Anything that keeps you up when you’re trying to sleep is annoying, but dry eyes can be a real pain. Not only does dry eye make it harder to fall asleep, but it can also make other activities difficult, too. Where you might usually try reading a few pages of a book to send you off to sleep, dry eyes can be so irritating that it’s hard to concentrate. So what can you do about them?
How to prevent dry eyes while sleeping
For some, dry eye is the result of our environmental conditions. It’s normal to experience dry, itchy eyes after being outside on a windy day, for example, or being in a dusty room. If this is the case for you, the obvious solution is to try and avoid the stimulus. Wear glasses or sunglasses when it’s going to be windy outside, and clear out the dust regularly to keep it from affecting your eyes. This may help to reduce your dry eye symptoms.
You might also get dry eyes after spending a long time using screens without having a break. This applies to computers, mobile phones, TVs and any kind of backlit electronic screen. If you can, reducing the time you spend using screens can help to lessen your symptoms. But if you need to use screens for your job, for example, limiting your use might not be possible.
In this case, it’s important to take regular breaks away from screens to give your eyes the chance to relax. Household chores like washing up, doing the laundry and even things like your commute to and from work can all be productive ways to spend time away from screens to help your eyes recover.
It might also help to incorporate relaxing your eyes before sleep into your usual evening self care routine. This might include having a bath, reading, or using cucumber slices to restore moisture to your eyes before bedtime. Taking the time to look after your skin and oral health is an excellent habit, but it’s just as important to get into the routine of looking after your eyes.[1]
Can sleep help dry eyes?
If dry eyes are preventing you from getting a full night of good quality sleep, you might be wondering if this is having an effect on your eye health. The fact is that your eyes use the night-time to refresh and rejuvenate themselves while you sleep. Therefore, if you’re not getting the sleep you need, your eyes aren’t getting as much time to look after themselves, which can result in eye conditions such as dry eye.[2]
How to sleep with dry eyes
So what’s the solution when dry eyes are preventing you from sleeping well, which is exacerbating your dry eyes? Well, the first thing to do is to calm down as much as possible. It can be frustrating to not get enough sleep, but getting all hot and bothered can make it even harder to get some good quality rest.
Next, set up your bedroom for your optimal sleeping conditions. Ideally, your room should be quiet, dark and well ventilated to give yourself the best chance of getting off to sleep, so make sure you’ve got the basics sorted to give yourself the best chance of getting off to sleep. You could also try some things you don’t usually do, such as spraying a lavender scent around to promote a sense of calm and tranquillity.[3]
Then, once everything’s set up and ready for you, use an overnight dry eye solution such as TheraTears® Overnight Eye Drops. These use hyaluronic acid to soothe and rejuvenate your eyes while you sleep, restoring moisture to the tear film to banish dry eye symptoms. They’ll help to fend off that dry, itchy feeling in your eyes at least long enough for you to fall asleep and get a good night’s sleep, leaving you feeling fresh and rested come the morning.[1]
Resources:
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dry-eyes/
[2] https://sleepeducation.org/lack-sleep-affects-eyesight/
[3] https://sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/
