Why do I have dry eyes when I wake up in the morning?

I believe most people have had this experience: when you wake up every morning, you find your eyes are bloodshot or feel dry and unbearable, with a foreign body sensation, and in severe cases, you will cry. Many people attribute these situations to "not sleeping well", but these symptoms may also mean that you have dry eyes.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are simply eye discomfort caused by abnormal tear volume or flow. Bad eye habits, air pollution, dry climate and other environmental factors, chronic conjunctivitis and other eye diseases can all cause dry eyes.

Why do symptoms of dry eyes become more obvious when I wake up?

Long stay air-conditioned room

In the hot summer, many people turn on the air conditioner when sleeping at night. In addition to adjusting the temperature, the air conditioner also reduces the humidity of the air. Staying in an air-conditioned room all night will cause your tears to evaporate faster, making your eyes more likely to become dry.

Blinking less after falling asleep

When we are awake, in order to keep our eyes moist, we blink to form a layer of liquid film on the surface of the eyeball - the tear film, so that the surface of our eyes can remain moist. When we fall asleep, the frequency of blinking is often reduced or uneven compared to when we are awake, so the lubricating effect is not good, so you may have dry eyes in the morning.

Playing mobile phone before bed

Normally, people blink about 20 times per minute. However, when using mobile phones and other electronic products, the number of blinks per minute decreases due to excessive concentration, resulting in reduced tear secretion and changes in tear composition. Once the stability of the tear film and the integrity of the corneal epithelium are damaged, dry eyes will occur.

How to improve this situation

1. Blink more, drink more water, and keep the indoor air humid;

2. Pay attention to eye hygiene. If your eyes feel uncomfortable after using them for too long, do not rub them or wipe them with tissues;

3. Reduce the use of electronic products, take regular breaks, and participate in more outdoor activities;

4. If the symptoms do not improve after improving your eye habits, it is best to see an ophthalmologist and follow the doctor's instructions to use artificial tears appropriately.