be renewing this when it becomes a little tired and it will become a permanent fixture of my night time apparel, much as cosy slippers and warm dressing gowns are. Try one, it might just change your life.