Eyelids and Nocturnal Lagophthalmos
Your eyelids provide a barrier, allowing tears to lubricate the surface of your eyes. Along with nutrients, tears have natural antibiotics to help kill viruses and bacteria. When the barrier is broken, your eye becomes exposed to the outside environment and the tear film begins to evaporate almost immediately. When this occurs night after night, your eyes can become inflamed and the cornea and conjunctiva may form dry spots, ulcers and even scarring if not treated.