So many wonderful things happen while we are sleeping. In fact, sleep plays a crucial role in our development, both physically and mentally. As well as helping us to feel fit and ready for the day ahead, sleep repairs our body, balances hormone levels and supports our cognitive functions. But what effect does sleep have on our eye health? In this post, we will discuss the relation between sleep and vision, how sleep disorders impact our sight and ways we can improve our sleep, and in turn, our eye health.
It’s also worth noting that factors like bad posture and chronic stress can similarly impact our visual health, contributing to issues such as eye strain and blurred vision.
If you want more detailed information, an optometrist specialist can shed light on how your sleep patterns directly influence your eye health.
What Happens to Our Eyes When Sleep is Poor
As discussed, sleep is an essential component of our health and wellbeing, including the health of our eyes. Here are just a few points as to how the quality of our sleep impacts eye health:
- Dry eyes
Without proper sleep, our eyes become dry and itchy. Closing the eyes whilst we sleep allows moisture to remain locked in and adequately balanced.
- Blurred vision
Lacking in sleep means that our eyes also lack the proper rest they need to recover. Eye tiredness, paired with the additional strain used to focus, can cause our vision to become blurred.
- Eye twitching
Sleep deprivation can also cause the eyes to twitch or spasm, which can become irritating and comfortable.
- Risk of glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition that affects nerves in the eye that can eventually lead to vision loss. Persisting low levels of sleep can increase the risk of developing this disorder.
Sleep Disorders That Can Impact Vision
Poor sleep can lead to an array of eye concerns, here’s how sleep disorders impact our vision:
- Sleep apnea
Interruptions in breathing lower our oxygen supply and therefore increase the risk of glaucoma or other diseases.
- Restless leg syndrome
Individuals suffering from uncontrollable movements of the legs inevitably have less sleep, and persisting fatigue causes issues with our eyes.
- Insomnia
Difficulty falling or staying asleep will again impact our eye health and recovery, leaving us feeling dry-eyed, strained and blurry.
Top Tips to Improve Your Sleep Quality
Luckily, there are many things we can do to improve our sleep patterns and consequently, support our eye health. Here are some of our top tips:
- Control your environment
Creating a relaxing space that is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature is key to a good night’s sleep.
- Create a sleep schedule
Improve your bodies internal clock by hitting the hay at a similar time each night. It may also be beneficial to also establish a bedtime routine such as having a bath, meditating or reading to improve your slumber.
- Limit screen time
Reducing the time spent on screens, especially closer to bedtime, will support your sleep cycle. If you’re looking to protect your eyes from screen strain, you can buy blue light glasses to reduce the impact of prolonged exposure.
- Stay hydrated
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dry eyes at night.
Take Control of Your Sleep to Maintain Proper Eye Health
It’s clear that without sleep, our vision, and of course, our overall health, will be severely impacted. Poor sleep quality can lead to a number of concerns such as blurred vision, difficulty focusing, dryness and in some cases, more severe conditions such as glaucoma.
While prescription contact lenses offer clear vision throughout the day, getting enough sleep is just as vital for maintaining optimal eye comfort and health. Also adding exercises to train your vision into your daily routine can support overall eye health, especially when combined with good sleep practices.
Maintaining a proper sleep schedule is therefore essential and should be treated as such, and improving our sleep should be an important step of our daily routine.