Leave The Sandman Out Of It! A Closer Look At Gritty Eye Problems
Even if you have been begging for the Sandman to bring you a dream, waking up with the feeling of gritty sand in your eyes will not be a welcome experience. Gritty feeling eyes can make your eyes burn and itch, leave your vision lacking in clarity, and really make you feel like crawling back into the bed. Before you start complaining about the Sandman, make sure that the gritty feelings you are experiencing in your eyes is not due to an optometric problem that you should know about. Here are a few of the most common culprits that can cause you to feel like you have sand in your eyes when you wake.
Sleeping with Your Eyes Open
You may not know that you do it, but sandy feeling eyes is one of the top indications that you are indeed sleeping with your eyes open. What most people do not know is that this is actually common and even has a medical name, which is nocturnal lagophthalmos.
Even though this condition is actually more common in children and is not typically serious, as an adult, sleeping with your eyes open for long periods can have you waking to negative consequences. The debris and allergens that make their way into your eyes while you are not blinking can actually cause a lot of irritation. You should talk to your eye doctor about simple eyelid masks that can be worn when you go to bed to help keep your eyes closed if you discover this is your problem.
Lack of Natural Tears
Your eyes release tears to keep the smooth surface lens hydrated and debris pushed out to the corners where it can be easily eliminated. However, if you have issues with tear deficiency, the debris that floats into your eyes through the day will have a difficult time getting anywhere and you will most definitely wake feeling like you have sand in the way of your vision.
If you constantly have issues with sandy eyes and you are sure you are keeping your eyes closed while you sleep, you could have a lack of natural tears. In most cases, this is not a serious issue and can be related to dehydration. Either way, you should talk to an optometrist like Webster Eye Care to find out about what over-the-counter products could help.
The Sandman may be bringing you dreams on a regular basis, but there is no reason why you should wake up feeling like he dumped a load of sand in your eyes. Talk to your eye doctor about any symptoms you are having so you can wake with eyes that feel refreshed and clean instead of gritty and irritated.
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