According to a new study by the American Academy of Neurology, both a lack of sleep and excessive sleep can increase the risk of stroke, particularly in older adults. In addition, several sleep issues, such as poor sleep quality, snorting, snoring, and sleep apnea, can also raise the risk of stroke.
Although the study doesn’t provide a direct link between sleep problems and stroke, it suggests a clear connection between the two issues. Experiencing five or more sleep problems increases the risk of stroke by almost five times.
The study’s author, Christine McCarthy from the University of Galway in Ireland, notes that their findings indicate that having individual sleep problems may increase the risk of stroke. Moreover, individuals with at least five symptoms have increased stroke risk compared to those without sleep problems.
Researchers surveyed 4,496 individuals, with an average age of 62, including 2,243 who had a history of stroke and 2,253 who did not. Participants provided information regarding their sleeping habits, such as the duration and quality of their sleep, and any breathing issues during sleep, such as snoring.
A study found that sleeping less than five hours and sleeping more than nine hours a night significantly increases the risk of stroke. Individuals who sleep less than five hours per night are three times more likely to have a stroke than those who get the recommended amount of sleep (seven hours). Meanwhile, those who sleep more than nine hours have double the risk of a stroke compared to those who sleep seven hours a night.
According to a study, the risk of stroke was higher for individuals who had a habit of napping for more than one hour, snored or had sleep apnea. For example, the risk of stroke increased by 88% for those who took naps for more than an hour, 91% for those who snored, and three times for those with sleep apnea after accounting for other risk factors.