The American Academy of Sleep Medicine cannot stress enough the importance of getting enough quality sleep every night. Studies show that poor sleep is often linked to different health issues. Physical and mental problems may arise from a lack of sleep. Your eyes suffer as well. Knowing how sleep is related to your eye health can motivate you to care for your eyes more. Here are the details.

The Relationship Between Lack of Sleep and Eyesight

It is important to aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Even so, many have difficulty achieving this much quality nighttime rest. Over time, sleep disorders develop. Sleep apnea and insomnia make it problematic for your body to be functional during your waking hours. Your eyes tend to suffer if you do not get complete sleep. This makes your tasks even more challenging to finish. 

One to two nights of insufficient sleep can result in blurry vision and light sensitivity. Studies show that your eyes heal when you sleep at night. Failure to get enough sleep can lead to bloodshot, dry, or itchy eyes. You may experience eye spasms or twitches if you do not get enough sleep. Your eyes may produce less tear film after a night of poor sleep. This can make you vulnerable to different eye infections. 

A study reveals that people with poor sleep habits have a high risk of developing eye conditions, such as glaucoma. The scientists explained that eye pressure often goes up when you have unbalanced hormones or when you lie down. Glaucoma is a collection of eye conditions that cause optic nerve damage. It is often linked to sleep apnea, another disruptor of sound sleep. Without proper treatment, glaucoma can lead to partial or complete vision loss. Your eye doctor can help detect and treat early eye damage from glaucoma with regular eye checks.

Maintaining Eye Health

Struggling to sleep at night calls for a visit to your doctor. Insufficient sleep can lead to the development of health issues. Your eye doctor can recommend diet and lifestyle changes as well. The healthy habits you develop can help prolong your eyesight. Below are some ways to maintain good eyesight. 
 

• Practice healthy living. This means exercising and eating healthy foods. Increasing your physical activities can maintain your clear eyesight for as long as you need it. Choose colorful fruits and vegetables. Add low-fat dairy to your grocery list. Limiting your fat and sugar intake can also help
   

• Decrease your screen time before you go to bed. This means turning off your mobile devices at least two hours before sleeping. Practicing this can remove the blue light exposure of your eyes before bed. High blue light exposure signals your brain that it is still daytime. Removing blue light can trigger your sleepiness. You can then wake up the next morning feeling more relaxed and rested
   

Making sure that you get enough quality sleep each night is important in keeping your eyes healthy. At Wear Eyewear, we help our patients achieve good eye health with our safe and effective eye care products and treatments. We also share important eye health maintenance tips for our patients to follow outside the clinic. Feel free to drop by our facilities in Chicago and Orland Park, Illinois, for an in-person consultation. Please call 312-626-0036 (Chicago) or 708-349-9327 (Orland Park) to set an appointment or know more about our eye health care packages.