When you’re finally able to shut your eyes and drift off to sleep, your mind may begin to race with thoughts. And when you’re lying in bed, your eyes may also begin to feel very heavy. But before you give in to the temptation to keep them open for as long as possible, why not learn about the wonderful phenomenon of crossing eyes when you sleep?
Why Do My Eyes Cross When I Sleep?
There are many reasons your eyes may cross while sleeping. It is normal for your eyes to move around while sleeping, and crossing your eyes is one possible result. One possible reason for crossing your eyes when you sleep is a condition known as binocular vision dysjunction (BVD). BVD is a condition in which the two eyes are not working as a team. This can lead to eye strain, headaches, and crossed eyes. BVD can also lead to vision issues, such as double vision or astigmatism.
What Is The Cause Of Crossed Eyes When You Sleep?
- Binocular vision disjunction: If your eyes cross often, there might be a problem with your eyes. It could be that you have crossed eyes when you sleep because of binocular vision disjunction (BVD). BVD occurs when the two eyes do not work together well. This can lead to eye strain, headaches, and crossed eyes.
- Eye strain: Eye strain occurs when the muscles of the eye become tired and start to ache or burn. As a result, they become sore or swollen. Sore or swollen eye muscles can cause your eyes to cross.
- Uncorrected vision problems: The most common form of uncorrected vision problems is astigmatism, which is also known as nearsightedness (myopia). Astigmatism occurs when the cornea in one eye is not shaped perfectly for that person’s prescription glasses. This causes blurred images on the retina of both eyes, so they may end up crossing each other when you close your eyes at night and fall asleep!
- Eyelid spasms: Eyelid spasms can also lead to crossed eyelids while sleeping if they are due to a condition called blepharospasm (spasm of the eyelids). Blepharospasm can occur as a result of stress or anxiety, such as from exams or exam pressure in school or work. It can also occur from sleeping disorders like insomnia or restless legs syndrome (RLS).
- Eye rubbing: Eye rubbing is when your eyes rub against each other while you sleep. This can cause irritation, redness, and swelling of the eyelids and surrounding skin. You should look for signs of eye rubbing, such as pulling or tugging on your eyelids, redness around your eyes or around the bridge of your nose, or swollen eyelid skin.
How Can Your Eyes Stop Crossing When You Sleep?
1. Close Your Eyes
You may find that if you close your eyes, the crossing of your eyes will stop. This is because the muscles that control eye movement are located in the back of your head. When you’re sleeping, your body relaxes and you are no longer using those muscles to keep your eyes open. By closing your eyes, it is as if you are telling those muscles to relax, which then causes the crossing of your eyes to stop.
2. Relax Your Body
When you are relaxed and not thinking about anything in particular, it can be difficult for all of the muscles in your body to work correctly. If you want to make sure that crossed eyes when you sleep do not occur at night, then it is important that you learn how to relax before going to bed at night.
3. Relax Your Eyes
If there happens to be a muscle spasm in either of your upper or lower eyelids or both, then relaxing this muscle will help make sure that crossed eyes when you sleep do not occur at night.
4. Keep Your Arms And Legs Still At Night
Once again, keeping yourself still while sleeping can help prevent crossed eyes when you sleep from occurring at night!
5. Get Some Exercise
If you are not getting any exercise, then this can lead to muscle fatigue and even muscle spasms. Muscle spasms can lead to crossed eyes when you sleep.
6. Maintain Your Eyesight
If you have BVD, then it is important that you maintain your eyesight by wearing glasses or contact lenses if necessary. If your eyes are crossed, then it may be difficult for you to see clearly with your glasses on or contacts in place. As such, it is important that you make sure that whatever eye care solution you choose is a solution that will also help prevent crossed eyes when you sleep from occurring at night!
7. Avoid Tension In Your Eyes
If there happens to be tension in both of your upper and lower eyelids, then this can lead to the crossing of your eyes when you sleep occurring at night. It is very important that if there happens to be any tension in either of your eyelids during the day, then this should be relaxed as soon as possible before going to bed at night!
8. Get Some Sleep
In order for anyone to get a good night’s rest, they must learn how to get a good night’s rest! By getting enough sleep every night, there will not only be less tension in the muscles in the back of your head and therefore less tension in those muscles which control eye movement but also less stress on the whole body leading up to sleeping which means less likelihood for crossed eyes when you sleep to occur!
What Are The Symptoms Of Crossed Eyes While Sleeping?
1. Eye Strain
Eyestrain is a condition where your eyes get tired and sore. This happens when you stare at the computer screen for long hours. It also happens when you are reading a book or magazine for a long time. It can happen when you look at the phone or tablet screen for long hours, too.
2. Eye Pain
Eye pain is caused by muscle spasms, which can be caused by stress, and eye strain. Eyestrain can cause muscle spasms, and eye strain can cause muscle spasms in your eyes, which then causes eye pain.
3. Eyes Crossed When You Blink
When your eyes cross while blinking, it’s called strabismus (from the Greek meaning “to turn”). Strabismus is when one eye turns inwards while looking at something (such as an object) while the other eye turns outwards to follow that object’s movement. It’s an involuntary movement caused by nerve problems in one or both of your eyes that affects how your brain controls the muscles controlling your eyelids, causing them to turn inward or outward involuntarily during blinking (or squinting), causing your eyes to cross when you blink!
4. Eyes Crossed While You Sleep
When your eyes cross when you sleep, it is called positional strabismus (from the Greek meaning “to turn”). Positional strabismus is when one eye turns inwards while looking at something (such as an object) while the other eye turns outwards to follow that object’s movement. It’s an involuntary movement caused by nerve problems in one or both of your eyes that affects how your brain controls the muscles controlling your eyelids, causing them to turn inward or outward involuntarily during blinking (or squinting), causing your eyes to cross when you blink!
Tips For Crossed Eyes While Sleeping
1. Sleep In A Comfortable Environment
You need to make sure that you are sleeping in a comfortable environment so that you can sleep well. You should avoid sleeping on your back as this can cause muscle strain. Sleeping on your side is one of the best ways to reduce eye strain and eye pain. It helps because it allows the muscles to relax and it also keeps the neck and spine straight and relaxed, too.
2. Wear Eye Pillows If You Are Having Eye Strain Problems
If you are having eye strain problems, then you should wear an eye pillow at night to support your eyes and keep them from straining during sleep. This will help reduce your chances of having crossed eyes while sleeping!
3. Avoid Reading And Watching TV For Long Times At Night
When you are reading or watching TV for long hours at night, it is very stressful on your eyes as your eyes have to stay open for a long time without blinking or squinting which makes them tired in no time! You should try reading or watching TV for shorter periods of time especially at night when you are trying to sleep!
They also cause eye strain by keeping your eyes open for a long time without blinking which can lead to crossed eyes while sleeping!
Final Words
Crossed eyes when you sleep are a common condition that many people experience. They may cause discomfort and irritation in the eyes, though this can usually be managed with simple changes to your sleeping position and environment. If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, it’s worth noting that they can be potentially serious. Though they can be managed with some easy changes to your sleeping position and environment, it’s best to visit your doctor if they persist.