The prolonged heat of this summer has left me with another case of eyes so swollen and sore that I can barely see. Having the air of fans or AC blowing across them – even while I sleep – has caused a serious enough situation that I needed to take action.

I tried a bandana, but that didn’t work.

Not my image

If your eyes are bad enough, there are sleep goggles to keep your eyes hydrated at night.  They also make you look a bit like Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix.  The catch?  They are around $60+ shipping, and they only last a few months.

As an alternative, I found someone’s more economical suggestion of using clingy plastic wrap to cover your eyes.  I don’t have plastic wrap, so I borrowed some for  my nocturnal experiment.  That night I put a big blob of what amounts to ophthalmic petroleum jelly in my eyes, wrapped them up and tried to sleep.

The plastic wrap was hot and crackly, but it did clue in to something I hadn’t known before.  I had never realized that I open my eyes even before I fall asleep.  The plastic crackled every time I did, and I would force myself to close them again.  Sadly, the gel and the plastic wrap still did not solve my problem.

Yup, the next step was taping my eyes closed.

I am one of those lucky individuals who has a negative reaction to the adhesive on surgical tape and Band Aids.  This led me on a hunt for hypoallergenic tape that wouldn’t cause my eyes to swell shut.  (Although that probably would have solved my problem.)

Interestingly, while searching to tape, I found out that the latest fad is “mouth taping”.  Seriously.  It promotes breathing through your nose while you sleep, and it is supposed to cause you to sleep more deeply and wake more refreshed.  Imagine all those logopthalmic mouth breathers all taped up like mummies at night!

I still haven’t discovered a proper solution to my problem, but I’ve found that using tape and plastic wrap over my eyes gives the most comfortable results.  (My mom cringed when I told her that.  “Comfortable?” she asked.   Oddly enough, yes.)

Isn’t there someone out there who would like to adopt a little terrier? I am a good boy, and I don’t bark too much.  Please?

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Oil painting of Westie puppy.

Capture memories of your own furry companion with a pet portrait from L Bowman Studios.  Pet portraits make great gifts for birthdays or Christmas.  You can also order one as a loving tribute for a friend or family member who has lost someone dear to them.

Information about sizes and pricing are available at my website:  L Bowman Studios.