How Sleep Affects Your Eye Health and Vision

Are you getting enough good quality sleep? One indication of poor sleep is the dark circles or “raccoon eyes”, but there are other ways that your eye can be affected. Our eye care specialists in Colorado at ICON Eyecare want you to have the best vision you can, and getting healthy sleep is important..

Lack of Sleep and Dry Eyes

One of several causes of dry eyes is simply the lack of enough sleep. If you know you’ve been cutting corners in the sleep department and you’re concerned about dry eyes, try changing your routine to get a bit more quality sleep. Our expert eye care specialists in Colorado have a range of solutions to this common problem.

Eye Spasms and Red Eyes

Twitchy eyes, or myokymia, can be a result of burning the midnight oil a bit too much. There are also the familiar “red eyes” where blood vessels in the eyes can dilate from lack of sleep. Both of these conditions are short-term annoyances but long-term warnings that your sleep isn’t meeting your body’s — and eyes’ — needs.

Sleep Apnea’s Serious Eye Consequences

The serious disruption of overall sleep quality that results from sleep apnea creates serious risks for your body, including your eyes. It can result in conditions like anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, where the eye’s blood vessels become inflamed and, over time, can damage the optic nerves. The risk of developing glaucoma is increased by sleep apnea. If untreated, glaucoma can lead to vision loss.

Dozing Off in Contact Lenses

If you are a contact lens wearer and prone to falling asleep for the night with the lenses still in, we have a solution. Many people choose to graduate from contact lenses and enjoy a more flexible lifestyle. As one of the top providers of LASIK eye surgery in Colorado, ICON Eyecare’s surgeons can help you explore this popular option.

Sleep Deprivation and Visual Hallucinations

If you’ve ever taken the risk of driving onward when you really should stop for the night, you may have experienced visual hallucinations that convinced you it was time to pull over. If you’re working long hours or otherwise in a long-term lifestyle of reduced sleep, hallucinations are likely to appear to remind you that “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” go without sleep.

Your eye health is our top priority. Our eye doctors know that keeping your eyes healthy is a team effort, with you at the center. We provide care for your eyes from glasses and contacts to the most advanced cataract and LASIK surgery in Colorado. When we identify a heath concern affecting your eyes, we can help you find appropriate medical treatment to keep your eyes and vision healthy.