eli5 why do we rub our eyes when we’re tired?

Question

There is no foreign body to trigger the rubbing, it seemingly has no use to rub the eyes. Why do we do it then?

In: 7

Answer 1

Why Does Rubbing Tired Eyes Feel Good? – YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZP-E1JUrmc

TLDW: It moistens eyes and lowers heart rate.