How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Your Eyesight?

If you have been dealing with a lack of sleep lately, chances are you’ve looked in the mirror and seen a pair of irritated, tired, and red-looking eyes staring back at you. Lots of things can lead to a lack of sleep, such as cramming for a test or working hard to meet a tight work deadline. A lack of sleep not only makes us feel groggy and irritable, but it can also lead to discomfort and vision problems in our eyes. Here are some of the consequences that a lack of sleep can have on your eyes:

1 Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are a very common symptom of not getting enough sleep. Keeping our eyes closed when we sleep gives them hours of uninterrupted time to moisturize. If you notice that your eyes are dry and sore in the morning, visit your eye doctor for dry eye treatment in Calgary. Some forms of dry eye treatment near you include eye drops to moisturize your eyes during the day.

2 Blurry Vision

One of the more annoying symptoms that accompanies a lack of sleep is blurry vision. When your eyes are working overtime, it causes you not to blink as much as you should be. This can lead to blurred vision. It is important to note that sleepiness isn’t the only cause of blurry vision, so if you experience blurred vision, visit our team at Seema Eye Care Centre for an examination.

3 Sensitivity to Light

There is pretty much no more obvious sign that you need to get sleep than when you find yourself squinting in the light. You may notice that you are squinting more in normal daylight than others. Light sensitivity is a very common symptom of eye fatigue, so it may be your cue to take a nap if you notice this.

4 Eye Spasms

Sometimes, if you haven’t been sleeping much, you may experience eye spasms. Our eye movements are controlled by some of the hardest-working muscles in the body, but demanding that they work overtime can lead to some undesirable consequences such as eye spasms.

5 Under-Eye Bags

The classic sign of lack of sleep: dark circles and bags under your eyes. It is not necessarily abnormal to have a bit of a darker hue under your eyes, but it can be associated with a lack of sleep. Bags under your eyes appear when there is too much fluid retention in that area, and researchers have found that there is a correlation between this and lack of sleep. To stave off dark circles and bags, it is important to attempt to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

The Bottom Line

Our eyes can handle the occasional all-nighter, but once falling short on sleep becomes a habit, lack of sleep can have long-term consequences for your eyes. At Seema Eye Care Center, we want to ensure that you retain excellent eye health throughout your life. If you have any concerns about your eyes, visit our team of eye surgeons in Calgary. An experienced eye surgeon near you can examine your eyes and give you the treatment you need. Please do not hesitate to contact us and book an appointment today!