Blinking is the act of closing and opening our eyelids subconsciously. Adults blink 10-20 times a minute whereas children blink twice every minute. Adults change the frequency of blinking depending upon the activity they are doing. When reading, watching television or even listening to an interesting podcast, we blink as little as 3-8 times a minute. We also blink more when in pain, when exposed to bright light, or due to changes in temperature and humidity and even conversation.
Blinking is very important for a variety of reasons:
1 . Blinking cleans the eyes
One of the primary purposes of blinking is to clean the eyes. Blinking creates tears that wash all the dirt, dust and rheum in the eyes.
2 . Blinking moisturizes the eyes
Every time you blink the moisture is trapped in the eyes ensuring our eyes don’t get sore and dry. This is particularly important for contact lenses wearers as eyes feel irritated by the foreign object. Blinking moisturizes and reduces friction from the contact lenses ensuring clear and unencumbered vision.
3 . Blinking replenishes nutrients in the eyes
Blinking helps in replenishing nutrients and tear film to our eyes preventing infections and providing clear sight.
4 . Blinking increases creative thinking
Blinking helps access the “default mode network”, which the part of our brain which is involved in creative thinking.
5 . Blinking can improve focus and assimilation
Blinking can improve your focus as closing your eyes gives the brain the signal that this is an “Internal activity” and therefore shuts down the external onslaught of information and helps focus. They are like punctuation marks of the mind, signaling a pause in the activity in your head.