Eye Treatment Before Bedtime

If you suffer from dry eyes at night and especially when you wake up in the morning, it may be due a number of things. The air and moisture in your room, your sleeping environment, and certain medical conditions can all make an impact on the quality and moisture of your eyes. Since you don’t produce tear drops in the same way while you sleep, it is important to take really good care of your eyes at night in order to avoid excessive dryness. Here are some tips for proper eye treatment before bedtime.

Use a Humidifier

If you are experiencing a lot of dryness of your eyes at night, it might be due to the humidity level in your bedroom being too low. Try installing a humidifier in your bedroom to help with the different symptoms of dry and itchy eyes at night. A humidifier will not only keep the humidity level at a reasonable volume, but it provides a cool mist in the room, providing just the right amount of cool moisture for your eyes.

Apply Heat Packs

Heat packs are not just for sore and tired muscles, they can also be used to help with lubrication of the eys. Get small and soft-sided heat packs and apply them to your eyes just before bed. The heat in these packs will stimulate the glands in your eyes, allowing proper lubrication after releasing natural oils. This is going to help improve moisture of your eyes and reduce dryness.

Eye Drops

You have two main options for eye drops: doctor prescribed and over-the-counter. OTC eye drops work very well to lubricate your eyes and can be used at night before bed to introduce moisture. You can also use them in the middle of the night if you wake with dry, itchy eyes, but usually once just before bedtime is enough. If they are not sufficient or the ones sold at your local drug store cause too much irritation, you can ask your doctor to prescribe a different brand of them.

Protect Your Eyes

Protecting your eyes from the air and other environments can also provide better moisture and reduce dryness when you sleep. Much of the instances of dry eyes at night occur because of the air in the room, and lack of blinking to produce lubrication. If this is the case, try wearing a sleep mask at night. This will protect your eye from the air in the room, and hold in some of the moisture your eyes naturally produce.

Turn Off All Air Sources

Anything that is affecting the air quality in your bedroom, aside from the humidifier, is going to cause dryness of the eyes. This includes ceiling fans and standing fans, air conditioners, and heaters. These all affect your environment and while they might keep you physically more comfortable, they can be harsh on your eyes.

Not everyone needs to worry about excessive dryness of the eyes, but if you are waking with itchy or burning eyes, it is time tos tart thinking about proper nighttime eye care.