Healthy Habits for Sleeping After LASIK Surgery

If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, then you have probably read and heard about the fast recovery time. Did you know that the cornea is one of the fastest-healing tissues in the body? This is why the recovery time for LASIK surgery is only about 24 hours. However, just because you’ll have great vision after LASIK, that does not mean your eyes are done healing. Here are a few pro tips to help with sleeping after LASIK for a smooth and comfortable recovery.

Protect Your Eyes

At Providence Eye, our LASIK surgeons will ask that you wear clear plastic shields over your eyes for the first 24 hours after your surgery, unless you are instilling eye drops. Continue to wear the shields for any time you are napping or sleeping at night for 5 days. If pets or children share your bed, you should wear shields for 10 nights after your LASIK procedure. Make sure they are taped on well - this will help prevent you from rubbing your eye while sleeping.

Rest Your Eyes

Your eyes rest, heal and stay consistently lubricated while you sleep. Sleeping a minimum of 6 hours will help your corneas continue to heal. If you have insomnia, or “just don’t need much sleep,” you should consult with your surgeon to discuss the best way to give your eyes the rest they need during the first couple of nights after your LASIK surgery.

Keep Your Eyes Lubricated

Preventing your eyes from drying out and keeping them lubricated is critical for the first 4 weeks after your LASIK surgery. Here are some do’s and don’ts for preventing your eyes from drying out:

• Do use over-the-counter, preservative-free lubricating drops as directed by your surgeon. If you wake up in the middle of the night, take that as an opportunity to instill lubricating drops. However, it is not necessary to intentionally wake up for additional drops throughout the night.
• Do not use a ceiling fan or point a fan at your face for the first two weeks, even while sleeping. This constant air will dry your eyes.
• Do you sleep with your eyes open? If you are aware that you do this, be sure to advise your LASIK surgeon in advance so that you can make appropriate plans. Keeping your eyes open dries them out and will make you uncomfortable and can create complications.

If you are ready to take the first step to consider LASIK surgery, then scheduling a complimentary consultation with our LASIK surgeon here at Providence Eye should be the next step. Contact us or call 704-540-9595