Why does bad sleep cause eyestrain?

May 9, 2006 10:18 PM

When I don't sleep well, my eyes are sore all day. Why?

What is it about not getting a good night's sleep that causes eye soreness? It's not a scratchy feeling either, it feels a lot like eyestrain. Can anything be done about it (besides sleeping better the following night)?

posted by blahtsk to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

You probably have a seasonal allergy. The same thing happenes to me and I always spend a week or two swearing that it's lack of sleep and too much time in front of the computer. But that's how I live the rest of the year, but with no ill effects. Then, right about the beginning of Summer it goes away until next year.
posted by lekvar at 10:30 PM on May 9, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks, but this happens any time I don't sleep enough, regardless of the season.
posted by blahtsk at 10:40 PM on May 9, 2006

Could it be that sometimes you don't sleep with your eyes quite all the way closed? Not only does this let in light and disturb the quality of your sleep, it dries your eyes out. This happens to me, and I found out mainly by sleeping with someone else for a long enough time for them to notice and tell me.
posted by hermitosis at 5:59 AM on May 10, 2006

I get the exact same thing. I guess it's simply that the eyes didn't get enough time to rest so they get dry more easily, and the whole body suffers more dehydration in general if it doesn't get enough sleep. I don't exactly know the science of it, by the way, I'm just saying out of experience, I know I have to drink more water if I haven't been sleeping properly.
posted by funambulist at 6:49 AM on May 10, 2006

Second the dehydration thing. I always have a bottle of eyedrops handy.
posted by pantsrobot at 9:11 AM on May 10, 2006