Patent ID: 8857428

Claim:
An apparatus that can make sleeping easier for a wearer by blocking out light and dilating one or more nasal passages of the wearer, wherein said apparatus comprises: a) a sleep mask comprising: i) a pair of ocular sections composed of an opaque material, wherein each ocular section has a portion that is adapted to cover a wearer's eye; ii) a nose section that is adapted to cover a front portion of the wearer's nose, wherein the nose section, which extends from a bridge of the mask, is elongate and angled projecting outward from the mask providing a contoured open-ended covering; iii) a perimeter element that provides dimensional stability and support to an edge of the mask, minimizing the mask from distorting when it is under tension; iv) a left side and a right side that are contiguous with the pair of ocular sections; v) an upper tensioning strap attached to an upper perimeter edge of the left side and the right side, where said upper strap is adapted to stretch around the wearer's head; vi) a lower tensioning strap attached to a lower perimeter edge of the left side and the right side, where said lower strap is adapted to stretch around the wearer's head; b) an integral nasal dilation device comprising: i) a nasal slideway element mounted about orthogonal on the front of said nose section, where said slideway element has an arched channel that lengthwise is orthogonal to a medial line of the wearer's nose, an upper sidewall, a lower sidewall, and a pair of inward folded cuffs that provide limited access to the channel of the slideway element; and ii) a band, which is a continuous loop, that is positioned and adapted to encircle the wearer's head between the upper and lower strap, where said band is threaded through the slideway element, such that the band can slide through the slideway therein equalizing any side-to-side force, wherein said band has at least a portion that is elastic, such that when it is stretched the band generates an opposing force, and a pressure is adapted to be exerted on the nose by using the band in a stretched state, therein improving breathing.