A groundbreaking new study has uncovered a surprising health benefit of sleeping without a pillow, particularly for individuals living with glaucoma. The research, published in the prestigious British Journal of Ophthalmology, indicates that this simple adjustment to sleep posture could significantly impact eye pressure management.
The Link Between Pillows and Eye Pressure
The comprehensive study focused on 144 glaucoma patients, meticulously measuring internal pressure in their right eyes every two hours over a 24-hour period. Researchers examined both sitting and lying positions, with particular attention to how different sleeping postures affected ocular pressure.
When participants' heads were elevated to between 20 and 35 degrees using two pillows, researchers made a crucial discovery. More than two-thirds of participants – specifically 67 per cent – experienced increased eye pressure when lying on pillows compared to lying completely flat. This elevation in pressure occurred within just ten minutes of adopting the pillow-supported position.
Understanding the Physiological Mechanism
The study suggests a clear physiological explanation for this phenomenon. Lying on pillows with the neck at an angle appears to compress the jugular vein, which serves as the primary blood vessel carrying blood from the head back to the heart. This compression potentially disrupts normal blood flow and contributes to increased pressure within the eye.
To further investigate this mechanism, researchers conducted ultrasound examinations on 20 healthy volunteers. These tests revealed that the high-pillow position caused "significant constriction" of the jugular vein's lumen – the hollow passageway through which blood normally flows freely.
Implications for Glaucoma Management
Glaucoma, which most commonly affects people over 50, typically develops when fluid accumulates in the front part of the eye, gradually damaging the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain. While often presenting without noticeable symptoms in early stages, the condition can lead to irreversible blindness if left untreated.
Researchers concluded that people with glaucoma "may benefit from avoiding sleeping postures" that cause jugular vein compression. They described adjusting sleep position as "a simple yet potentially effective" strategy for maintaining long-term internal eye pressure stability.
The pillow-supported position was also associated with increased fluctuation in eye pressure over 24 hours and a decrease in the pressure at which blood enters the eye, both factors that could potentially worsen glaucoma progression.
The Growing Prevalence of Glaucoma
This research emerges against a backdrop of increasing glaucoma prevalence in the United Kingdom. Recent estimates from researchers at UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital, using the most recent census data, suggest that approximately 1.1 million people in the UK currently live with glaucoma. This represents about three per cent of the population over age 40.
Previous estimates that suggested 700,000 UK residents had glaucoma "may not reflect the current population structure," according to the researchers. Looking forward, experts project that glaucoma cases could increase by 60 per cent, reaching approximately 1.6 million in the UK by 2060.
Practical Recommendations and Future Research
While the study's findings are compelling, researchers emphasize that further investigation is needed to fully understand the relationship between sleep posture and glaucoma management. The current research provides preliminary evidence that could lead to practical, non-invasive strategies for people living with this common eye condition.
For now, the study offers valuable insights into how everyday habits, like sleep positioning, might influence serious health conditions. As research continues to evolve, sleeping without pillows could become a recommended complementary approach for glaucoma patients seeking to manage their eye pressure effectively.
