The importance of getting enough sleep has been emphasized in tons of of studies in recent times, and we've covered the subject persistently on this blog.
Inadequate sleep is linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other health problems. And, in accordance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as much as 72,000 automotive crashes and 6,000 deaths every year are attributable to sleep-deprived drivers.
But what about an excessive amount of sleep? Could or not 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 (not less than 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 not less than 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 mixture of those aspects had an excellent more dramatic effect on stroke risk, including an 85 percent higher risk amongst those that slept not less than nine hours per night. and in addition Took a day nap for not less than 90 minutes. Similarly, the danger 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 appears like your sleep quality is poor, these results will be disturbing. But before you are attempting to vary your sleep habits, bear in mind that this study didn't conclude that oversleeping actually does. reasons A stroke
This study found Association Between the danger of stroke and longer sleep, longer afternoon naps, or poorer sleep quality. But an association isn't 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 could have other risk aspects for stroke, reminiscent of:
- High incidence of depression. Excessive sleep or poor sleep quality will 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 (reminiscent of smoking or hypertension) than individuals who exercise often. 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 reminiscent of insomnia.
In addition, this study had weaknesses that will call its findings into query or limit its applicability. These relied on 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 usually unclear why some people sleep roughly than others, or why certain sleep disorders (reminiscent of 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 chance that an excessive amount of sleep may not all the time be a superb thing. Still, we are going to need additional research on the query of whether oversleeping is dangerous before making any firm recommendations for limiting sleep duration.