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Want To Keep An Eye On Your Eye Health? Get Quality Sleep, Study Says

Author:

Sarah Regan

May 08, 2022

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by Denis Komarov / iStock

May 08, 2022

We know that getting enough quality sleep improves our energy levels, mood, and overall performance—but does sleep have an impact on eye health? According to a new study published in Stem Cell Reports1, it very well might. Here's what the researchers found.

Studying how sleep affects eye health.

For this study, researchers from Harvard University and Xiamen University in China studied mice to better understand how sleep influences eye health. (Previous research has indicated that getting adequate sleep over time is associated with better eye health outcomes.)

Namely, they were looking at the cornea or the thin layer of tissue that covers the eye, which plays a key role in overall eye health and functioning. A healthy cornea tends to mean healthier eyes.

The researchers had one group of mice go through nights of poor sleep, while the control group was adequately rested. From there, the team studied the short-term and long-term effects of the mice's sleep patterns on their eye health.

What researchers found.

In this study, the mice that were getting adequate sleep showed better corneal health. As the study authors explain, "High-quality sleep plays an irrefutable role in maintaining health, in part by defending against oxidative stress."

Those mice getting enough sleep saw corneal health maintenance, as well as more stem cells—which are both good signs for eye health.

And as we know, oxidative stress doesn't just affect our eyes. It affects our skin, our cells, and so much more. And minding our sleep is one of the best ways we can limit it.

The study authors also add that if validated in humans, these findings have important implications, given less than two-thirds of people in the U.S. are getting the recommended seven hours of sleep (at least) a night.

The takeaway.

We know sleep is important, but it's easy to forget all the things it can affect, down to our eye health. And not only is getting enough sleep so crucial to our overall health, but making sure it's quality sleep is key, too—for our eyes and so much more.