Getting enough sleep can sometimes feel like a luxury, but the implications of sacrificing sleep extend beyond feeling tired the next day. It impacts various aspects of our health, including our eyesight. In today’s post, your local eye care specialist at Vienna Eyecare Center takes a look at how inadequate sleep can impact eye health.
Sleep Deprivation and Eye Health
Sleep is the period when the body, including the eyes, undergoes repair and rejuvenation. When we don’t get enough sleep, we deprive our eyes of the necessary rest they need to function optimally. Research has shown that insufficient sleep can lead to dryness and irritation in the eyes, as they do not receive the required period of lubrication they get during a full night’s sleep.
Furthermore, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to lasting eye conditions such as glaucoma, where pressure builds up in the eye and damages the optic nerve. This is why you have to pay attention to your sleep patterns, and seek help from a professional if you are not getting enough sleep for several nights in a row.
Eye Conditions from Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Continued lack of sleep can contribute to eye-related health issues, including:
- Glaucoma. The association between glaucoma, a disease that damages the optic nerve, and sleep deprivation underscores the importance of healthy sleep habits. There is no known cure for glaucoma, but there are preventative measures that can stop the damage. Among these include making sure you’re getting enough sleep, as well as regular visits to an eye doctor.
- Dry Eye Syndrome. Our eyes need adequate moisture to maintain vision and comfort, and this moisture is replenished during sleep. Inadequate sleep can lead to dry eye syndrome, a condition that’s characterized by itchy, gritty and sore eyes. Treatment typically requires use of specialized eye drops.
Preventative Measures
We touched upon how preventative measures can go a long way in preventing eye diseases. In addition to more focused treatment provided by an eye doctor, making a few lifestyle changes can also be helpful in maintaining eye health. Among these are changes that can help you get healthy amounts of sleep: programming your thermostat a few degrees lower during bedtime, reducing screen time a few hours before bed, and keeping to a regular sleep schedule can dramatically improve the quality of your sleep and, by extension, your eye health. If you are having trouble sleeping, it’s best to consult your physician to determine the right treatment.
Your local optometrist at Vienna Eyecare Center is ready to help you with your eye care needs. Give us a call at (703) 938-7633, or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment. We serve Fairfax, VA, and the surrounding communities.
