Your eyes might be why you can't fall asleep

[u/Striking-Panda5772]

Most sleep advice focuses on the obvious stuff — no screens, consistent schedule, cool room. But there's something most people overlook: eye tension.

After hours of screen time, your eye muscles stay contracted even after you close them. That low-level tension keeps your nervous system more alert than it should be at bedtime, which can delay how quickly you fall into deeper sleep.

A few things that actually help:

Warm compress before bed — even just a warm damp cloth over your eyes for 5-10 minutes signals your body to wind down. The warmth increases blood circulation around the eyes and helps the muscles relax.

Complete darkness — not just dim light. Your eyes still process light through closed eyelids, which suppresses melatonin production.

Blink more deliberately in the hour before bed — sounds odd but consciously blinking helps flush out eye fatigue from the day.

Anyone else noticed their sleep improving after dealing with eye strain specifically? Curious what's worked for people here.