Three Reasons Why Sleeping On Your Stomach Causes Vision Problems
Did you know that some seemingly harmless habits can have a surprising impact on our visual health? One of them is sleeping on your stomach, something many of us do without giving it much thought.
Did you know that some seemingly harmless habits can have a surprising impact on our visual health? One of them is sleeping on your stomach, something many of us do without giving it much thought.
Dr. Gabriela Avila, Director of the Glaucoma Service at CODET Vision Institute, reveals that this sleeping position can have significant consequences for our eyes. In this article, we invite you to explore in detail the effects that sleeping face down can have on vision and how we can take more conscious care of our eyes to maintain optimal eye health.
3 Vision Risks of Stomach Sleeping
- Alteration of corneal curvature. Sleeping on your stomach can lead to increased astigmatism, causing blurred vision on the side you usually sleep on. When you rest your face on your hands, you’re putting pressure on the eye, which changes its shape. This can aggravate or even cause the development of astigmatism.
- Increases eye pressure. Even with a pillow, sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on the eye. This increased pressure can damage the optic nerve, leading to glaucoma. Severe glaucoma can result in vision loss.
- Tissue expansion. The eyelid becomes loose, causing a condition known as floppy eyelids. This can lead to eyelid irritation and a feeling of discomfort, similar to having a foreign object in the eye upon waking up.
Are You a Stomach Sleeper?
Whether you sleep on your stomach or not, if any of these symptoms sound familiar, it’s time to make some changes. You don’t necessarily have to completely change your sleeping position. Instead, ensure that nothing touches your eyes or the surrounding area. If you choose to sleep on your stomach, make sure that no bedding fabric comes into contact with your eyes or eyelids to maintain your vision health.
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