| Due to very brief but frequent eye closures that occur throughout the day, you spend about 10% of your waking hours with your eyes closed. The most significant contributor to this, as you may have guessed, is blinking. On average, humans blink 15 to 20 times per minute, with each blink lasting about 0.1 to 0.4 seconds. This may seem insignificant, but we can blink as many as 16,000 times a day while we're awake — which adds up to a hefty amount of daytime shut-eye (anywhere between roughly 27 and 107 minutes). Apart from blinking, we also close our eyes during various conscious activities. We tend to close our eyes while thinking deeply, concentrating, or trying to recall information. Researchers believe eye closure can help focus our attention inward, allowing our brains to allocate more processing power to internal cognitive tasks. Studies have shown people often perform better on memory and problem-solving tasks with their eyes closed, and they can also unlock a deeper level of creativity. We sometimes close our eyes during emotional moments, too (including while laughing or crying), and during involuntary physical actions such as sneezing. For some people, prayer, meditation, and relaxation exercises may also add to the amount of time spent with eyes closed. And there are plenty of other brief moments in which you might shut your eyes, whether it's while savoring food, listening to music, washing your face, or applying makeup. Environmental factors such as bright sunlight, wind, or dust can also trigger moments of protective eye closure. This all adds up to a surprising amount of time you spend with your eyes shut while fully awake. | 
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