You may experience tearing when lying on your side due to a combination of factors related to facial pressure and eye dryness.
Understanding the Cause of Tearing
When you lay on your side, your face is in direct contact with your pillow or bedding. This contact can cause several issues that lead to tearing:
- Slightly Open Eyes: The pressure against your face may cause your eyes to open slightly, even without you realizing it.
- Direct Pressure on Eyes: Your pillow or bedding can push against your eyes, forcing them open a bit more.
- Eye Dryness: As a result of your eyes being open, even slightly, they can dry out quickly, as the natural moisture evaporates.
When your eyes get dry, they respond by producing tears to rehydrate them, leading to excessive tearing.
Solutions
Here are a few actions to reduce tearing when lying on your side:
- Adjust Your Position: Try shifting your position slightly to reduce direct contact between your eyes and pillow.
- Choose a Supportive Pillow: Consider a pillow that supports your head without putting pressure on your face.
- Use a Silk Pillowcase: Some people find that silk pillowcases create less friction and are gentler on the skin, potentially decreasing pressure on the eyes.
- Lubricating Eye Drops: If the problem persists, you could use lubricating eye drops before going to bed to help prevent dryness.
Summary
The primary cause of tearing when lying on your side is the physical pressure that forces your eyes to open slightly, which in turn leads to dryness and subsequent tearing. Adjusting your sleeping position and using appropriate pillow can often resolve the issue.
| Cause | Effect | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Facial/Eye pressure | Eyes opening slightly | Adjust position, use supportive pillows |
| Dry eyes | Increased tearing | Lubricating eye drops |
| Pillow/bedding contact | Further pressure on eyes | Choose gentler pillowcase fabric, adjust position |
