How does poor sleep affect your eyes?

Not surprisingly, poor sleep is one of the risk factors for developing a dry eye condition. Individuals with poor sleep quality are 50% more likely to suffer from dry eye than those with better sleep habits. When you don’t sleep enough, your eyes don’t have time to rest and regenerate, leading to a lack of tear production or poor-quality tears. 

But there are other ways sleep quality can affect your eyes and the tears that lubricate them. Studies have shown poor sleep results in saltier tears (tear hyperosmolarity), reduced time between blinking and breaking the tear film, and increased eye pain. Sleep deprivation may increase stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, reducing tear production and resulting in lower-quality tears 

How can dry eye disease affect sleep?

Dry eye disease symptoms can cause your sleep to deteriorate, especially if you experience severe dry eye disease. 

Dry eyes cause discomfort and irritation, making it difficult to fall asleep or causing you to wake up several times throughout the night. This discomfort can also lead to psychological distress, further complicating sleep patterns. Patients with dry eyes may also experience incomplete eyelid closure, called nocturnal lagophthalmos. This can lead to air and light exposure of the ocular surface during sleep, which can cause inflammation that contributes to nighttime dry eyes and disrupted sleep. 

What other eye symptoms are associated with poor sleep ?

• Distorted vision

• Eye pain

• blurring of vision

• Eye twitches

• Sensitivity to light

• Eye infection

• Glaucoma

• Dry eye conditions