Holiday screen time and dry eyes

Time off work doesn’t always mean time off screens. A new tablet, a game console, a run of holiday movies and video calls with relatives far away can add up to more screen time than a working week, and eyes can feel it by the evening.

What’s going on

When you concentrate on a screen you blink less, and the tear film has longer to evaporate between blinks. Add a warm, heated living room, and the eyes dry a little faster still.

Building in breaks

• Every so often, look at something across the room for a little while.
• Pause between episodes instead of letting the next one autoplay.
• Take video calls from a chair that isn’t next to the heater.
• Put the console controller down at the end of each level or match.

Screens in bed

Scrolling in a dark bedroom tends to run long. If your eyes feel tired by the time you put the phone down, that’s a sign to wind down earlier rather than to push through.

Your routine on lazy days

Days without an alarm can lose their usual landmarks, which makes doses easy to skip. The directions are Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye, so linking them to meals, or to the first cup of coffee, keeps them on track.

Screens and your tear film explains the blinking side in more detail.