Help your Eyes Reset their Clocks

Daylight savings time has ended. Now, it is brighter in the morning when we wake up.  Maybe that makes it easier for some of us to get out of bed, but what does this have to do with our eyes?  I'm glad you asked.  Sleep has a big impact on how comfortable your eyes feel all day long.

 

Can you remember what your eyes felt like after pulling an "all-nighter" in college?  Oops, or was I the only one who did that trying to cram everything into my brain at the last minute thing? #Nerd

 

Or, maybe you remember when your kids were infants and you barely got any sleep?  Your eyes felt dry, scratchy, irritated, and you couldn’t even look at lights in the house, much less sunshine.

 

You wanted to walk around with your sunglasses on all day not only because your eyes were so red and angry looking, but also because they were so sensitive to the light.  Your eyes need sleep to repair and restore themselves to be ready for the next day.  You can recover from one night of poor sleep, but long periods without proper rest can lead to severe dry eyes. 

 

Today I share three tips to get your sleep back on track this fall season.

 

Re-visit your evening routine. Michael Hyatt has a hack he explains in his productivity book, Free to Focus.  He utilizes a start-up routine and a shutting down routine to bookend the beginning and end of his workday.  He advocates having a series of steps that you do to end your workday.

 

This routine signals your brain to close everything down for the day.  You write down the things that you need to get done the next day.  This enables you to turn off the working brain and relax for the evening.  This can also aid in the "monkey brain" some of us experience in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep.

 

In my book, Alleviate Dry Eye, I encourage using an evening routine for your eye care.  Most of us already have some kind of "getting ready for bed" routine.  Adding the dry eye regimen to brushing your teeth and washing your face is an easy add on to a habit that we are already used to performing. 

 

The evening routine should include the four steps to alleviating dry eye symptoms which include hydrate, harmonize, heat, and heal.  If you’re unsure what I am referring to, please check out the blog here.  This evening routine ensures healthy eyelids and a reduction in dry eye symptoms the next day.  

 

If you would like to know more tips on getting the rest you need from my book, Alleviate Dry Eye, you can download the chapter on sleep here. 

 

 

Shawn Stevenson and his book, Sleep Smarter, also advocates and evening routine.  He advocates a couple of steps to set the stage in your bedroom for sleep.

 

Make sure the room is dark.  This may require installing blackout shades.  And, remove any light-emitting devices from your room like a clock or a nightlight.  Just turn your clock the other way and leave the night lights for hallways.

 

Next, Stevenson recommends turning the temperature down in the room to between 60 to 68°F.  This cooler temperature will allow your body to rest more easily.

  

He also recommends removing electronic devices from your room.  Move your phone to the bathroom to charge instead of on the nightstand.  And, leave your laptop and iPad in the office.  They don't belong in the bedroom.  This room is dedicated to restful activities.

 

 

Brendon Burchard advocates 7 - 8 hours of sleep each night to reach your top performance.  In his book, High Performance Habits, he discusses training yourself to stay asleep longer. He suggests you stay in bed for the entire eight hours, instead of getting back up and doing an activity.  He explains that we must train our bodies to lie in bed for 8 total hours. 

 

 

The time change is something we have been dealing with all of our lives.  Use these simple tips to help get your sleep back on schedule faster.  Your eyes will thank you for it.  Leave a comment below and tell me your favorite part of your nighttime routine

 

Want more tips on getting the rest you need?  Go ahead and download the chapter on sleep here from my book, Alleviate Dry Eye.