Do you have sleepy eyes? Here's how you can deal with it

Many healthy individuals suffer from the problem of heavy eyelids which is usually due to fatigue lack of rest or spending too much time in front of the computer screens A few eye allergies infections and medical conditions can also be responsible for causing heavy droopy eyelidsAfter a long day at work we generally feel our eyelids getting heavier as if something is pulling them down This may be after a day of intense exercise or when we spend hours staring at a computer screen in the officeBut what causes our eyes to get heavy when we feel tired and sleepyTo understand this there is a need to first need to understand the basic anatomy of the eye The eyelids are comprised of thin layers of skin and muscles which play a crucial role in protecting the delicate structures of the eye from external elements like dust debris and bright light They also greatly contribute to the overall appearance and expressiveness of the faceThe muscles around the eyes that hold our eyes in position play a similar role to any other muscle of our body when it comes to experiencing fatigue after a long day of consistent use In other words just like our arms and legs muscles grow leaden with extended use after a physically exhaustive day similarly the muscles around our eyes also grow weary and experience fatigueThis is particularly true for ocular and brow muscles since they are the most active during our waking hours Therefore in general the heaviness of the eyelids in otherwise healthy individuals is due to fatigue that these muscles experience during the hours we are awakeVarious factors that are responsible for causing sleepy eyes areMuscle fatigue After getting an insufficient amount of rest or a prolonged period of staying awake the muscles around the eyes tend to become fatigued and weakened which can lead to a loss of tone and firmness in the eyelids causing them to droop or sagReduced blood flow and stasis The blood in the veins tends to pool and the stasis causes the eyes to feel heavy eye bags to appear under the eyes and also dark circles to form due to the darker colour of the venous bloodStress and tension Having a long screen time or intense visual focus such as working on a computer or reading for extended periods can strain the muscles around our eyes leading to feelings of fatigue and droopinessFacial expressions Beyond the physical changes to the eyelids themselves sleepy eyes can also greatly affect our facial expressions and our overall appearance When were feeling tired our facial muscles tend to slacken leading to our expressions becoming less animated and livelyAll this can also occur as a result of ageing changes around the eyes It may be accelerated by chronic exposure to the sun and also the harmful light from our gadgets Deflation and decent of the tissues around the eyes make them look saggy and tiredTreatment for sleepy eyesMassaging around the eyes It can help release a lot of strain and make you feel instantly better This can simply be done by using the tips of your fingers or using tools like the jade roller or the Gua ShaGet adequate sleep the best solution to combat the problem of sleepy eyes is to prioritize getting enough rest each night One should aim to get at least 79 hours of sleep to allow our body and eyes to rest and rejuvenate completelyKeep yourself hydrated drink lots and lots of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated as dehydration can exacerbate the feelings of fatigue and heaviness in the eyesTake breaks from the screen spending long hours in front of the screen then you should take regular breaks to rest your eyes and reduce eye strain One interesting exercise that one can do is practice the 2020 rule where every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to give your eyes a breakApply cold compresses Apply a cold compress or chilled cucumber slices to the eyes for a few minutes to reduce puffiness and soothe tired eyes The cold temperature helps to constrict blood vessels and reduce inflammationImpact of sleepy eyes on overall healthSleepy eyes can result in difficulty in staying alert decreased productivity and even safety hazards like impaired driving There can also be some significant impact on our physical and mental wellbeing Prolonged periods of inadequate sleep can also contribute to mood disturbances such as irritability anxiety and depressionOn the other hand one may be completely rested and yet their friends colleagues may comment that they look tired sleepy ki This can have a significant impact on the confidence In such cases one may consult an Oculoplastic and aesthetic surgeon to find out the exact cause of this look and provide appropriate solutionsDr Sneha Shah is the ophthalmologist and an aesthetic surgeonThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom 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