why do our eyes feel like they have sand or grit in them when we’re very tired ?
In: 4050
There’s the obvious which is that tear production tends to slow the longer we’re awake, but there’s another factor that was indicated in a pretty [interesting study out of Columbia University:](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/new-research-suggests-rem-about-eyes-not-dreams)
There’s also another function of REM, which is to allow the removal of dead cells and debris on the eyeballs in a gently and controlled manner. If you ever wondered what “morning eye gunk” was, in part it’s that.
This leads to a way to help reduce this feeling, at least for short bursts. You close your eyes and have your eyeballs do figure-8’s for a couple of minutes. It’s very refreshing, gives your vision a break, helps to boost circulation and remove some debris, while giving your tears time to build up.
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