SA Study Shows 40% of Dry Eye Patiens Have Sleep Issues

Consciously or not, most of us are aware of the immediate effects of a sleepless night. However, few link long-term eye health with sleep quality. 

A new Saudi Arabian study leaves little space for doubt — dry eye disease (DED), one of the most frequent eye-related complaints in the world, is associated with poor sleep.

The study included 234 adult DED patients, 71.4% of whom had a severe case of DED. Respondents with severe DED generally reported a lower sleep quality than those with milder DED. 

The sleep quality parameter most affected by dry eye disease was sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep). Expectedly, many other aspects of sleep quality were also affected.

This is unsurprising given that dry eye disease, also known as dry eye syndrome, includes symptoms such as itchiness, irritation, burning sensation, etc., — undisputably, all sleep-killers. 

However, the relationship between eye-dryness and sleep deprivation isn‘t unidirectional. Another study indicates that poor sleep isn‘t only the result of DED but, in a way, the cause of it. Namely, disturbed sleep can aggravate DED symptoms, causing severe eye discomfort. 

Finally, DED isn‘t the only condition ophthalmologists relate to sleeping issues. For example, “eye stroke”(NAION), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), papilledema, floppy eye syndrome, and glaucoma are also linked to sleep health. 

So, to prevent yourself from the inability to get a good night‘s sleep on your trusty high-quality mattress, better pay a visit to your ophthalmologist.