Dry eyes can feel gritty, scratchy, or burning and can cause blurred vision, redness in and around your eyes, and increased sensitivity to light.
A healthy layer of tears protects your eyes, keeps them moist, and removes particles like dust. If your tears dry too quickly or you can’t produce enough, dry eyes occur. You can also get dry eyes if your body produces low-quality tears.
Some causes of dry eyes in the morning include older age, some environments (windy, sunny, or dry), and certain medications or eye surgeries.
Knowing the cause of your morning dry eyes can help you find treatment and relief faster.
You may also have dry eyes in the morning if:
- Dry air blows on your face while you sleep, either from a fan or an air conditioner on the highest setting
- You use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for sleep apnea (when breathing stops or slows while sleeping)
- You have nocturnal lagophthalmos, a common condition where your eyes aren’t completely closed during sleep
- There’s an allergen like dust or pet dander in your room
- You wear contacts overnight
- You sleep on your side or face down
- A medical condition or medication side effect keeps you from producing enough tears
You can adjust your lifestyle and environment to prevent and treat dry eyes. To help improve your dry eyes in the morning, try the following:
- Increase humidity in your environment: Consider using a humidifier in your bedroom or throughout your home to add extra moisture to the air.
- Take nutritional supplements: Speak to your healthcare provider about supplements that contain essential fatty acids, like fish oil, which might help decrease dry eye symptoms.
- Drink water: Staying well-hydrated can help keep your eyes lubricated and lower your chance of dry eyes.
- Limit certain medications: Allergy and cold medicines can cause or worsen dry eyes. If possible, try to limit these medicines.
- Warm compress: Placing a warm, wet towel on your closed eyes can help alleviate mild to moderate dry eyes.
- Eyelid cleaning: Discuss at-home eyelid cleaning with your healthcare provider. This can include cleaning the eyelashes and eyelid margin (the edge of the eye) with lid brushes, wipes, sponge pads, or cotton swabs using a suitable cleanser.
- Change your sleeping position: Research has found that when people who sleep on their side or stomach switch to sleeping on their back, their dry eye symptoms reduce.
Home remedies are sometimes not enough to treat dry eyes. Over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops, known as artificial tears, are the main treatment option for mild dry eyes.
You usually start by using the drops 2-4 times daily. If your symptoms don’t improve, you may need to increase your dose, switch to preservative-free eye drops, try a different brand or type, or talk to your healthcare provider about other options.
There are also prescription medications and medical procedures to treat moderate to severe dry eyes. These include:
- Prescription medication: Your healthcare provider may prescribe eye drops that help your eyes produce more tears or prevent evaporation. These include Restasis (cyclosporine), Xiidra (lifitegrast), Alrex (loteprednol etabonate), and Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane). Tyrvaya (varenicline) is a nasal spray that can also help dry eyes.
- Tear duct plugs: Also known as punctal plugs, this procedure involves inserting a small plug about the size of a grain of rice into the tear ducts. These can be temporary—breaking down over time—or semipermanent. They keep the eyes moist by preventing tears from escaping.
- Surgery: In rare cases, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery for ptosis, which causes loose lower eyelids. This can help keep tears within your eyes to prevent dry eyes.
Prevention can be just as important as treatment when it comes to avoiding dry eyes in the morning. You can lower your risk of dry eyes if you:
- Use eye drops or ointments before bed
- Treat any underlying conditions that contribute to dry eyes
- Tape your eyelids shut with medical tape with instructions from your healthcare provider
- Clear out dust or pet dander by regularly changing sheets, vacuuming, and/or using an air purifier
- Wear a sleeping mask over your eyes to reduce exposure to dry air
- Sleep on your back
Speak to a healthcare provider if your dry eye symptoms:
- Are new
- Won’t go away
- Make it hard to see while driving
- Cause discomfort that’s distracting
- Don’t improve with artificial tears or lifestyle changes
You should reach out to a provider immediately if you have:
- Discharge coming from your eyes
- Flaky skin in or around your eyes
- Sores on your eye or eyelid
- Pain or redness in your eyes
- Joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and dry mouth with your dry eye symptoms
Dry eyes after waking up can be uncomfortable and even affect vision. A condition or medication side effect can cause them, but they also frequently happen to otherwise healthy people.
Using a humidifier or changing your sleeping position can reduce dry eyes. If your symptoms don’t improve with lifestyle changes or OTC options, reach out to a healthcare provider for additional care.
