Sleep disturbances may increase a person’s risk of stroke, according to a new study. People who had trouble falling or staying asleep, snored, or had sleep apnea were more likely to have a stroke than those with normal sleep patterns.
Researchers gathered information about the sleep patterns of more than 4,500 adults. Roughly half of the participants had experienced a recent stroke.
They found that compared to participants who slept seven hours a night, those who slept fewer than five hours per night were more than three times as likely to have had a stroke, and those who slept more than nine hours were more than twice as likely to have had a stroke. Participants who had symptoms of apnea were roughly three times as likely to have had a stroke.
These findings suggest that disturbed sleep markedly increases a person’s risk of stroke. However, the researchers noted that it’s not clear whether sleep disturbances directly cause stroke, or if they are simply markers of other underlying health issues that increase the risk of stroke. Learn more about the health risks associated with poor sleep in this episode featuring Dr. Matthew Walker.
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