Too Much Sleep Can Lead To A Stroke

People who sleep for more than eight hours a day have a 46 percent higher risk of having a stroke, according to a new study out of the University of Cambridge in London.

Oversleeping has traditionally been blamed for such health problems as diabetes or obesity. While the new study of nearly 10,000 participants adds the possibility of stroke to the list, it remains unclear whether sleeping for more than eight hours was actually causing the type of problems that can lead to stroke, or whether it was a warning of underlying, pre-existing conditions.

“It would be a mistake to blame sleep time alone as the sole cause of these findings,” said Harley Greenberg, MD, the Medical Director of the North Shore-LIJ Sleep Disorders Center and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. “People with habitual long or short sleep time may have underlying diseases or sleep disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea) that disturb their sleep leading to shorter or longer sleep times. If you usually sleep less than 6 or more than 8 hours per night, especially with daytime sleepiness or complaints of non-refreshing sleep, then you should discuss the need for an evaluation of a possible sleep disorder with your healthcare provider.”

The study looked at people between the ages of 42-81 whose sleeping habits were tracked over nearly 10 years. During this time, 346 of the participants suffered a stroke.

“Lack of sleep has traditionally been thought to wreak havoc with the body’s metabolism and can also raise stress levels, leading to high blood pressure,” Dr. Greenberg said. “It remains to be seen why too much sleep can cause similar outcomes.”