The Bedtime Routine to Alleviate Dry Eye Symptoms

Setting up a bedtime routine is important not only for school-age children but for us adults as well.  A routine lets your body know that you are winding down, and it will help you to fall asleep faster.

 

I go into all of the steps to ensure a good night's sleep in my book, Alleviate Dry Eye, in Chapter 4.  If you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can get it on Amazon.  Or, if you would just like to read the chapter on sleep, please download a free copy of this chapter here.

 

Just like we talked about last week with the morning routine, I feel the best way to develop an eye care routine that will become a habit is to couple with your already established bedtime routine.  It's a process called habit stacking.  You brush your teeth, then you use the mouth wash.  It gets to the point where you wouldn't do one without the other.  If you are interested in learning more about habit stacking you can read about it in this article from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.

 

Hopefully, we are all taking care of our teeth before bed.  Why not take care of your eyes too?  For myself, and my patients, I call this process of bedtime eye care: "Six for the Fix".  Sorry if you don't like rhymes, but it does help you remember the steps.

 

Do a quick check of your memory bank, and see if you took your omega-3 fatty acid supplement at dinner time. If you missed it, it would be a great time for that bedtime snack and your omega supplements.

 

Both contact lenses and eye makeup must come off before bed.  Every night.  No exceptions.

 

Remove your contact lenses and disinfect them.  My very favorite cleanser for patients with sensitive or dry eyes is Clear Care Plus.  There is an important step with using this hydrogen peroxide-based cleaner, so be sure to read the directions carefully, or watch my video on how to use it here.

Now that your contact lenses are removed, you can wipe off your eye makeup.  My favorite eye makeup remover (and the secret to my stronger, longer lashes) is the makeup remover oil from We Love Eyes.  If you haven’t already downloaded the guide to eye makeup removers please do so here.

 

After you have brushed your teeth and washed your face, it’s time to take care of your peepers.  You can cleanse your lids and lashes with the same product you used this morning.  If you are using a hypochlorous acid spray like HypoChlor, do not rinse the solution from your eyes. 

 

Just spray the solution directly onto your closed lids and gently rub it in at your lash line.  Let the solution air dry on your skin.  Now, you are ready to use your nighttime moisturizers and eye creams if you have them.

 

Use a drop of preservative-free artificial tears or any prescription eye drops to treat your dry eyes.  This step will help rinse away any irritants from your eyes and provide a clean slate for new tear production.

 

Once you get into bed, it's time to use your nighttime gel drops or artificial tear ointment.  A gel drop is a thicker artificial tear that will coat your eyes while you sleep at night.  Once the gel drops are in your eyes, it is difficult to read.  Make sure you are ready to close your peepers once you get them in.

 

Finally, place your warm compress mask over your eyes. I like to do this as the last thing of the night.  That way, if I fall asleep it won’t matter.

 

Heat your warm compress mask in the microwave for 20 seconds.  Then, place it over your eyes for 8 to 12 minutes.  Or, if you are using an electric mask that plugs in, make sure you have a timer set to automatically shut off at 15 minutes maximum. You do not want to keep it on for the rest of the night.  A mask that I recommend with automatic shut off timer is linked here.

 

So there you have it, the perfect end to any night. You will want to follow this plan nightly until it becomes a habit.  Try coupling these steps with the habit of brushing your teeth, it will make it easier to remember.  

 

The six steps are simple to complete and won't take a lot of extra time once you have them integrated into your routine.  You can print out a written copy of this routine here.  Try hanging it in the bathroom so you can follow along.