Cataracts Affect Sleep and Cognitive Function, Says Study - Pepose Vision Institute

Cataracts Affect Sleep and Cognitive Function, Says Study

Posted by: Pepose Vision Institute in Cataracts on July 24, 2015

If you’ve been feeling tired and sleepy during the day, maybe it’s time to get that cataract surgery you’ve been putting off. A recent study found that people with cataracts often experience poor sleep quality.

Advanced cataracts can reduce the amount of light that reaches the retina in the back of the eye, and this may cause an abnormal circadian rhythm that affects sleep. Removing the cataracts lets the light come into the eyes again, which may bring circadian rhythm and sleep quality back to normal.

Besides improved sleep efficiency, patients in the study also had a 33 percent lower chance of being diagnosed with cognitive impairment. According to the researchers, people who have disturbed sleep patterns are more likely to be cognitively impaired.

The study, which took place in Japan, was presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in June of this year..


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