There are some questions that we ask ourselves spontaneously, such as: which came first, the chicken or the egg? Why is the sky blue? How many times do we blink per day? Today, you are going to learn more about blinking, and the answer will blow your mind! And you'll be able to see if you blink enough!
We blink 19,200 times a day: that's a lot
Let's do a little math (nothing crazy, don't worry). We blink on average 20 times per minute, which is 1,200 times per hour (20 x 60 minutes). If we estimate that the average person sleeps 8 hours a night, they will blink 19,200 times a day (1,200 x 16 hours). Knowing that the average duration of a blink is 150 milliseconds (or 0.15 seconds), you spend 48 minutes a day with your eyes closed (19,200 x 0.15 = 2,880 seconds / 60 = 48 minutes).
Phew, math over! In summary, you spend 48 minutes of your waking time with your eyes closed. That's a pretty long nap, isn't it?
The logical function of blinking
Nature does things well, and if we blink so often, there is a reason. In fact, for several reasons:
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🧹 To clean the eye of debris and impurities that accumulate throughout the day;
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💦 To hydrate the eye thanks to the lacrimal fluid deposited by the eyelid with each blink;
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🌬 To oxygenate the eye, once again, thanks to the lacrimal fluid;
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🧼 To disinfect the eyes with the help of enzymes contained in the lacrimal fluid.
All these reasons help you have healthy eyes, avoid dry eyes, and prevent diseases like infections.
Do I blink enough?
The question seems trivial, but it carries a lot of meaning. Indeed, if you tend to have burning eyes, headaches, and red eyes, it is very possible that you do not close your eyelids enough during the day. This happens when you are focused on a task, especially in front of a screen.
Dry eyes can also be caused by other factors such as:
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Age;
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The environment;
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Taking medication;
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Diseases affecting the creation of lacrimal fluid;
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Wearing contact lenses.
So, to preserve your eyes, here are some tips:
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📺 Limit your screen time by taking breaks every hour;
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💆♀️ You can give yourself eyelid massages to relieve your eyeballs;
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💧 Use saline solution to clean your eyes.
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🤓 Wear anti-blue light glasses (they protect against dust and screens).
Of course, if symptoms persist, consult a healthcare professional.
It is also possible that you blink a little too much, for several possible reasons:
- Stress or the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, or sugar;
- Dry eyes;
- A tic (which is more common in children);
- Fatigue (did you know that car safety systems that alert you when they detect that you are tired rely on more frequent blinking when you are tired!);
- Blepharospasm, which is a disorder causing uncontrolled eyelid closure.
Does blinking allow for rest during the day?
So yes, blinking is scientifically called "nictation", and no, it's not an insult. This reflex function of our body supposedly has a deeper reason than just cleaning the eyes.
We spend 48 minutes a day with our eyes closed because of blinking.
Since the human body is well-designed, closing our eyes so often should bring us something else. This is the question that Japanese scientists asked themselves, specifically Dr. Tamami Nakano, a neuroscience specialist at Osaka University.
Dr. Tamami and her team have released two interesting studies about blinking.
Blinking might allow our brain to rest
First of all, you can see the study (in English) here. This study suggests that a human blinks much too often for the sole purpose of lubricating the eyeball. By looking further, it seems that closing the eyes for a few milliseconds allows the brain to go into "default mode." This is at least what Dr. Tamami's team observed.
🧠 This would mean that the brain rests a little every time we blink!
Blinking occurs more often at certain times
Dr. Tamami's second study observes the synchronization or lack thereof of blinking in a group of individuals watching the same movie. The result is that individuals tend to blink when attention is not required. For example, during a shot change, when the main actor leaves, or when an action scene concludes. Conversely, subjects do not blink during important scenes or when a story is being narrated.
This would therefore mean that blinking plays a role in the brain's attention to what is around us. Our brain understands when no information should be missed and inhibits blinking.
Final word: how many times do we blink per day
As we have seen, we blink for good reasons. It is not a silly question because even researchers ask themselves about the justifications for this phenomenon. Nevertheless, keep in mind that we blink 20 times per minute on average, which allows us to keep our eyeball healthy. Furthermore, blinking may allow the brain to rest and manage our attention.
