Kim Kardashian Recently Recalled One of Her Most Unusual (Kinda Scary) Sleep Habits

Just when I thought I’d heard it all when it comes to bizarre celebrity sleep habits, Kim Kardashian shocks us yet again. From Dakota Johnson’s 14 hours of sleep to Chrissy Teigen’s night eggs, you can’t make these celeb habits up and Kim is no exception.

The SKIMS founder and Keeping Up with the Kardashians star recently sat down on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to set the record straight on some of her most viral rumors, including one slightly scary rumor about how she sleeps.

As a member of one of the most famous families in Hollywood, Kim receives a lot of time in the spotlight, so it may come as no surprise that Kim sleeps with one eye open — literally. 

“You sleep with your eyes slightly open?” Jimmy Kimmel asked Kim in a recent interview. 

“I do! There’s footage because my sisters have taken videos and pictures,” Kim openly admitted. (1)

While the thought of sleeping with your eyes open might just creep you out, the condition is more common than you think.

How Common Is Sleeping with Your Eyes Open?

Celebrities… they’re just like us? When it comes to sleeping with your eyes open, this might just be true. 

Turns out, Kim is not alone. It’s estimated that around 5 percent of Americans also sleep with their eyes partially or fully open, according to experts. (2) 

This may not seem like much of the population, but this condition often goes underdiagnosed, so experts say that the percentage is likely higher than that. Many people often fail to realize that they have this condition since it is understandably difficult to realize your own sleep habits while you’re sleeping.

But if you suffer from dry eyes, there’s a higher chance that you might also have Kim’s habit. According to a recent study, 4.5 percent of those with dry eyes sleep with their eyes open to some degree. (3)

There’s actually a medical term for this condition: nocturnal lagophthalmos. 

What is Nocturnal Lagophthalmos?

It’s important to note that there are varying degrees of the condition. Not everyone with the condition sleeps with their eyes wide awake like you might expect.

Some people sleep with their eyes partially open and others can sleep with their eyes fully open. Kim falls into the first category. 

Kim also admitted that despite her habit, she hasn’t experienced any negative effects or dry eyes. (1) However, experts say that most other people who sleep with their eyes open tend to experience effects on their vision and sleep health.

Effects of Sleeping with Your Eyes Open

While Kim’s habit might just seem like a funny late-night show anecdote, it can actually have serious effects on your sleep and eye health over time, according to experts. (2)

We close our eyelids when we sleep in order to protect our eyes and keep them hydrated. So, when your eyes are slightly open, this can have damaging effects for your eye health.

Some effects of keeping your eye open may include:

• Eye pain (irritation, burning feeling)
• Dry eyes
• Blurry vision 
• Red eyes
• Sensitivity to light

Is It Bad to Sleep with Your Eyes Open?

Not only does sleeping with your eyes open hurt your eyes, it can also impact your sleep quality. 

So, how do our eyes relate to sleep?

We close our eyes when we sleep in order to block out light. So when you see light while you’re sleeping, it can disrupt your body’s natural rhythm (circadian rhythm). 

We rely on our circadian rhythm to tell our bodies when to fall asleep and when to get up, so light exposure can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. (2)

As a result, those who sleep with their eyes open tend to sleep less and have poor sleep quality compared to those who sleep with their eyes fully closed, according to research. (3)

Even though Kim is known for her pop culture influence, this is one habit that you might not want to pick up from the A-lister for the sake of your eyes and sleep quality.

Emma Ernst

Emma Ernst is an editorial intern at Sleepopolis. A rising senior at the University of South Carolina, studying public relations and Spanish, Emma is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and loves to talk about anything Midwestern!