How lack of sleep irritates the eye

Disha Bangera, a 25-year-old IT employee from New Delhi has been a victim of sleep deprivation due to stressful work and repeated night shifts. “I faced a constant problem of dry eyes and eye fatigue which affected my daily activities for a few days, and I approached a doctor. I came to know that the root cause was lack of sleep,” she said.

Fatigue in our eye muscles

“Our eyes are an extension of our brain, not sleeping enough can strain our brain as well as our eyes. The eye structure is like a lens, controlled by ciliary muscle. When we observe objects closer to us, the muscles contract and to observe objects far away from us, the muscles relax. But the only time the eye muscle (ciliary muscles) is at rest, is when an individual is sleeping,” explained Dr Ashwin Santosh Shetty, consultant ophthalmologist, Aster CMI hospital, Bengaluru.

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He added, “This is because the eyes do not receive any stimulus while we are asleep. Running throughout the day can fatigue our body muscles. Similarly, functioning without sleep can fatigue our eye muscles.”

Not many people are aware how lack of sleep affects the eyes. “Besides having long-term effects on vision, lack of sleep causes puffy and tired looking eyes, burning sensation, redness and twitching of eyes,” says Dr Winston Padu, a retina specialist based in Bengaluru.

According to a study published in Sleep Medicine journal in 2015, dry eye syndrome (DES) increased with shorter sleep durations or lack of sleep (less than 4 hours a day). DES occurs when the tears cannot lubricate the eyes or keep the eyes moist.

Lack of sleep and dark circles

According to Dr. Shetty, there are several blood vessels under our eyes. Sleep deprivation can increase blood flow in these vessels causing the region under the eyes to appear dark blue in colour. But, this is not the only reason for the appearance of dark circles. “The fluid accumulated in this region due to lack of sleep can also cause the undereye region to appear puffy or swollen,” he explained. Simple measures like using  20-20-20 rule during screen time or meditating can help us maintain eye health.

Ayurvedic tips for your eyes

According to Dr Kavya Kadapi, Ayurvedic expert and consultant physician at Yukti Ayurveda, Bengaluru, insomnia can have an impact on our eyes.

“According to Ayurveda, the eye is made up of ‘medha-dhatu’ meaning bone marrow and fat. Ayurveda also established an interrelation between the gut and the eyes, which means the food consumed can impact eye health. Usually, people with chronic gastritis are observed to have problems with vision. Hence, eating right is important. Following tips can help you maintain good eye health,” she said.

• Washing your eyes with triphala water benefits the eyes (ayurvedic water with three herbs). 
• Consumption of triphala also benefits in maintaining eye health.
• Massaging cows’ ghee over the closed eyelids in circular motion for a few minutes will help relieve eye strain.

Foods for good eyesight

• Consumption of ghee in the morning is highly beneficial for better eye health, as it is a good nutrient for the gut as well as the eyes.
• Intake of fruits at the right time is important. Avoid having fruits at night as this disturbs gut health. Instead, consume fruits during the day.
• Consume less of sour things (acidic in nature e.g.- vinegar, pickle)
• Consume food rich in Vitamin K, such as carrot and raisins. This helps in liver detox and further increases absorption of Vitamin A and results in better vision.

Takeaways

Your eyes get strained, become puffy, have dark circles and develop itchy eyes because you are sleep deprived. Experts suggest cutting down on screen-time, using blue-light filtering glasses along with prescription glasses to help reduce itchiness in eyes. There are also ayurvedic ways to deal with eye health.