Sleep Disorders and Eye Health: The Overlooked Link to Vision Problems
Article information
In modern healthcare, much focus is placed on checkups, nutrition, and exercise. However, sleep, a crucial aspect of overall health, is often overlooked. It plays a key role in physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Today, the quality of sleep and eye health are important indicators of a person’s overall health, and improving these factors can lead to better health outcomes and help achieve health goals [1].
Many physiological activities in the human body, including immune response, emotional regulation, and cognitive functions, require a lot of sleep. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, plays a critical role in promoting restful sleep [2]. Moreover, several sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea, worsen the ophthalmological problems. In this regard, sleep apnea is defined by periodic interrupted breathing during sleep and has recently been associated with a range of health problems, encompassing metabolic and cardiovascular conditions. There is mounting evidence to suggest that sleep deprivation results in several ocular issues arising from dry eyes, blurry vision, and eye strain [3]. Some studies have been recently published suggesting that patients who have sleep apnea will have a higher probability of encountering ophthalmologic conditions, including glaucoma [4].
This shows that recognizing and treating sleep disorders is just as important for overall health as it is for maintaining optimal eye health. Additionally, inadequate restorative sleep has been shown to contribute to puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. Moreover, insufficient sleep leads to myokymia, which is the involuntary contraction of the eyelids, often caused by stress, fatigue, and lack of sleep. Insufficient sleep leads to the overstimulation of the orbicularis oculi muscle (responsible for eyelid movement), triggering these spasms [5]. Fatigue disrupts the normal functioning of neuromuscular junctions, causing misfiring of nerve impulses and resulting in myokymia [5]. These effects may negatively affect an individual’s vision, especially in terms of essential functions that involve contrast sensitivity and reaction time. Therefore, quality resting sleep is required to maintain both an individual’s visual capacity and eye health.
Through coordination among optometrists, somnologists, and primary care physicians, there can be improvement in the treatment of patients through several different means. Public sleep education programs emphasize the importance of eye protection for better sleep and eye care, as more patients recognize its role in restorative sleep and overall health. These programs will educate about good sleep habits and how they enhance ocular health [6].
In conclusion, sleep has a big impact on eye health and modern healthcare issues. Teaching patients about the benefits of restful sleep, along with working together with healthcare professionals, can help protect eyesight and improve overall well-being. The medical community should recognize the importance of sleep for eye health and include sleep hygiene in efforts to preserve vision.
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The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the study.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization: Aswathi Puliyakkara. Data curation: Jayeeta Dandapat. Supervision: Aswathi Puliyakkara. Validation: Aswathi Puliyakkara. Writing—original draft: Jayeeta Dandapat. Writing—review & editing: Jayeeta Dandapat, Aswathi Puliyakkara.
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Acknowledgements
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