Defeating Undereye Dark Circles

What causes dark circles? Sometimes we wake up to them in the morning, and other times they're more persistent than that. Dark circles under the eyes can come from family history, allergies, or lifestyle influences like excessive sun exposure. One of the most common causes of dark circles is a lack of sleep.

Connecting a Lack of Sleep to Dark Circles

Why does a lack of sleep cause dark circles under the eyes? We sleep to let our bodies recoup. Sleeping is a time for rest and maintenance to prepare the body for the next day. Without an adequate amount of sleep, people can start noticing fluid building up under the eyes (also known as venous pooling), which causes them to look puffy. This puffy fluid-filled space can create shadows on the face which become the notorious dark circles.

What If You Think You Get Enough Sleep?

If you get to bed on time every night and consistently get your recommended eight hours of sleep, you might be asking why you still get dark circles. Unfortunately, a lot of people aren't getting the sleep they think they are. One explanation might be that you're one of the estimated 17 million people suffering from undiagnosed sleep apnea.

Try Lip-Taping

1. Before trying lip-taping for the first time, close your mouth and place a strip of tape over your lips while you're awake to practice breathing through your nose for three minutes.
2. After a successful trial run, place a strip of tape over your mouth at night before going to sleep. While you're sleeping, this will encourage you to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.
3. When you wake up, you should feel more well-rested and alert.
4. Repeat this process to enjoy better sleep.

Besides physically preventing you from breathing through your mouth, lip-taping allows you to enjoy the advantages of nasal breathing. One of those advantages is an increase in nitric oxide production, which can help reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and improve memory.

Sleep Better and Beat Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea

People who regularly wake up with dark circles under their eyes after getting what they thought was a full night's sleep may be suffering from sleep apnea. If this happens to you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Wallace by calling our office at (843) 410-0345 or filling out our contact form.

What causes dark circles? Sometimes we wake up to them in the morning, and other times they're more persistent than that. Dark circles under the eyes can come from family history, allergies, or lifestyle influences like excessive sun exposure. One of the most common causes of dark circles is a lack of sleep.