Sleep is an important part of our daily replenishing cycle. It allows us to recharge our batteries and take on the new day. Unfortunately for some, sleep is a luxury, and harder to come by. What ever the circumstances may be, lack of sleep not only affects your health, but has an impact on eye care as well.

It is recommended that our eyes get at least 5 hours of sleep each night in order to replenish themselves and operate to their full potential. One of the main side effects that sleep deprivation can have on your eyes are eye spasms, also known as myokymia. Although eye spasms are not painful and do not affect your vision, they can be very irritating and have an adverse affect to your productivity. Eye spasms can also be the result of eye inflammation and stress, but these symptoms are also related to lack of sleep. A good remedy for myokymia would be to simply get some shut eye.

Dry eyes is another main side effect from not getting enough sleep. When tears aren’t able to lubricate your eyes, they get dry. This can cause minor pain and discomfort, along with itchiness, redness and sometimes blurred vision. Eye drops can be a temporary relief to dry eyes, but again a preferred method of treatment would be to get some sleep.

Your eyes are kept very busy all day long, so sleep is the only way to give them some rest. If you have trouble sleeping there are a few things you can do to help get some shut eye. At night before bed, try drinking some warm milk, or tea to help you relax. You can also try reading a book until you get drowsy. Exercising before bed and too much caffeine during the day can make it harder to fall asleep at night, so try working out in the morning or directly after work so it doesn’t keep you up later than you’d like.

If you have any questions about sleep depravation and the effect it is having on your eyes, please call us at 877-871-1684 to schedule an appointment to see an eye care specialist.

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