While the clear remedy for alleviating tired eyes is a good night’s rest, things like giving your eyes a break from screens and using an updated vision prescription can also offer relief. For all of you struggling to keep your eyes open, here are some tips to give your peepers some pep and rejuvenate your tired eyes.

1. Minimize Your Allergy Symptoms

Anyone who suffers from allergies knows they can turn your eyes into an itchy, watery mess. The reaction is caused by histamine, which is released when triggered by your individual allergen sensitivity. Histamine signals the dilation of blood vessels and sparks unforgiving itchiness in your nose and eyes that allergy sufferers know all too well.

The increased blood flow and itchiness caused by allergies result in swelling, which can leave your eyes looking puffy and fatigued. If you believe allergies are causing your eyes to look and feel tired, try taking an over-the-counter or prescription antihistamine to reduce your eye allergy symptoms.

For those with severe symptoms, try avoiding potential triggers during allergy season, such as working in the yard and opening windows in your home.

2. Give Your Eyes A Break From Screens

While technological and digital advancements have offered many benefits, the prevalence of screen use has taken a toll on our eyes. Incorporating both short and long breaks into your screen time can help relieve the symptoms of digital eye strain, such as dry and tired eyes.

The 20-20-20 rule is great for mini-breaks. Every 20 minutes of screen time, look up and stare at something 20 feet away from you (preferably not another screen) for 20 seconds. This 20-second pause gives the tiny muscles in your eyes a well-deserved rest.

Longer intervals where you get up and step away from your screen should be incorporated as well. Use each break as an opportunity to close your eyes while you stretch your legs, neck, and back. This will give your eyes a little power nap before they get back to staring at the screen.

SEE RELATED: What are blue light reading glasses?

3. Alternate Warm And Cool Compresses

Who knew tired eyes and a sprained ankle could benefit from the same treatment? Alternating warm and cool compresses doesn’t just help the appearance of tired eyes, it’s relaxing and allows you to pamper yourself.

The heat from a warm compress relaxes strained and exhausted eye muscles, which makes tired eyes feel better. The chill of a cool compress increases blood flow to the eyes and reduces puffiness and swelling, which makes eyes appear more alert and awake.

While alternating warm and cool compresses is easy and effective for helping tired eyes, it’s only a temporary solution. You should try to pinpoint the underlying cause of your tired eyes and work toward a more permanent remedy.

4. Keep Your Eyes Hydrated

Dryness could be the culprit behind your drowsy-looking eyes. Dry eyes can happen on account of many things, including your diet, age, and the medications you take — all of which can make it difficult for your eyes to stay hydrated.

If you find that your eyes feel dry, the first thing you can try is to blink more, especially during screen time. Blinking is the eye’s natural way of keeping moist and clean, so blinking more frequently may help.

If blinking doesn’t do the trick, artificial tears can be a great source of relief and help your eyes look clearer and brighter. Not sure which eye drops will work best for you? Ask your eye doctor which brands they recommend and work from there.

Drinking plenty of water is a sure-fire way to hydrate your body and your eyes. Typically, when you’re dehydrated, the first place it’s shown is your eyes and your skin by reflecting a dull, exhausted appearance. Increasing your water intake not only improves your eyes, it improves your overall health.

5. Make Sure Your Prescription Is Up To Date

If it’s been a while since your last eye exam, there’s a good chance that an outdated prescription is making your eyes look and feel tired. For most people, vision changes over time — a three-year-old prescription may not work for your current corrective needs and, in turn, is straining your eyes.

It’s recommended that unless you have an underlying condition that requires more attention, you have a comprehensive eye exam every two years. An eye care professional will be able to evaluate your tired eyes and find a solution, either with an updated vision prescription or other recommendations.

If you haven’t needed glasses before, it’s possible your vision has changed — your eyes feel tired now because they need corrective lenses to see properly. The only way to find out is by scheduling a visit with an eye doctor.

TIME TO UPDATE YOUR VISION Rx? Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you.

Between your computer, your tablet, and your smartphone, these days you’re probably spending more and more time staring at screens. You’ve seen those special computer glasses, but you can’t help but wonder: Do they really make any difference? Are computer glasses worth it?

According to the Vision Council, more than two-thirds of us suffer from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). The cause of computer vision syndrome is too much time in front of digital screens. The temporary symptoms include dry eyes, red eyes, blurred vision, eye twitches, fatigue, headaches, and even back and neck pain.

Taking frequent breaks can help alleviate CVS. But experts agree: A pair of blue light glasses is a wise investment that can help with CVS. Here’s why:

Computer Glasses Minimize Screen Glare

Light bouncing off the glass of your digital screen can create a glaring obstacle to proper vision. Digital screens also emit blue light, which is difficult for our eyes to filter. Because of this, our eyes can become susceptible to the temporary symptoms of CVS listed above. Computer glasses come with many different lens features, but the main purpose is to keep screen glare to a minimum. Our Readers.com® computer glasses have lightly tinted lenses and an anti-reflective coating to help reduce your eyes’ exposure to the digital screen’s glare.

Pick the Right Computer Glasses Lens Strength

Most prescription eyewear corrects for near vision, far vision, or both. Non-prescription reading glasses are designed for close-up work. However, most of us position our computer screens in an intermediate zone about two feet in front of us, which is further than most of us hold our reading material. Because of this, it is important to be sure you order the correct power in your computer reading glasses? We recommend purchasing computer reading glasses in a power that is half of your standard reading power. See the chart below for more information based on the distance of your computer or digital screen.

Help Avoid Bad Posture Habits

Many of us try to compensate for less than perfect mid-range vision by leaning forward in our chairs. We also crane our necks back so we can see the tops of our screens through the bottoms of our prescription or bifocal readers. These ocular gymnastics can be a literal pain in the neck. Sound familiar? If the answer is yes, a pair of computer glasses may definitely be worth a try.

For even more reading on computer glasses, check out our post on how computer glasses work. You can also learn how to make those tiny smartphone and tablet screens easier to read using our prevent eye fatigue tips.

Shop Computer Glasses ›

Disclaimer: All references to “bifocals” herein refer to readers having unmagnified lenses containing a “bifocal style” single powered reading glass insert located in the lower portion of the lenses.

The term eye strain is perhaps something we’ve been conditioned to take a little too lightly. In today’s technology-centered world, eyestrain is very common, and plenty of people go to bed each night with tired, aching eyes after staring at computer (or tablet, iPad, smartphone, television — you name it!) screens all day long.

But just because something is common, doesn’t mean it should be ignored! Digital eye strain is uncomfortable and can lead to more damaging problems with your overall health. Give your eyes the break they deserve! Here are 10 optometrist-approved tips to beat eye strain.

1. Schedule regular eye check-ups

If you’re experiencing eye discomfort of any sort, schedule a visit to your eye doctor.

2. Keep eyedrops handy

Keep a bottle of lubricating eye drops handy and use as directed. This will help keep your eyes moist and irritant-free throughout your busy day.

3. Wear reading glasses

If you need reading glasses, wear them! If you don’t, you risk hurting your eyes even more by constantly straining to focus. Not sure what power you need? Use our power finder to find the right magnification for you, and take these at-home tests to find out if it’s time to wear a pair.

4. Eat lunch away from your computer

Get away from your computer and do another activity! Take a stroll with coworkers during your lunch break, play Scrabble with the kids, learn a new hobby, or cook a delicious meal. Your eyes will always welcome these breaks — and your happiness will, too!

5. Never sleep in contact lenses

Never sleep in your contact lenses! To give your eyes an additional break, alternate wearing glasses and contacts throughout the week.

6. Set a timer to rest your eyes

Set a timer to remind yourself to look away from your computer, television, iPad, or cell phone screen every 15 minutes. It doesn’t have to be for long, just enough time for your eyes to relax and focus on something else.

7. Get a good night’s sleep

Get a good night’s sleep every night so your eyes feel just as awake as you are!

8. Wear computer glasses

If you’re a frequent computer user, grab a pair of our computer glasses. The lenses in computer glasses are specifically designed to combat the harsh strain a computer screen places on your eyes. Learn more about the benefits of computer glasses.

9. Get your daily dose of fruits and veggies

Eat well to maintain healthy vision. Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein all contribute to overall eye health. Learn more about the foods that promote healthy vision.

10. Do something active every day

Make time for daily exercise. Not only does physical activity promote an overall healthy lifestyle, but your eyes will also thank you for the daily break. Go to a yoga class, take a bike ride around the block, or grab a friend for a round of tennis.

We hope this post will help you toward your goal of happier, healthier eyes! What eye strain tip is the most helpful for you? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook — we love to hear from you!