Sunday, April 12th 2026
The position of the head at night can directly affect the health of the eyes. Here’s what the results show and why you should pay attention to the way you sleep
An unusual habit, like sleeping without a pillow, can be one of the easiest ways to maintain eye health. Placing several pillows under the head can easily increase the pressure in the eye, an important risk factor for developing glaucoma.
Pillow type and sleep pattern are known to affect sleep quality, but less is known about the role of body position in eye health. A new study shows that even a simple detail, such as the angle at which the head is held while sleeping, can affect vision in unexpected ways.
The study, published at the end of January in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, shows that sleeping without a pillow can help reduce the pressure inside the eye.
This is especially important, since high pressure in the eye is one of the main causes of glaucoma, one of the most common reasons. of vision loss in the world.
How pillows affect eye circulation
Researchers explain that raising the head changes the position of the neck and can cause compression of the main veins that return blood from the head. This prevents the normal flow of eye fluid, which nourishes its structures and regulates internal pressure.
Since the pressure in the eye changes during the day and increases when we move from standing to lying down, the position during sleep becomes an important factor.
To analyze this effect, researchers from a university center in China included 144 people with glaucoma.
65 had common angle glaucoma. open
The study lasted six months and included detailed eye checks.
Eye pressure was measured every two hours over 24 hours, both while sitting and lying down.
When the participants lay down and their heads were raised at a 20–35 degree angle (as with two pillows), the results were clear:
67 percent of them showed increased eye pressure. eye
pressure was higher when the head was elevated than when it was flat
Decreased supply of oxygen and nutrients to eye tissues was also observed.
The study showed that young people were more likely to experience significantly increased eye pressure. The risk was also higher in patients with the most common form of glaucoma.
An additional analysis in healthy people showed that the use of pillows constricts neck veins and changes blood circulation, directly affecting the head area.
A simple change that can help
Although the study requires further confirmation, researchers believe that changing the position during sleep can be an additional aid in treatment.
They point out that, in addition to drug therapies or other procedures, behavioral changes can also play an important role.
People with glaucoma should avoid positions that bend the neck and increase pressure on its veins.
This simple change can be a practical way to help in the long-term management of the disease.
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Source: prizrenpost
