If you fall asleep very fast or have a difficult time falling asleep, you may want to see your eye doctor very soon, according to data collected from more than 6,700 people who completed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that results when nerves in the eye stop sending signals to the brain about what you are seeing. Too much sleep and too little sleep can both be a problem, according to the study.
Are You at Risk?
The study determined that many different factors may be key in determining if you have a higher risk of developing glaucoma.
Sleep More Than 10 Hours a Night
Those individuals self-reporting that they slept more than 10 hours a night were 300 percent more likely to develop glaucoma than those who slept seven hours a night.
Sleep Less Than Three Hours a Night
If insomnia keeps you awake at night so that you normally get less than three hours of sleep, then you are twice as likely to develop insomnia. Doctors say that the optimal amount of sleep to get if you are worried about glaucoma is seven hours.
Need More Than Nine Minutes to Fall Asleep
Scientists studying the data discovered that those individuals who took nine minutes or less were twice as likely to have developed glaucoma ten years after the study was completed.
Need More Than 30 Minutes to Fall Asleep
If you are one of those individuals who toss and turn before you get comfortable and fall asleep, then the researchers have determined you are also twice as likely to have developed glaucoma than those who took between 10 and 29 minutes to fall asleep.
You May Notice Changes First
Doctors know that those who experience glaucoma or other problems with their field of vision often notice the problems first. The same study found that those who reported being sleepy during the day had an increased risk of problems than their counterparts who reported normally feeling well rested during the day. People who self-reported that they had trouble engaging with their favorite pastime during the day because of sleepiness were found to be three times more likely to have some type of vision loss than those who reported no daytime sleepiness.
The team recommends that you see an eye doctor at 40 for a baseline evaluation. Then, you should follow their recommendations for future exams. If you are looking for an optometrist in Orlando, then consider Eyes of Winter Park. You will love their wide selection of frames if glasses are recommended. This optometrist in Orlando always maintains a very clean office and spends hours keeping abreast of the most recent research affecting your eyes. Make an appointment today to be seen at the conveniently located offices of Eyes of Winter Park.