Why Do My Eyes Feel Heavy and Tired All the Time? Causes and Fixes (UK)

Why do my eyes feel heavy and tired?

“Heavy” can mean sleepy eyelids that want to close, or eyes that feel strained and achy even when you’re wide awake. The everyday causes:

1. Not enough sleep. Heavy eyelids and yawning are often the first sign of a short night. In a Swedish study, people photographed after 31 hours awake were rated as having more hanging eyelids and redder, more swollen eyes. See sleep deprivation.
2. Screen use and eye strain. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says long periods of screen work can cause tired eyes, discomfort and headaches, but does not cause permanent damage. One review estimates digital eye strain may affect 50% or more of computer users.
3. Dry eyes. The NHS lists itchy, sore, gritty, red or blurry eyes. Screens without breaks, heated or air-conditioned rooms, contact lenses, smoking and alcohol all make it more likely. See dry eyes: causes and what helps.
4. Allergies. Hay fever causes itchy, red or watery eyes and can leave you feeling tired. Indoors, dust mite allergy is a common year-round cause.
5. Alcohol. The NHS lists drinking alcohol as something that makes dry eyes more likely, and advises not drinking too much if you’re often tired. See alcohol and sleep.
6. Needing glasses, or an old prescription, so your eyes work harder to focus. A sight test will show this.

Causes at a glance

This table is based on the NHS pages for each condition. It is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Heavy eyes all the time, even after sleep

If more sleep doesn’t fix it, the NHS lists these as possible causes of ongoing tiredness:

• Sleep apnoea: loud snoring, gasping or choking noises at night and feeling very tired during the day. See sleep apnoea.
• Iron deficiency anaemia: lack of energy, palpitations, shortness of breath and pale skin. See iron deficiency symptoms.
• Thyroid problems: an underactive thyroid commonly causes tiredness and weight gain.
• Migraine: early symptoms such as feeling very tired and yawning a lot can start hours or up to 2 days before the headache. See migraine.
• Medicines: drowsy antihistamines can make you sleepy, and some antidepressants and blood pressure medicines can dry the eyes. Don’t stop a prescribed medicine without advice.

Rarely, droopy eyelids, sometimes with double vision, can be a sign of myasthenia gravis. The NHS says its muscle weakness tends to be worse when you’re tired and better after rest. See a GP if this sounds like you. For the wider picture, read our guide to feeling tired all the time.

Heavy eyes in the morning

Waking with heavy, tired eyes usually comes down to one of these:

• A short or broken night, including after alcohol.
• Dry eyes, made worse by central heating overnight.
• Blepharitis: the NHS lists sore, itchy eyelids and eyelids sticking together when you wake up.
• Allergies to dust mites or pets in the bedroom.
• Snoring or sleep apnoea, which breaks up sleep without you noticing.

If you also look puffy or shadowed in the morning, see dark circles under eyes.

One eye or eyelid feels heavy

A heavy feeling in one eye is often a stye (a small, painful lump on the eyelid that usually goes within a week) or blepharitis. A drooping upper eyelid is called ptosis. Moorfields Eye Hospital says it can affect one or both eyes and can come with age, long-term contact lens wear or eye surgery.

A droop that comes on suddenly is different. Call 999 if one side of the face droops, including the eyelid or the corner of the mouth, as this can be a stroke. Remember FAST: face, arms, speech, time to call 999. For a fluttering lid rather than a heavy one, see eye twitching.

Heavy eyes with dizziness or blurred vision

Feeling dizzy with heavy eyes is most often down to tiredness, dehydration, stress or a migraine. The NHS lists migraine, dehydration, stress and anxiety, and iron deficiency anaemia among common causes of dizziness. See anxiety and dizziness.

See a GP if you’re dizzy and also have double vision, blurred vision or other changes in your eyesight. Call 999 if dizziness comes with face drooping, weakness or numbness on one side, slurred speech or sudden loss of sight. A dull ache behind tired eyes is covered in headache behind the eyes.

How to stop your eyes feeling heavy

1. Rest your eyes. Close them for a few minutes, or look out of a window.
2. Use the 20-20-20 rule at a screen (below).
3. Warm compress. The NHS suggests a flannel soaked in warm, not hot, water pressed gently on the eyelids, then a gentle lid massage.
4. Lubricating drops. A pharmacist can suggest eye drops, gels or allergy medicines.
5. Give your contact lenses a break and wear glasses for a day or two.
6. Fix your sleep. The NHS suggests the same sleep times, 6 to 9 hours, and no screens in the hour before bed.
7. Take a short walk in daylight rather than a third coffee if the afternoon is when your eyes get heaviest.

Screen settings that help

• 20-20-20: the College of Optometrists says every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. In a small study of 29 computer users, reminders to do this reduced eye strain symptoms, but the benefit faded once the reminders stopped, so make it a habit.
• Screen just below eye level and 40 to 75cm away, as the College of Optometrists advises.
• Make text bigger rather than leaning in.
• Cut reflections and glare from windows and overhead lights.
• Remember to blink regularly, especially when concentrating.
• Ask about screen glasses. The College of Optometrists says some people need glasses for screen use even if they don’t need them otherwise.
• At work: the HSE says employers must arrange and pay for an eye test for display screen users who ask for one. Supplements sold for the eyes won’t fix screen strain: see do eye health supplements work?

Wondering about blue light lenses? Our blue light glasses guide looks at what the research shows.

Optician, pharmacist, GP, 111 or 999?

Based on NHS advice:

NHS sight tests are free if you’re 60 or over and for some other groups. Don’t drive yourself to A&E with a sight problem.

Where Evopure fits (honestly)

None of our products are for your eyes, and rest, screen breaks, a sight test and your GP come first. Where we can help is the sleep and energy side. Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a caffeine-free evening berry drink with magnesium bisglycinate and citrate (290mg of magnesium per serving), glycine and L-theanine. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. More in magnesium for energy.

For a warm afternoon drink instead of another coffee, our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a reishi hot chocolate with cacao and maca. It contains a little natural caffeine from the cacao, and reishi has no authorised health claims. Our Flow CBD Oil combines broad spectrum CBD with ashwagandha and maca in MCT oil, for people who already include CBD in their day.

iOur products are for adults (18+) only. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you take any medication, check with your GP or pharmacist first.

If it’s constant yawning rather than heavy eyes, read excessive yawning: causes and when to worry.