It is soothing to watch babies sleeping peacefully. However, many parents may notice their babies occasionally sleeping with their eyes open and wonder why it happens. However, you need not worry much, as most of the time, sleeping with the eyes partially or fully open is common and may not be associated with any ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ.
Why babies sleep with eyes open ?
- Gᴇɴᴇᴛɪᴄs: If someone in your family or your partner has this condition, there is a chance of your baby ɪɴʜᴇʀɪᴛɪɴɢ it .
- Mᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ Cᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴs: The second reason is not very popular and hardly occurs. In ʀᴀʀᴇ cases, it might be because of ᴛʜʏʀᴏɪᴅ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs, ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇd ғᴀᴄɪᴀʟ ɴᴇʀᴠᴇs or even some ᴛᴜᴍᴏʀs. If you notice your baby sleeping with eyes open for a long time at a stretch, go ahead and consult a ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ.
- (R̴E̴M̴) Rapid eye movement sleep : Babies’ sleep patterns are such that they have a longer R̴E̴M̴ sleep than adults due to an ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴇᴅ ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs sʏsᴛᴇᴍ. This could be one of the reasons your baby sleeps with their eyes open.
Is Sleeping With Eyes Open ʜᴀʀᴍful for a Baby? It looks ᴏᴅᴅ, but it’s normal. Is harmless, fairly common in infants, and doesn’t indicate that your child has a sleep problem.
What Should You Do About This?
- While there is no need to concern if your baby sleeps with his eyes open, we know as a new mother you will wonder how you can make your baby with his eyes closed. There are a few ways by which you can help your baby sleep with his eyes closed:
- Gently stroke his eyelids until they are closed. Make sure your little one has completely fallen asleep before you do this.
- Establish a strict sleeping cycle so that he gets used to a routine and learns to sleep without breaks or interruptions.
- Take your baby for an eye ᴇxᴀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ to make sure his eyes are sufficiently moist and that his ᴄᴏʀɴᴇᴀ is not ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇ. In some cases, humidification or application of eye ᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛs and drops may be necessary to prevent ᴄᴏʀɴᴇᴀʟ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇ. But it is best to check with the ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ.
