5 ways lack of sleep can cause vision problems

Can lack of sleep cause vision problems? The answer is, "Yes!"

If "springing forward" has left you feeling like you want to "fall back" asleep and hit the snooze button on your iPhone a few more times, you're not alone. When you don't get enough sleep, you not only feel the effects, you can see them when you look in the mirror and find tired, irritated eyes staring back.

Sleep plays an important role in your mental and physical well-being, and a lack of sleep can have serious consequences for your eyes, including:

1. Dry eyes: The American Academy of Ophthalmology flags dry eyes as a common symptom of not getting enough sleep. Keeping our eyes closed during sleep gives them hours of uninterrupted time to moisturize; deny them that R&R and they’ll let you know they’re angry in the morning.
2. Blurry vision: One of the more irritating symptoms that can accompany sleeplessness is blurry vision. When your eyes work overtime you may not blink enough. That can cause blurry vision, says an article on Better Health Channel, an Australian government website. Drowsiness isn’t the only reason for blurry vision, so if you experience this frequently you should see an eye doctor.
3. Sensitivity to light: Is there any more obvious sign that you need to catch some Zs than when your eyes develop an aversion to light? You may find yourself squinting in normal daylight while everyone else is enjoying the scenery. WebMD.com lists this as a symptom of eye fatigue. Take the hint—don’t put your eyes through this on a regular basis.
4. Eye Spasms: According to the AOA, a lack of sleep can cause you to develop eye spasms. Our eye movements are controlled by some of the most active muscles in the body and demanding too much of them can have consequences.
5. Bags under the eyes: While dark undereye circles appear below the eyes, they’re so closely associated with lack of sleep that they’re worth mentioning here. Bags under the eyes can show up when we retain too much fluid in the area, and there seems to be a correlation between this and sleepless nights. The AOA recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night to try and stave off dark circles.

Sleep Awareness Week? is a great time to make changes in your sleep routines to help improve your overall health. If you have concerns about your vision, be sure to see your eye doctor—but maybe try to avoid an early morning appointment.

Originally published on the blog for Eyeconic at https://blog.eyeconic.com/eye-health/5-ways-lack-of-sleep-cause-vision-problems.html