Sleep and eyelids

[Gooble]

This is going to sound slightly messed up, but I'm sure you're all used to messed up things on the Escapist.

I had a dream last night where I was fighting someone, and grabbed on and was trying to tear they're eyelid off; woke up not long after, and the two things connected and got me thinking:

Could you fall asleep if you had no eyelids?

I don't know whether sleep is induced by darkness, which is obviously aided by your eyelids shutting out external light, or whether it is the act of closing your eyelids that induces sleep.

 

[SharPhoe]

...Would it surprise you to know that I've had the exact same thought once before?

 

[Beefcakes]

You'd have to have some sort of Gecko adaption so your eyes wouldn't dry out all the time...
But licking your own eyeballs can be a bit tricky
Interesting topic to ponder, none the less...

 

[Jovlo]

Well you can sleep with your eyes open.
I have a cousin who sleeps with her eyes open most of the time.
She also talks in her sleep which makes it even stranger.

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

Darkness I think. An eye patch would be just as good as eyelids. Some people manage to sleep with their eyes open too I think (don't know anyone who does that personally, but read/saw about it a couple of times). It might be a nuisance getting used to it, but sleep will eventually overcome you regardless of whether your eyes are open or closed I think.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I knew a guy who slept with his eyes open, so it would seem that closing one's eyes are not necessary for the process. That said, having no eyelids would likely have some serious repurcussions - you don't have a way to keep debris from them for example so frequent, painful (and possibly serious) eye damage would likely result. Not to mention having to constantly apply drops and whatnot.

 

[DigitalSushi]

can you sneeze with your eyes open though?

But no eyelids would dry out your eyes, you'd probably have to wear Abe Sapien style water goggles then!

 

[Matronadena]

all eyelids are really for is protection, they actually do nothing to aid, or detract from sleep.. other than while asleep you wont be able to protect your eyes so readily...and yes they hold in extra moisture, but again, not necessary for sleep, that's all melatonin driven.

 

[manaman]

I fell asleep at post one time, on a stool. Nobody realized. I believe it was for a few hours, before I finally slumped a little to much and started to fall off. Waking myself up.

I also talk in my sleep. When I was younger I would not only converse in my sleep, I would from time to time get up and start doing activities. I once dreamed I was leaving the house for work (I held a job when I was in high school).

What happened was I got dressed, slept walked out of my room to the door when my mother stopped me asked me what I was doing. I held a short conversion with her and then she told me to go back to sleep. I actually returned to my room and undressed before going back to sleep.

I woke up the next day, forgot about the dream, and since I was not dressed had no reason to think about it until the topic was brought up later in the day.

The thing I gotta wonder about is if anyone else has experienced sleep paralysis?

 

[Haydyn]

I've always wanted to be able to sleep with my eyes open. I would be one step closer in my master plan to becoming an insomniac.