DTMT Network
Excessive sleep at night and day naps may increase stroke risk, reveals a Chinese study conducted on 31,750 individuals who were sixty-two-years of age. The participants covered under the study had no history of stroke or any other serious health conditions.

The participants were asked questions about their sleeping patterns and naps habits. They were clinically followed for an average of six years. The study, which has been published in the journal Neurology, found that participants who slept more than nine hours and took more than 90 minutes nap in a day had 85% higher chances of having a stroke than those who slept and napped moderately.

The study also focused on the quality of sleep. It was found that participants who had poor sleep had 29% higher chances of having a stroke than those whose sleep quality was good.

The team of researchers led by Dr. Xiaomin Zhang, from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, in Wuhan, found that 1,557 participants suffered from stroke during the study period.

Those who slept for nine or more hours per night were 23% more likely to experience a stroke than those who regularly slept only seven to eight hours each night.

It was found that 8% of the participants were in the habit of taking naps that lasted longer than 90 minutes, and 24% reported sleeping for at least 9 hours each night.

Dr Zhang said that these findings highlight the importance of moderate napping and sleeping duration and maintaining good sleep quality, especially in middle-age and older adults.

The researchers said that earlier studies have also associated excessive sleep or lack of sleep with stroke. They, however, pointed out that there is need for more data to suggest that excessive sleep and naps may lead to stroke because this study did not include other factors such as sleep disorders like sleep apnea.