Night Dry Eye

[TheJuicer]

For the life of me I can't find a fix for night time dry eye. I have tried PM ointment, tranquileyes, taping, drops, rice baggy, etc and I still wake up in the morning with severe dry eyes. When I go to sleep my eyes don't seem terribly dry but throughout the night it just gets so bad. I have been to the doc and they don't see signs of improper lid closure, such as slits of dryness etc.

But for how dry they are I have to assume my eyes are open slightly. If they indeed are closed what would make them so dry that PM ointment still won't work?

Has anyone tried those tape on upper lid weights? Could my lid not be closing properly on top of my eye to spread what tears do exist throughout the night? Any advice help would be greatly appreciated.

I do have algergies to dust mites and mold. But doesnt everyone? Could that allergy cause severe dry eyes? My eyes never hurt that bad from dry eye in any other circumstance. Nights are by far the worst.

Thanks

[calli66]

It's a fact that eyes don't make as many tears at night, and without blinking, what little moisture there is doesn't get spread.

The only help is a nuisance--you have to wake up and put more drops or gel in when they get too dry. This is no problem for me--I sleep lightly, and my dry eyes wake me up every 3 hours. But for someone who sleeps deeply, I can imagine that the dryness would be pretty severe by morning.

Calli

[LasikLady]

I would ditch the use of ointment and use genteal gel instead. Ointment makes my eyes feel MUCH worse in the morning and gradually it might wear off during the day only to begin again after I've slept with ointment. The gel doesn't give me a problem. Also, try sleeping with a humidifier along with the tranquil eyes and gel.

[TheJuicer]

Thanks for the replies. I will give the gel a shot. On the humidifier topic.... I tried in the past and it hasn't give me any relief. Also wouldn't you think that with tranquileyes and the moist pads inside them, that it would give as good or better moisture than a humidifier? Especially being in a chamber around your eyes.

I am also a hard sleeper so I rarely wake up and therefore don't get opportunities to put more drops in throughout the night. I just find it hard to believe that being a 27 year old male I could have these problems already. I can't imagine 30 years down the roads how my eyes will be. I am thinking maybe eyelid issues where it doesn't spread my tears properly etc.

[liz56]

Hi, The Juicer.

I have the same problem. I really would be okay if I did not have to sleep.

Genteal Gel, like Lasik Lady recommends works for me. I went 7.5 hours over the weekend, and I made it. My eyes stuck in the morning, but I averted a problem by using drops.

I tried TranquilEyes with the moistened pads, and my eyes felt drier halfway through the night. I turned the pads around to make them stay wet, but the moisture wicked back toward the goggle. So, I started using them dry, and they have been helping a lot. They humidity from my eyes, which may be a better balance, maybe, seems to be enough. They keep my eyes closed, and I sleep better with them on. Maybe because it is totally and completely dark.

I know how you feel about thinking about the future with dry eyes. I'm 40, and I'm afraid that when I hit menopause, my eyes will shrivel up like raisins. I'm getting my thyroid checked out and started thyroid medication, so it may be a systemic problem that can be helped. You may want to see a doctor about causes.

Let us know what works for you.

--Liz

[Terri]

Has anyone tried those tape on upper lid weights?

I wore tape-on upper lid weights briefly following surgery that left me temporary unable to blink. I do not believe they will help you keep your eyes closed at night. In fact, the weights will probably pull them open. (The weights are designed to work with gravity when you are upright, not lying down.) Tranquileyes are a much better choice.

You also mentioned you are allergic to dust mites and mold. Have you tried allergy desensitizing shots? Another test to see whether allergies are the cause of your nighttime problems would be to see if you have the same problem when you sleep outdoors (i.e., camping out) or on a brand new mattress in a mold-free environment.

[tkmd]

For the life of me I can't find a fix for night time dry eye. I have tried PM ointment, tranquileyes, taping, drops, rice baggy, etc and I still wake up in the morning with severe dry eyes. When I go to sleep my eyes don't seem terribly dry but throughout the night it just gets so bad. I have been to the doc and they don't see signs of improper lid closure, such as slits of dryness etc.

TheJuicer, it has been a while since you posted your story/problem. I was wondering if you found anything that helped? I have the same problem. Have tried all the same things, humidifier, tranquileyes, ointment, genteal...etc etc. Nothing seems to help. My daytime dry eye has improved dramatically. If I could only solve my nighttime problem. Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

[calli66]

I have bad night time dryness too. Recently I switched to the Onyix goggles from the regular TranquilEyes (I used them without the inserts). I find that they keep the moisture in much longer than TE.

When I say "moisture" I mean the gel that I put into my eyes when I go to bed. I get up in the middle of the night, and the gel is still wet--hasn't dried out much at all. I put in some Dwelle drops, put the goggles back on, and make it all the way to morning.

There are visible drops of moisture on the inside of the eye cups whenever I look in there. I don't remember this happening with the TranquilEyes. I wash and dry them everyday--easy, no hassle, no foam liners.

That's the only suggestion I can make. By the way, I really "load up" my eyes with genteal gel to start with-- you could try that if you haven't already. I'm really enthusiastic about the new Onyix, so you might consider that too.

C

[Lucy]

Calli, very interesting comments on the Onyx! Are they hard to the touch? Do they stay stiff while wearing them at night? Do they pinch or stab you when you turn? Thanks, Lucy

[Royal Eyeness]

Lucy,
They are a sort of rubber (silicone). And they're not "soft" - in that they aren't squishy - but they're not stiff - they're flexible against your face. So they're sort of hard but they don't poke or stab. They're molded into a shape that they maintain, but if you push your finger into the eye cup, you can easily flip it inside-out. So it's molded but flexible. But you have to sleep on your back. If you sleep on your side, they get pushed aside and don't sit over your eyes properly. They do block out light well because they're a solid piece of black rubber.

[EllMitcho]

Hi

I can also recommend the Onyx - I much prefer them to my old TE's. They def hold moisture better - with no drops at all the inside of the Onyx's are damp in the morning.

Oh and no foam issues

Ell

[calli66]

Hi Lucy---the silicone feels sort of like the new kitchen products---the silicon muffin "tins," the hot pads, etc. Maybe a little bit stiffer. The insides of the eye cups are molded with a very smooth surface so they're easy to clean.

They don't poke or pinch. When I first got mine, I had to smooth the bottom edges with fine sandpaper to get rid of the little irregularities left by the molding process.

You have to learn the best position on your face---take takes a few nights.
RoyalEyeness---I do sleep on my side---don't have a problem. I keep the eye cups and band fairly snug, and they don't move side to side during the night.

They do move up a bit, and I find myself repositioning them as I turn over and move around in bed. But this doesn't disturb my sleep at all.

The position that works for me is to have the lower edge resting on the soft under-eye tissue just above the cheeks. The upper edge of the eye cups goes a little above my brow. I find that my lids stay shut---there's no room to open them in there---but there's no uncomfortable pressure on the lids because the eye cup is domed.

I never thought I could do without my TranquilEyes, but haven't worn anything but the Onyix since I bought them a couple of months ago. Feels like real freedom and simplicity, not having to deal with the foam liners.

Calli