A recent study revealed that sleeping without pillows will help individuals suffering from glaucoma in protecting vision.
A preliminary study suggests compiling pillows under the head at night may increase eye pressure to potentially harmful levels.
For the study, scientists followed 144 glaucoma patients, checking their eye pressure every two hours over an entire day.
Results indicated that when participants laid flat, intraocular pressure was significantly reduced; however, after stacking pillows under the head, the pressure was measured to be the highest.
Moreover, blood flow to the eye was also discovered to be decreased with higher elevation, a major concern because the optic nerve requires a proper nutrient and oxygen supply.
Scientists further revealed that stacked pillows change the neck position that compresses the jugular vein and interfere with natural fluid drainage from the eye.
Younger adults and people with the most common form — primary open-angle glaucoma — were found to be the most affected.
Notably, researchers stressed that skipping pillows shouldn’t be considered as a treatment for glaucoma medication or laser treatment, but avoiding some positions that bend the neck could be a low-cost solution to manage eye pressure overnight.
However, larger research is required to confirm the results.
