The importance of getting enough sleep has been emphasized in a whole lot of studies lately, and we've covered the subject again and again on this blog.
Inadequate sleep is linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other health problems. And, in response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as much as 72,000 automobile crashes and 6,000 deaths every year are attributable to sleep-deprived drivers.
But what about an excessive amount of sleep? Could it's bad for you too? According to A new studythe reply could possibly be yes.
More sleep, more strokes?
The researchers publish within the December 11, 2019, online issue of Neurology describe an evaluation of stroke risk amongst nearly 32,000 adults with a mean age of 62 years. The study authors compared stroke rates with subjects' self-reported sleep habits.
Their findings were surprising (at the very least to me) and included:
- Those who reported sleeping nine or more hours per night had a 23 percent higher risk of stroke than those that slept lower than eight hours per night.
- Those who napped for at the very least 90 minutes had a 25 percent higher risk of stroke than those that napped for lower than half-hour.
Poor sleep quality was also related to the next risk of stroke.
A mix of those aspects had a good more dramatic effect on stroke risk, including an 85 percent higher risk amongst those that slept at the very least nine hours per night. and in addition Took a day nap for at the very least 90 minutes. Similarly, the chance of stroke was 82 percent higher in those that slept more at night and had poorer sleep quality.
Does this mean that an excessive amount of sleep causes stroke?
If you're someone who sleeps greater than nine hours per night, takes long afternoon naps, and looks like your sleep quality is poor, these results could be disturbing. But before you are trying to alter your sleep habits, take into accout that this study didn't conclude that oversleeping actually does. reasons A stroke
This study found Association Between the chance of stroke and longer sleep, longer afternoon naps, or poorer sleep quality. But an association is just not the identical as causation. Rather than prolonged sleep duration resulting in stroke, there are other possible explanations for the findings. For example, individuals who sleep more at night or sleep more through the day can have other risk aspects for stroke, resembling:
- High incidence of depression. Excessive sleep or poor sleep quality could be symptoms of depression, and former studies have noted higher rates of stroke in depressed individuals.
- A more sedentary lifestyle. People who're inactive may sleep or sleep more and have higher cardiovascular risk aspects (resembling smoking or hypertension) than individuals who exercise usually. Past research has noted lower favorable levels of cholesterol and bigger waist circumferences amongst long sleepers and nappers.
- Sleep apnea. Longer sleep duration, more napping, and poorer quality sleep could also be more common in individuals with sleep apnea, a condition linked to an increased risk of stroke. In this latest study, subjects weren't asked about sleep disorders resembling insomnia.
In addition, this study had weaknesses which will call its findings into query or limit its applicability. These trusted self-reported sleep habits and quality, and included only middle-aged and older Chinese adults without prior cancer or heart problems. If others had been included within the study, the outcomes would have been quite different.
The bottom line
Sleep is a mysterious thing. It is commonly unclear why some people sleep roughly than others, or why certain sleep disorders (resembling insomnia or sleep apnea) affect many individuals while sparing others. At a time when the importance of getting enough sleep is being heavily emphasized within the media, this latest study raises the likelihood that an excessive amount of sleep may not at all times be thing. Still, we'll need additional research on the query of whether oversleeping is dangerous before making any firm recommendations for limiting sleep duration.