Abrasion in cornea due to disrupted sleep (Photo credit: Flickr)

According to a study that was published in Stem Cell Reports, sleep deprivation induces corneal epithelial progenitor cell over-expansion through disruption of redox homeostasis in the tear film. Sleep deficiency, a common public health problem, causes ocular discomfort and affects its surface health, the researchers said.

Sleep is a fundamental requirement. Proper quality and quantity of sleep are essential for the maintenance of mental and physical health. However, societal pressures and light pollution, sleep deficiency has become a common public health problem, affecting approximately 10-20 per cent of people worldwide, especially children and young adults.

In fact, according to a 2019 Fitbit survey, India is the second most sleep-deprived country after Japan with an average night's sleep of 7 hours and 1 minute.

Dr Virender S Sangwan, director, Innovations, Dr Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital told News9 that some issues that come up due to lack of sleep are dry eyes; it also affects eye hygiene. "In such a situation the eyes look red, and the eyes feel as if they are rough. If this situation persists, dry eye becomes a common phenomenon. Gritty eyes are a symptom of dry eyes as are bloodshot eyes," Dr Sangwan explained.

He said that the connection between these eye issues and sleep deprivation is strong and direct. "The human body is designed in a way that it knows when it is time to sleep. This is the time when the body repairs itself – the brain focuses on repairing the body's various organs. This is also the time that certain tissues take to regenerate themselves. If one is awake, the body is not getting the time to repair itself. This in turn affects every part of the eyes including the cornea," Dr Sangwan said.

He added that just like hair and nails grow, on the surface of the cornea there are transparent stem cells which protect the eyes and provide good eyesight. Every four to six weeks, these cells die and new ones take their place. This is a dynamic process. If these cells are not there, the cornea will not function efficiently; it may even get infected.

"If a person doesn't sleep properly or it is disrupted, it will affect the normal physiology. It is like putting a plastic bag on a person's face cutting his oxygen supply and then expecting him to breathe fresh air. Eventually, he will only breathe carbon dioxide. There is a reason why doctors tell contact lens users to remove the lens before going the sleep. The eyes need to breathe," Dr Sangwan said.

All functional organs have a reserve and can function even under duress. But there is a limit to this reserve which depends from person to who. "Each person's reserve depends on his/her overall health, immunity and what are the other diseases and how much sleep the person gets in a day," Dr Sangwan said.

He said that a normal cornea doesn't have blood vessels. The first sign that the cornea is in distress is appearance of blood vessels - eyes become red. "The minute blood vessels appear, the vision will become blurry, repair mechanism will get impaired, and there can be scratches on the cornea. Any abrasion in the cornea will be immediately known by the person – bloodshot eyes, light sensitivity, eyes watering and difficulty in blinking – will be common. If it goes untreated, a person can even go blind," Dr Sangwan said.

While some reports and studies say that each person requires a certain specific amount of sleep - seven to eight hours of sleep - and that there has to be a sleep routine, each body's requirement is different. "Some people need five to six hours of sleep others need seven to eight hours. It depends on the quality of the sleep an individual gets. This is usually referred to as REM sleep. It's not the quantity but the quality of sleep that matters," Dr Sangwan said in conclusion.

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