You should wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, but when your eyes feel gritty, scratchy, or just plain dry, it can disrupt your whole day. At Milton Vision & Sports Vision Training Centre, we know waking up with dry eyes is a common complaint, but it’s not something you have to live with.
Waking up with dry eyes often happens because your eyelids don’t close fully, the air in your room is dry, or your tears lack the right balance. These factors can disrupt your eyes’ natural moisture while you sleep and leave you with blurry vision during the day.
Common Causes of Morning Dry Eye
Your eyes do a lot of work while you rest, and several factors can interfere with their moisture. The dry, uncomfortable feeling you get in the morning often comes down to one of these simple reasons:
Your Eyelids Don’t Fully Close
It might sound odd, but sometimes eyelids don’t seal completely during sleep. This small gap allows air to dry out the surface of your eyes all night long. The worst part is you may not even be aware that this is happening, making it difficult to manage on your own.
Dry Air in Your Bedroom
A fan pointed at your face or an air conditioner running overnight can zap moisture from your eyes. In winter, when the air is drier and heaters are running at full blast, this can be even worse. Remember, your sleep environment significantly affects how your eyes feel when you wake up.
Poor Tear Quality
Your tears are more than just water. They’re a series of layers, including an outer oil layer to prevent them from drying up. If the tiny meibomian glands in your eyelids get blocked, you might not produce enough of this oil. This causes your tears to evaporate too quickly.
Key Signs of Morning Dry Eye
You might think “dry eye” just means your eyes feel dry, but other signs can point to the problem. While these symptoms often point to dry eye, it’s important to know they can sometimes overlap with other common eye conditions. Talk to your optometrist if any of these sound familiar to you:
- A scratchy or sandy feeling, like something is in your eye
- Redness or irritation
- Blurry vision that gets better after you blink a few times
- Sticky eyelids or stringy mucus in the corners of your eyes
Simple At-Home Relief & Remedies
You can try a few things at home to help your eyes feel more comfortable in the morning. A little change can go a long way.
Adjust Your Sleep Environment
Try using a humidifier in your bedroom at night to add moisture to the air. It also helps to point fans away from your bed and ensure heating vents aren’t blowing directly on your face.
Use Eye Drops or Gels Before Bed
Artificial tears are a popular solution for quick relief from dryness. For overnight use, you can use thicker gel drops or ointments applied just before going to sleep. These products last longer and can help protect your eyes overnight.
Try a Warm Compress
Gently place a warm, damp cloth over your closed eyelids for a few minutes before bed to soften blockages in your eyelid’s oil glands. This simple bedtime routine, when done safely at home, can help improve your tear quality.
When to See Your Eye Doctor
If home remedies aren’t enough, it’s time to schedule an appointment. Persistent dry eye can affect your comfort and your vision. A visit to your optometrist can help figure out the cause and find a suitable solution with a thorough eye exam.
During a comprehensive eye exam, your optometrist can inspect your tear production, eyelid health, and the eye’s surface to identify the root of the problems. Be ready to discuss your symptoms and your daily habits, like how much screen time you have each day. Include details about your sleep environment, such as fans, heating vents, dry air, and similar factors.
This information helps your optometrist create a personalized plan to help you see comfortably again.
Professional Dry Eye Solutions and Care
When over-the-counter options don’t provide lasting relief, we have other ways to help. Our dry eye treatments can address the underlying causes of dry eye, not just its symptoms, so you can enjoy more sustainable comfort.
Treatments can include specialized preservative-free eye drops from Thea Pharmaceuticals to help your body produce more of its own tears and reduce inflammation that contributes to dryness. Bruder masks and dry eye masks work much like warm compresses, but on a more professional level. Your optometrist can discuss what might be right for you.
For stubborn dry eye, our team can offer iLux, a gentle, in-office dry eye treatment. This procedure uses LED light to improve the function of the oil glands in your eyelids. This can lead to better quality tears and less evaporation.
Enjoy Your Mornings Again
For athletes, dry eye treatment is about performing at the level you know you can. It’s about letting nothing hold you back. Our team at Milton Vision & Sports Vision Training Centre provides practical sports vision training, and we know managing dryness in the morning is a key part of clear, comfortable vision on the field or court.You don’t have to start your day with uncomfortable eyes. Our optometrists are ready to help you explore personalized dry eye management options. If you’re ready for relief, contact us in Milton today!
