Why Do Your Eyes Hurt When You Wake Up?

Updated on June 10th, 2026

Published on September 27th, 2023

If you are wondering why your eyes hurt when you wake up, it may be due to common eye conditions or problems such as dry eyes, eye allergies, eye strain and sleep-related eye issues. Waking up with eye pain can also be caused by eye injuries, angle-closure glaucoma, eye strain, recurrent epithelial erosion and eyelid inflammation. Symptoms can range from mild to severe depending on the initial cause; therefore, it is important to seek a professional examination from an optometrist if you are experiencing any pain or irritation or changes to your vision after waking up. We have qualified and knowledgeable optometrists at Oscar Wylee who can help diagnose a range of different eye problems, including eye pain in the morning or when waking up.

It should be noted that this information is general in nature and does not replace professional medical advice.

What Does it Mean If You Woke up With Eye Pain?

Eye pain upon waking can be caused by various conditions ranging in severity. It is important to consult an eye health professional. One of the most common causes of eye pain upon waking is dry eyes caused by reduced blink rate during your sleep, hence fewer tears to coat your eyes. The lacrimal gland secretes fluids that lubricate, clean and protect the surface of your eyes. Tears help to retain the eye’s moisture; therefore, with fewer tears, you may experience pain in your eyes when waking up.

How do Dry Eyes cause Pain in the Morning?

Dry eyes can cause pain in the morning due to the body producing fewer tears. Inadequate tears can disrupt the eye’s healthy moisture levels that help maintain lubrication when blinking, health and overall comfort. Dry eyes can leave the nerves in the eyes exposed and lead to a rough or gritty sensation as the eyelid brushes over the eye each time you blink. Additionally, if your eyes don’t close completely during sleep or you sleep with the fan or air conditioner on, this can cause dry air to circulate and result in moisture evaporating more quickly from your eyes.

How Can Eye Allergies Affect Your Eyes When You Wake Up?

Eye allergies may affect your eyes when you wake up by causing itchiness, redness, swelling, eye pain and watery eyes. Individuals may wake up with eye allergy symptoms when they open their eyes, waking up or soon after, potentially from causes such as dust or mould allergies or dry or cold air.

Can Blepharitis Cause Eye Pain When You Wake Up?

Yes, blepharitis can cause eye pain when you wake up, as it is inflammation of the eyelids and typically affects both eyes. Blepharitis can present symptoms such as red eyes, swollen eyes, crusted eyelashes and burning eyes. Blepharitis is commonly caused by bacteria that collect at the base of the eyelashes, or in the glands near the eyelids, according to Health Direct.

Can Conjunctivitis Cause Eye Pain in the Morning?

Yes, conjunctivitis can cause eye pain in the morning as it results in inflammation along with other symptoms such as swelling, itchiness, redness and watery eyes. Additionally, conjunctivitis can cause pus and mucus to secrete, which can accumulate and dry up as you sleep through the night, leaving a crust to develop along your eyelids. The dried crust can make it hard and/or painful when opening your eyes upon waking up

What Symptoms Can Occur Alongside Waking up with Eye Pain?

The symptoms that can occur alongside waking up with eye pain may include dry eyes, a gritty sensation, redness, swelling and watery eyes. The symptoms that can occur alongside waking up with eye pain are listed below.

Dry Eyes: Dry eyes can occur alongside waking up with eye pain as a potential underlying cause. When the eyes cannot produce quality tears or an insufficient amount of tears, the eyes can lose their moisture or struggle to maintain optimal moisture levels for comfort, health and protection from surface damage, abrasions and infections.
A Gritty Sensation: A gritty sensation can occur alongside waking up with eye pain due to the compromised tear film that coats the eye. The gritty sensation may also be described as a rough feeling in the eye when blinking.
Redness: Redness can occur alongside waking up with eye pain as the small blood vessels in the eye widen (dilate) in reaction to the broken-down tear film.
Swelling: Swelling can occur alongside waking up with eye pain as a consequence of different causes such as allergies, infections and fluid retention.
Watery Eyes: Watery eyes can occur alongside waking up with eye pain in response to a range of causes such as infections, allergies and inflammation. The lacrimal glands in the eyes also may be triggered to produce excessive tears in an attempt to eliminate the potential debris or foreign object felt inside the eye.

What Causes Eye Irritation in the Morning?

What causes eye irritation in the morning may include certain eye conditions, dry or cold air indoors or common household allergens such as dust, pet dander or pollen. Many different eye conditions may also trigger eye irritation in the morning such as eye allergies, dry eye, eye infections, foreign body in the eye, conjunctivitis and blepharitis.

How Does Recurrent Corneal Erosion Lead to Eye Pain in the Morning

Recurrent corneal erosion may lead to eye pain in the morning as this condition causes the outer layer of the cornea to detach from underlying layers. Recurrent corneal erosion results in an ongoing cycle of corneal surface damage and acute pain upon opening the eyelids.

How does Eye Strain from Screen Use Contribute to Morning Eye Discomfort?

Eye strain from screen use can contribute to morning eye discomfort. Digital eye strain is the term used to refer to eye strain from screen use, also leading to symptoms such as blurred vision, trouble focusing and headaches according to Health Hub QLD. If you have been looking at screens for a prolonged time, particularly at night, then it may be a factor for morning eye discomfort.

Can Sleeping with Contact Lenses Cause Morning Eye Pain?

Sleeping with contact lenses can cause morning eye pain. This is because sleeping with contact lenses can lead to a corneal infection, according to the Sleeping Foundation Australia. A corneal infection can lead to blurry vision, eye pain and discomfort, discharge and redness, amongst other symptoms, which you should consult an eye care professional immediately.

Can Morning Eye Pain be a Sign of a Serious Eye Condition?

Yes and no, morning eye pain may be a sign of a serious eye condition. However, this will depend on the severity of the pain and potentially other accompanying symptoms. Eye pain can stem from more minor issues such as dry eye or inflammation, or more serious conditions such as keratitis or angle-closure glaucoma. It is imperative to see an optometrist or medical professional if you are experiencing any eye pain so you can get a proper examination and diagnosis of any underlying conditions.

Common eye conditions that can cause eye pain when waking up.

How to Identify the Underlying Cause of Morning Eye Pain?

To identify the underlying cause of morning eye pain involves getting an eye test from an optometrist. To determine what might be causing morning eye pain, the optometrist will conduct a series of different tests that help them examine different parts of the eye and check the condition of your vision. During an eye test, the optometrist makes sure to look out for indicators of refractive errors, measuring the pressure inside the eye, checking for any damage on the optic nerve, looking at the back of the eye, at your blood vessels and assessing the health of your lens.

How do Sleep Habits Affect Eye Health Overnight?

Sleep habits may affect eye health overnight in that poor quality sleep may cause temporary eye health issues such as blurred vision, dry eyes or bloodshot eyes. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night is typically recommended for adults and is the time your eyes are able to rest and recover with sleep helping replenish important nutrients for the eyes.

How does Glaucoma Contribute to Eye Pain when Waking Up?

Glaucoma can contribute to eye pain when waking up due to the increased pressure in the eye. Glaucoma is defined as a group of eye conditions that cause vision loss due to optic nerve damage.

Can Nocturnal Lagophthalmos cause Eye Pain when Waking Up?

Yes, nocturnal lagophthalmos can cause eye pain when waking up as it refers to the inability to close your eyelids completely when sleeping. Nocturnal lagophthalmos can lead to dysfunction of the eye's tear film and dry eyes as it leaves the cornea exposed to external matter that could irritate or harm the eye, according to Takahashi, et al., (2020) in their research article titled, Nocturnal Lagophthalmos and Sleep Quality in Patients with Dry Eye Disease.

Can Sinus Problems or Headaches Cause Eye Pain in the Morning?

Yes, sinus problems or headaches can cause eye pain in the morning. Problems with the sinuses, such as sinusitis, refer to swollen sinus cavities in the nose. Sinusitis can cause eye pain by increasing the amount of fluid in the face and causing an uncomfortable pressure on or behind the eyes. Sinusitis may be most commonly caused by a cold or flu infecting the sinuses.

What Treatment Options Help Relieve Eye Pain After Waking Up?

The treatment options to help relieve eye pain after waking up can include artificial tears, antibiotics, antihistamines and warm compresses. However, it is important to seek care from an eye care professional. These are all effective treatment options that may help treat the initial eye condition that may be causing the eye to hurt after waking up. The treatments to relieve eye pain after waking up are listed below.

Artificial Tears: Artificial tears can be used to increase moisture in the eyes, which can help alleviate eye pain caused by dry eye. Using artificial tears for dry eye can take a few weeks to a month for effective treatment.
Antibiotics: Antibiotics can help treat eye infections and can come in the form of tablets or eye drops. Symptoms can start improving 3-4 days after starting antibiotics and are effective in treating eye infections.
Antihistamines: Antihistamines can aid in relieving allergies which may be the cause of eye pain due to the swelling that typically occurs. Antihistamines can be taken as a tablet or used as eye drops and usually take effect after 30 minutes.
Warm Compress: Warm compresses may be recommended to alleviate pain that can arise from certain eye conditions as it can improve the blood flow in the pain-inflicted areas. It also helps regulate oil production and helps prevent meibum blockages on the eyelid margins that can cause dry eyes.

A woman applying eye drops to relieve eye pain caused by an eye condition.

How to Treat Dry Eyes that Cause Morning Discomfort?

To treat dry eyes that cause morning discomfort, use artificial tear eye drops, increase bedroom moisture, use warm compresses and adjust heater or fan position. The steps to treat dry eyes that cause morning discomfort are listed below.

Use artificial tear eye drops: Use artificial tear eye drops to help add more moisture directly to the eye before going to sleep, which may help create a long-lasting moisture barrier throughout the night.
Increase bedroom moisture: Increase bedroom moisture if you have dry air at home by running a humidifier in the evening or before you go to sleep.
Apply a warm compress: Apply a warm compress to your eyes by making a warm damp washcloth to place over closed eyes for around 5-20 minutes.
Adjust heater or fan positions: Adjust your heater or fan position to ensure they are not pointed directly at your face to prevent your eyes and skin from easily drying up.

What Home Remedies May Help Relieve Eye Pain After Waking Up?

A home remedy that may help relieve eye pain after waking up may be applying a warm compress if the pain is associated with dry eyes. This may help with dry eye-related eye pain, as it can help improve tear quality after at least 20 minutes of application, according to Lee (2024).

How Does a Warm Compress Help Relieve Morning Eye Pain?

Applying a warm compress for 5 to 20 minutes can improve tear quality. According to Lee (2024), different types of warm compress methods can help achieve the target temperature in the eyelids after the recommended duration. However, it is important to note that this may only temporarily relieve symptoms as opposed to curing the condition.

When Should You See an Eye Doctor for Morning Eye Pain?

You should see an eye doctor for morning eye pain if it feels severe or unusual and is accompanied by a fever, headache, changes to your vision and nausea or vomiting. Eye pain after waking up may only be concerning if other symptoms occur at the same time or soon after.

How to Prevent Eye Pain when Waking up in the Morning?

To prevent your eye from hurting when waking up in the morning, you can try maintaining eye moisture, practising good hygiene, regularly taking anti-allergy medication and staying up to date with regular eye tests. The steps to take to prevent your eye pain when waking up in the morning are listed below.

Maintain eye moisture: Maintaining eye moisture can help prevent the development of dry eyes and general eye pain and irritation. It may be helpful to instil artificial tears in your eyes right before going to sleep to reduce the chances of your eyes drying out during the night.
Practise good hygiene: Practising good hygiene by washing your hands regularly and avoiding touching or scratching your eyes may lessen the likelihood of contracting any eye infections that can bring on pain.
Take your regular anti-allergy medication: Regularly taking anti-allergy medication can help prevent your allergies from progressing further, which prevents swelling and pain in your eyes.
Get regular eye tests: Regular eye tests can help with the early detection of any eye conditions that may trigger eye pain and can allow a quicker start on the prescribed treatment.

How does your Sleeping Environment Affect Morning Eye Health?

Your sleeping environment may affect your morning eye health as environmental factors can rapidly evaporate your natural tear film while you sleep. Using a bedroom fan, air conditioner, or heater can cause dry air to circulate or directly reach your face, parching the eye surface, especially if your eyelids can't shut completely.

How does Regular Eye Testing Help Prevent Morning Eye Pain?

Regular eye testing doesn't necessarily prevent morning eye pain, but it can help determine the underlying cause that may be causing morning eye pain. Eye testing is important for early detection of any eye conditions and ensuring your eyes and vision are in good health.

How Do Blue Light Glasses Help Prevent Morning Eye Discomfort?

Blue light glasses may not help prevent morning eye discomfort as they are designed to reduce blue light emitted from digital devices. Preventative measures may be more focused on maintaining or increasing moisture in the eye before sleeping, taking your regular anti-allergy medication if you experience allergies and managing related eye conditions.

Can Incorrect Prescription Glasses Cause Morning Eye Strain or Discomfort?

Yes, incorrect prescription glasses may cause morning eye strain or discomfort as your eyes will exert more effort to compensate, straining the muscles in the eye. If you were using incorrect prescription glasses late at night or right before sleeping, you may experience discomfort in the morning.

Read Why Do My Eyes Hurt When I Wake Up? 8 Causes and Their Treatments in other Oscar Wylee regions and their languages.