Sleep Disruptions Contribute to Likelihood of Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is more likely in those who have sleep disruptions, according to a study published in the International Journal of General Medicine.¹ These sleep disruptions can include looking at digital devices or mental health disruptions, such as those that are associated with depression, anxiety, and stress.

Dry eye syndrome is a condition defined by disruptions to the tear film in the eye, which can cause burning, itching, watering, or blurred vision.² The condition affects approximately 16 million in the US and is most common in Asia, making identifying the origin of the syndrome important in treating those who live with the condition, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, can have various effects in regard to overall quality of life in a patient, including the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and depression. This study aimed to assess whether sleep disorders could also have an effect on dry eye syndrome.¹

The study took place at Baekseok University in the Republic of Korea, and those who volunteered to participate were included. Each participant was included in a survey that was conducted between December 30, 2023, and January 20, 2024. The survey utilized a Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K) and the McMonnies Dry Eye Syndrome Questionnaire (MQ). The PSQI-K measured sleep quality with lower scores indicating better sleep; the MQ measured dry eye syndrome with higher scores indicating dry eye. The researchers used a cut-off of 6 points and 14.5 points to indicate poor sleep and dry eye syndrome, respectively.

There were 221 participants in this study who had a mean (SD) age of 27.62 (6.40) years and were primarily women (57.9%). Most of the participants were aged between 20 and 29 years (58.8%) and 42.1% of the participants were students.

There was a significant difference in PSQI-K scores depending on the sex of the participants, with women scoring a mean of 7.07 (2.97) compared with men scoring 6.27 (2.87); no significant differences were found based on occupation or age. Significant differences were found in the MQ based on age, sex, and occupation. MQ scores were higher in women (10.68 [5.12]) than in men (6.19 [2.87]), in those in their 30s (10.46 [4.94]) compared with those in their 20s (7.62 [4.93]), and in those who did office work other than computers (11.43 [5.36]) or professional work (11.17 [5.32]) compared with students (6.50 [4.52]).

A correlation between sleep and dry eye was found in young adults | Image credit: Prostock-studio - stock.adobe.com

A significant difference was found between those with good and bad sleep, according to the PSQI. The mean PSQI for normal eyes was 7.34 (3.78) compared with the mean score of 17.71 (2.67) in those with dry eye, with eyes deemed normal or dry based on the MQ score cut-off. There was a significant positive correlation between sleep and dry eye scores, as well as a positive correlation between the 7 subfactors of PSQI and the MQ score. Dry eye score worsened when sleep duration was shorter, sleep latency was longer, and subjective sleep quality was lower.

There were some limitations to this study. All of the participants included in this study were between 20 and 39 years old, which can limit the generalizability to other age groups, especially those aged 40 years and older who are diagnosed with dry eye syndrome more often. Objective measures of either a test result or a diagnosis from a doctor were not used in favor of subjective assessments, which could have affected the results.

The researchers concluded that dry eye syndrome and sleep quality are linked, with those experiencing sleep disruptions also experiencing symptoms of dry eye. “In order to reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome caused by poor sleep quality, it is suggested that in addition to sufficient and regular sleep, stress that interferes with sleep should be managed, an appropriate sleep environment should be created, and digital therapeutics should be used to comprehensively manage mental health such as depression and anxiety,” the researchers stated.

References

1. Jeong H, Park S, Kim H, Jakovljevic M, Lee M. Analysis of sleep quality evaluation factors affecting dry eye syndrome. Int J Gen Med. 2025;18:1845-1854. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S507631
2. Dry eye. Cleveland Clinic. Updated November 28, 2022. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24479-dry-eye