How poor sleep could make you go blind

By Alice Clifford via SWNS

Poor sleep could make you go blind, according to a new study.

Too much or too little shut-eye, experiencing daytime sleepiness or insomnia, and snoring, can all increase the risk of developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged. It can lead to complete blindness if not treated early enough.

The disease is a leading cause of blindness and will likely affect around 112 million people across the globe by 2040.

The researchers studied 409,053 people from a UK Biobank. The group of people were all aged between 40 to 69 when they were recruited in 2006-2010 and had provided detail of their sleeping behaviors.

Scientists used information about their sleep patterns as well as background information such as age, sex, lifestyle, weight, ethnicity, educational attainment and where they lived.

After monitoring the participants for just over 10.5 years, 8690 cases of glaucoma were identified.

Those with glaucoma tended to be older and more often male. They also were more likely to be smokers, and to have high blood pressure or diabetes than those who weren’t diagnosed with the disease.

The study found that short or long sleep, insomnia, snoring and frequent daytime sleepiness increased the chances of developing the disease.

Those who slept above or below seven to nine hours were eight percent more likely to suffer from glaucoma, while those with insomnia were 12 percent more likely.

People who snored had a four percent greater chance and people who were often sleepy in the day had a 20 percent greater risk of developing the disease.

Snorers and those who experienced daytime sleepiness were ten percent more likely to have glaucoma, while insomniacs and those with a short or long sleep duration pattern were 13 percent more likely to have it.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Open, found many potential explanations for their findings.

The pressure on the eye when lying down is a key factor in the development of glaucoma. Also repeatedly taking in low levels of oxygen, which is caused by snoring and sleep apnoea, can damage the nerve in the eye.

Insomnia can also play a part. The sleep hormones of those suffering from insomnia go out of kilter, which can affect the eye. Depression and anxiety also often go hand in hand with insomnia and can increase internal eye pressure.

Yet, researchers acknowledge that there is potential that glaucoma might influence sleep patterns, rather than the other way around.

The findings underscore the need for sleep therapy in people at high risk of the disease as well as eye checks among those with chronic sleep disorders to check for early signs of glaucoma.

Dr. Huan Song, a professor at West China Biomedical Big Data Center at West China Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and one of the authors of the study, said: “As sleep behaviors are modifiable, these findings underscore the necessity of sleep intervention for individuals at high risk of glaucoma and potential ophthalmologic screening among individuals with chronic sleep problems to help prevent glaucoma.

“The findings underscore the need for sleep therapy in people at high risk of the disease as well as eye checks among those with chronic sleep disorders to check for early signs of glaucoma.”

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation of China.