Cataracts Affect Sleep and Cognitive Function, Says Study
June 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.
from AllAboutVision