May 29

What Do Your Eyes Do While You’re Sleeping?

While you are awake, you are taking in so much information, visual elements and pictures through your eyes! They are very busy throughout your waking hours, but they are also very busy while you are sleeping. Your eyes take care of business to help you see your best the next day and wake up feeling refreshed.

Staying Hydrated: Your eyes need to maintain the correct level of hydration during your sleeping hours. While you are awake, you may experience itching, dry eye symptoms, contact irritation or allergy symptoms. While you are sleeping, your eyes get a sort of moisture “reboot” to help them feel better the next day and possibly remain more moisturized while you are awake. Your tears will also collect any microscopic particles and turn them into the stuff that you wake up with in the morning to be gently removed.

Still on The Move: Just because you are at rest does not mean your eyes are! Rapid Eye Movement Sleep means your eyes are still moving about in different directions, but do not take in any visual information as your eyes are closed. This is when you are typically dreaming and processing information that can help you with consolidating memories.

Catching Light Rays: Even with your eyes closed, your peepers can sense a change of light and that can wake you up from your slumber. That is why you should make sure that your curtains and blinds are fully closed and your phone is not near your bed to kick on a light with an alert. As a reminder, blue light from your devices can affect melatonin. This is an important hormone to help you have regular sleep cycles. If you are experiencing sleep problems, decrease the amount of time you are on your smart devices and exposure to blue light. Sleep deprivation can cause dry, red and irritated eyes throughout the next day. If scrolling on your phone is a hard habit to break, try reading a book or magazine or taking time to meditate or do deep-breathing exercises before you turn off the lights and turn in for the night.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Our team at Trumansburg Optical can help you keep your eyes healthy all of your life. We offer comprehensive eye exams that will take a deep look into the health of your eyes. If needed, we will dilate your pupils to see even better. We will listen to any of your concerns and determine the best prescription to help you see as clearly as possible. We can help you with the best contact lenses as they come in daily, bi-weekly or monthly varieties. We have lens edging services available in our offices, so you can reuse your old frames. If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us through our online contact form.