Sleeping With Eyes Open?

If you suffer from dry eyes at night you are not alone. One of the human quirks that causes read, painful dry eyes at night is sleeping with one (or both) eyes open at night. This condition is referred to as  nocturnal lagophthalmos. Nocturnal lagophthalmos can be caused by a number of different conditions. The facial nerve helps us generate facial expressions and stimulates the eyelids to close via the  orbicularis oculi  muscle that surrounds the eyes.

Dry Eyes at Night Causes

Dry eyes at night can be caused by a number of different conditions. Damage to the facial nerve or to the brain center that controls it can lead to dry eyes at night. An overactive thyroid and thyroid disease can also result in dry eyes at night. Floppy Eyelid Syndrome is another common cause of dry eyes at night. People who have sleep apnea can also have a loose floppy eyelid. At night it becomes subject to inverting when they roll over and that leaves the eye exposed to dry out, sometimes severely.

CPAP Side Effects

Patient with sleep apnea have two chances to develop dry eyes at night. The first, as explained above, is known as Floppy Eyelid Syndrome. The second is a direct result of using a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP)  to maintain an open airway at night. Using a CPAP device at night for sleep apnea (which you should be tested for if you snore) can expose you to currents of air that leak from the mask. This is perhaps the easiest form of dry eyes at night to treat as an evaluation and change to a better fitting mask is all that is needed.

The Northern Colorado Climate Contributes to Dry Eyes at Night

There is no question about dry eyes at night being more common in Northern Colorado and Fort Collins. Our low humidity makes mild problems become moderate problems and moves moderate problems into the severe range. Eyes, like everything else, dry out faster in our low humidity climate. That makes seeking treatment early more important. Delaying treatment for dry eyes can lead to irreversible changes in tissue function. Don’t delay, if you suffer from dry eyes at night give us a call at: (970)-226-0959.