According to Silicon Valley Eye Physicians, “A good night’s sleep is essential for your health, including your eye health,” yet, this pillar of good health is often overlooked. Here, the medical group explains a handful of factors that link sleep to the risk of glaucoma, along with practical steps that you can take to lower your disease risk.*

Sleep quantity: how much is enough?

Studies show that how much sleep you get can influence your glaucoma risk. Getting more than 10 hours of sleep a night can increase your risk of the disease. On the other hand, people who average less than three hours of sleep are also at elevated risk of developing glaucoma.

How to sleep: body positioning

How you position yourself in bed during sleep can also influence your risk for glaucoma. Lying face up, flat on your back can hinder proper fluid drainage from the eye. The increased fluid pressure can damage the optic nerve. 

That said, some research shows that sleeping on one’s side may promote disease progression in people with existing glaucoma, specifically sleeping on the same side of the body as the eye with the greater visual field loss. Due to this evidence, The Glaucoma Foundation says, “Some doctors suggest that glaucoma patients or high-risk patients try to train themselves to sleep on their back.” 

To potentially reduce the increase in eye pressure when sleeping face-up, the Glaucoma Research Foundation points to studies that recommend raising the head 20-30 degrees, particularly if you have normal-tension glaucoma. Those at high risk for developing glaucoma should also consider their sleeping position.

In short, both positions can potentially be problematic. To be safe, if you lie on your side, lie on the side opposite your affected eye. If you lie on your back, make sure that your head is elevated by about 20-30%.

Sleep, low blood pressure, and glaucoma

Blood pressure is another variable that can affect glaucoma risk. Though blood pressure goes down during sleep, research shows that an extended period of hypotension (low blood pressure) may have a negative impact on the optic nerve.

Sleep apnea and glaucoma

According to Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, is potentially serious. The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea in which the throat muscles periodically relax and block the airway. If you awake feeling tired after sleeping through the night, and you snore loudly, you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea tends to increase risk for developing glaucoma, and should be investigated by your doctor.

Tips for prevention

To help maintain the health of your eyes, or to prevent further damage if you already have glaucoma:

• Avoid too much and too little sleep by:
  • Living a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine late in the day
  • Turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before going to sleep
  • Getting treatment for sleep disorders and other underlying medical conditions
• Try sleeping on your side, opposite the affected side if you have glaucoma, and
• Elevate your head by 20-30% if you lie flat on your back.

Since glaucoma typically doesn’t show early symptoms, it’s important to have regular eye exams. Any vision issues or eye pain should be reported to your eye doctor immediately.

*Silicon Valley Eye Physicians. (2022, January 17). What’s the Link Between Sleep & Glaucoma? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl9Ftp_9g48