Nighttime Dry Eyes: Causes, Symptoms Home Remedies

Nighttime Dry Eyes: Why Are My Eyes So Dry At Night?

Do you find your evenings dominated by discomfort from dry, sore or red eyes? It’s more than a minor inconvenience and others don't usually see you are struggling. It’s a barrier to enjoying quality time with friends and family. You may end up never making plans at nights because of it or finding excuses not to attend events. Nighttime dry eyes can leave you feeling isolated, frustrated, and longing for relief. 

Let’s explore the causes and practical steps to help you rediscover comfort and confidence at night.

Understanding Nighttime Dry Eyes

Nighttime dry eyes occur when your eyes fail to retain sufficient moisture. This could result from:

• Decreased Tear Production: As the day progresses, tear production slows, leaving your eyes more prone to dryness at night. Your eyes are exhausted by the end of the day.
• Environmental Factors: Heating, air conditioning, and dry indoor air can contribute to tear evaporation.
• Screen Time Overload: Staring at screens can reduce your blink rate, exacerbating dryness. After 8+ hours of screen times, your eyes are telling you to go to bed.
• Incomplete Eyelid Closure: Nocturnal lagophthalmos, a condition where eyelids don’t fully close during sleep, can worsen dryness. By starting the day with dry eyes, you end the day with really sore, uncomfortable eyes.

Common Symptoms

• Redness and irritation that peak in the evening.
• A gritty or sandy sensation in your eyes.
• Eyes that feel extremely dry or sore.
• Blurred vision that worsens with prolonged screen time.
• Itchy, burning eyes that disrupt relaxation.

Home Remedies and Time-Tested Practices

Practical Remedies for Relief:

• Blinking Exercises: Set reminders to consciously blink during the day, especially during screen use. There is mobile phone apps that can help you with these exercises.
• Eyelid Massage: Wash your hands and gently massage your eyelids to stimulate oil glands and improve tear quality.
• Humidifiers: Add a desktop humidifier to your workplace or office to prevent tear evaporation. 
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Incorporate salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds into your diet to improve tear quality.

Product-Backed Solutions:

• Nourishing Eye Drops: Use Optimel Eye Drops or Hylo Forte for instant relief and sustained, long lasting moisture. Use as required throughout the day when you feel the uncomfortable symptoms come on.
• Moist Heat Compress: Bruder Moist Heat Compress stimulates natural tear production, clears out debris, ready for cleaning. Use in the morning or at night. 
• Lid Hygiene: Cleanse your eyelids nightly with Blephadex Foam or Blephadex Wipes to remove debris and bacteria that contribute to inflammation and dry eye.
• Moisture-Retaining Eye Gel: Optimel Manuka Eye Gel helps overnight by locking in moisture and reducing bacteria, thus setting you up for success the next day.

Environmental Adjustments:

• Heaters and aircons can be brutal on your eyes. Position fans or heaters to avoid direct airflow to your face.
• Use blue light filters on screens to reduce eye strain. An easy fix that you only need to setup once.

Personal Journey: How I Conquered My Dry Eyes At Night (Mostly)

Let me just start by saying the title may be misleading. I have not conquered my nighttime dry eyes, instead I should say the symptoms have gone from severe to mild, which is par for the course when dealing with dry eyes.

Dry eyes can genuinely impact your quality of life. For me, the evenings used to be a dreaded part of the day. By 6 or 7 PM, my eyes would feel unbearably dry, gritty, and sore. Watching TV with my family or reading a book before bed became impossible. And honestly, it felt isolating when everyone else seemed so carefree.

I came up with a simple repeatable plan for each day:

• Warm compress in the morning followed by a shower and eyelid foam wash.
• Lubricating eye drops 3-4 times during the day.
• Use an eyelid wipe throughout the day if I felt there was gunk or a foreign sensation in the eye.
• Eyelid foam wash at night before bed.
• Eye gel right before lights go out.

I have experimented with different products to complete this routine, but what products work for me may not work for everyone. It is a journey to finding what products are most suitable for your condition. I won’t claim my eyes are perfect now, but this routine has been important for me reclaiming my life. These small, consistent steps have brought me from dreading my evenings to enjoying them again. 

When to Consult an Eye Specialist

Recurrent nighttime dry eyes could signal an underlying issue, like Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, chronic blepharitis or various other conditions. Consult a professional if symptoms persist despite trying home remedies.

Experience the soothing relief of our eye care solutions and say goodbye to nighttime dry eyes