Why Do Babies Rub Their Eyes When They're Tired?

When babies rub their eyes, it tells parents they’re tired and ready for bed or at least need a nap. But have you ever wondered what causes this? While we can’t get an answer from them because—well, they can't talk—the reason for this is probably the feeling of discomfort. Here’s everything you need to know.

Just like all of our muscles, the eye muscles also need rest when they've been working for too long. You might have noticed that your eyes feel more relaxed when you rub them. Babies use their eyes to explore the world around them, and they get easily tired. Little ones don't blink much either, so staring at different objects all day often dries the eyes.

Although eye rubbing helps us avoid discomfort, overdoing it isn't good as it can lead to vision issues. When we rub our eyes, we reduce blood pressure, which slows down our heart rate by more than 20%. That's because doing so stimulates the vagus and trigeminal nerves. This process is also known as an oculocardiac reflex. But why would a baby feel better with a reduced heart rate? The oculocardiac reflex can even lead to cardiac arrest. We can conclude that excessive eye rubbing isn't so healthy for babies, so make sure to put your little ones to bed as soon as they start doing it, because they're probably just worn out, just like adults who rub their eyes!