As summer winds down and those back-to-school checklists start filling up, remember to add an eye health review alongside backpacks and pencils. Monitoring your child’s vision habits can lead to sharper focus, fewer headaches, better sleep, and even improve learning. Bonus: these tips benefit adults too.

⎭ Get Outside: Sunlight helps trigger vitamin D production. It also tells the eyes when to stop growing, which helps prevent myopia (nearsightedness). With more time spent indoors and on screens, outdoor play is more important than ever. Aim for at least 90 minutes a day in natural light to support healthy eye development.

⎭ Manage Screentime: Our eyes were not made to use screens or to look at objects closely more than 10% of the time, yet in today’s world it is almost unavoidable. The good news? You can reduce eye strain and protect vision with the 20/20/20 Plus Rule: every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds, plus blink firmly 5 times. Also, keeping screens at the right working distance improves comfort and eye health (15 inches for books/phones, 25 inches for computers).

⎭ Focus on Nutrition: Eyes are the most nutrient-hungry part of the body, so what we eat has a big impact on eye health. Fuel them with a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits, healthy fats (like olive oil, coconut oil, or beef tallow), and plenty of protein. Avoid processed food and seed oils (like canola or corn). While whole foods are best, it is tough to get enough omega-3s and macular pigments from diet alone. Supplementing these can help support both vision and brain health.

⎭ Prioritize Sleep: Your eyes are actually a part of your brain, and both need proper rest to repair and function properly. Aim for 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep each night, longer for growing kids. A well-rested brain means more focused eyes. 

⎭ Check Your Vision: No back-to-school checklist is complete without a comprehensive eye exam. Make sure your child’s optometrist checks for neurodevelopmental vision issues, not just clarity. Many learning challenges are linked to vision problems that basic screenings miss.

Healthy vision is about more than seeing the board clearly. It’s about thriving in and out of the classroom. With a little prevention, the right habits, and a yearly check-in, you’ll set your child (and yourself!) up for success all year long.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Sponsored articles are submitted by our advertisers. The advertiser is solely responsible for the content of this article.