I'm doing a study on it, and I'm interested in all the different names it has, Also, when you email, please include the state or region you are from. This should be fun, I look forward to hearing from you!

I call it eye sand (from the sandman). West Coast I always called them eye boogers. My dog gets them too.

Peoria, Illinois. sleep or eye boogers.I"m from the south i call it sleep matter

its a collection of dust etc

collected during the night

just like getting stuff in your nose

believe it or not we open our

eyes when we are sleeping Sleepys, or eye crust.

East Coast i have always just called it sleep./

Middleburg, Florida "protein deposits" or "eye discharge". Some people call it sleep dust, eye sh*t, sand, eye sleep, eye gunk, eye cheese, eye snot, and other things.

Honestly, there really isn't a medical term for it that I can find. It's simply protein that forms in the corner of your eyes...tears that become drier and then mucous like, as does mucous in one's nose.

And, of course, if the mucous in your eye dries out, it becomes hard and flakey (just as the mucous in your nose does). That's why it looks like sand.

Apparently you are not alone in wondering about the name for this stuff. Check out the two links below... Krusties My parents call that gunk in your eye "sleep." I call them eye boogers too here in Chicago....so does everyone else I know... My folks always called it "sleepies" or "eye jam"