Five Forks Vision

THE ROLE OF SLEEP IN MAINTAINING EYE HEALTH 😴

Do you ever notice that your eyes feel uneasy before you go to sleep when you have not been getting enough sleep? Ocular discomfort is a short-term result of inadequate or delayed sleep, and symptoms include dryness, soreness, hyperemia, and pruritus of the eye. Although these are typical biological reactions to sleep deprivation, they can negatively affect your vision.

Since our bodies recover and regenerate at night, we require adequate sleep for optimal health. It is crucial that getting enough sleep is a part of your routine because sleeping rejuvenates our eyes exceptionally well.

How Does Sleep Benefit The Eyes?

Regularly getting a decent night's sleep is crucial, but the CDC estimates that greater than one-third of individuals do not get enough sleep. According to doctors, adults should sleep at least seven hours every night.

A study on how inadequate sleep might impact the eyes was just published in Stem Cell Reports by scientists from China and the U.S. They discovered that sleep deprivation could affect the cornea's stem cells and its tear film surface.

Sleep is the only time the fluids that keep your body regulated circulate without interruption. These fluids also circulate in the eye structures. They help lubricate the eyes and rejuvenate the different parts of the eyes.

What Happens When You Do Not Get Enough Sleep?

Dark Circles
Lack of sleep causes swollen skin under the eyes, along with dark circles around the eyes. You do not need to worry too much about your general health, but you end up exhausted all day.

Eye Twitches
Eye twitches or spasms in the eyes occur due to muscle contractions. Your eyelids twitch because of the muscles' contractions. Spasms are brought on by lack of sleep. Although it does not cause any long-term eye conditions or vision loss, it is an unpleasant sensation that is easily avoidable.

Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eyes might be brought on by lack of sleep. Your eyes may also appear puffy, bloodshot, and red. Dry eyes result from your eye ducts not producing adequate tears to maintain moisture in your eyes.

You may have eye pain and redness. It can cause itchiness, light sensitivity, and blurred vision. Consequently, getting a good night's sleep can stop dry eyes. You can also apply eye drops to lubricate your eyes for immediate effects.

Glaucoma
Getting less sleep might exacerbate serious eye conditions like glaucoma. Because of the lack of sleep, the eyes do not get enough rest, leading to pressure within the eyes. This pressure can cause glaucoma, which in turn can cause total blindness. Your eyes can relax, recover, and refuel the following day by getting seven hours of sleep at night.

Ocular Ischemic Neuropathy
When there is insufficient blood flow to your eyes, it results in ischemic optic neuropathy. Your eyes receive a rejuvenating increase in blood flow while you sleep. So, getting less sleep results in less blood reaching your eyes. In turn, this harms optic nerves, leaving you with painful eyes and hazy vision.

For more on the role of sleep in maintaining eye health, visit Five Forks Vision at our office in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Call (864) 520-2480 to book an appointment today.

Did you know that heart health and eye health go hand in hand?

In February, operate from the heart and make sure you are keeping up with your routine medical exams. Eye exams can help detect early signs of diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension which can be contributing factors to heart disease.

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The recycling initiative accepts used lenses from any brand. It also accepts empty blister packs and foils, which most curbside recycling programs are not equipped to process."

Recycle Your Contact Lenses, Don't Flush Them Contact lenses, when flushed or washed down the drain, create microplastic pollution. Learn how you can easily recycle them through a free program.