A long lie-in may feel restorative but new research suggests that people who sleep for more than eight hours a day are more likely to suffer a stroke.
74. And (remember) when
Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father Azar: "Do you take idols as aliha (gods)? Verily, I see you and your
people in manifest error. "
75. Thus did we show Ibrahim
(Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who
have Faith with certainty.
76. When the night covered
him over with darkness he saw a star. He said: "This is my
lord." But when it set, he said: "I like not those that set."
77. When he saw the moon
rising up, he said: "This is my lord." But when it set, he said:
"Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the erring
people."
78. When he saw the sun
rising up, he said: "This is my lord. This is greater." But when
it set, he said: "O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as
partners in worship with Allah.
79. Verily, I have turned my
face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e.
worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun (see V.2:105)". 6.
Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle)
The University of Cambridge found that older people who persistently slept for longer than the recommended period raised their risk of suffering a stroke by nearly 50 per cent.
However those who slept for less than six hours were also in danger, with their risk rising by 18 per cent, suggesting that there is an optimal amount of rest needed for good health.
Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, senior author on the study, said: “We need to understand the reasons behind the link between sleep and stroke risk. What is happening in the body that causes this link?
“With further research, we may find that excessive sleep proves to be an early indicator of increased stroke risk, particularly among older people.”
To discover the link between sleep and heart health, researchers followed nearly 10,000 people between 42 and 81 for nine and a half years.
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Almost seven out of ten participants reported sleeping between six and eight hours a day, whilst one in ten reported sleeping for over eight hours a day.
Over the study period 346 participants suffered either a non-fatal or fatal stroke.
After adjusting for factors including age and sex, the researchers found that people who slept longer than eight hours a day were at a 46 per cent greater risk of stroke than average.
Those who slept less than six hours a day were at an 18 per cent increased risk.
Lack of sleep has been linked with factors such as disrupted metabolism and raised levels of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol, all of which may lead to higher blood pressure and increased stroke risk.
However, the current study suggests that the association between longer sleep duration and higher risk of stroke was independent of normal risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
While older people have less work and fewer social demands and therefore often have the option of sleeping longer, previous research has shown that in fact, they tend to sleep on average for shorter periods.
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Researchers believe that sleeping longer may indicate underlying health problems rather being a direct cause of stroke.
“It’s apparent both from our own participants and the wealth of international data that there’s a link between sleeping longer than average and a greater risk of stroke,” said Yue Leng, a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge.
“What is far less clear, however, is the direction of this link, whether longer sleep is a symptom, an early marker or a cause of cardiovascular problems.”
Charities also said that sleeping for longer may be a symptom of heart problems rather than the cause.
Dr Madina Kara, Research Manager at the Stroke Association, said: “In the past, oversleeping has been linked to a host of health problems, including diabetes and obesity.
“However, sleeping for longer is not a known risk factor for stroke, and the data presented in this research does not provide sufficient evidence to prove that this is of concern.
“The researchers have highlighted that the reasons behind the suggested link between sleeping for prolonged periods and stroke are still not known. Longer sleep could be a symptom, or a cause, of cardiovascular problems.”
Dr Albert Ramos of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in the US said that longer sleep may serve as an ‘early warning sign’ and encourage older people to think about lowering their cholesterol and blood pressure.
The research was published in the journal Neurology and funded by the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK
Adults who sleep more than eight hours a night may face a higher risk of stroke, a new analysis suggests.
These so-called "long sleepers" were 46 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who got only six to eight hours of sleep a night, the researchers found.
However, the researchers don't know if the long sleep is a cause, consequence or early warning sign of declining brain health. After reviewing previous research on the possible link between sleep and stroke risk, they said they only found an association that they can't explain.
The study is published online Feb. 25 in Neurology.
"Previous studies have already suggested a possible association between sleep and risk of stroke," said lead researcher Yue Leng, of the University of Cambridge in England. But the new analysis also looked at the relationship between a change in sleeping duration over time and how that affected stroke risk.
While the possible link needs more research, Leng said the message is definitely not to cut sleep to reduce stroke risk. Adequate sleep is crucial for good health.
In the study, the researchers followed nearly 9,700 people participating in a European study, tracking their sleep patterns and any incidence of stroke for nearly 10 years. The men and women, average age 62 when the study started, reported their sleep duration once between 1998 and 2000, and again four years later. They told how many hours they slept a night and how well they slept.
About 70 percent said they slept six to eight hours a night. One in 10 said they slept more than eight hours. Those who slept less than six hours or more than eight were likely to be older, female and not physically active.
Over the follow-up period, 346 people had strokes. Those who slept longer than eight hours had a 46 percent increased stroke risk, and those who slept less than six hours had an 18 percent higher risk. But the number in the group reporting less than six hours of sleep a night was too small to call that link statistically solid, Leng said.
Those who reported being long sleepers in both of the two surveys faced double the risk of stroke when compared to those who reported average sleep times, according to the study.
And people whose sleep pattern changed -- from sleeping less than six hours a night to more than eight hours a night -- had about four times the risk of stroke as those who consistently got an average amount of sleep, Leng found.
Lack of sleep can lead to higher stress hormone levels, in turn raising blood pressure and stroke risk. But after Leng took factors such as high blood pressure into account, the relationship between long sleep and stroke risk persisted.
Dr. Alberto Ramos, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, wrote an editorial to accompany the study. He suspects that the long sleeping time is a warning signal. But "the change in sleeping patterns is more the concern," he said.
Long sleepers would be wise to monitor their lifestyle, eating a healthy dietand exercising regularly, Ramos said. Adults over the age of 60 or 65 who notice they are sleeping more should make sure their cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol are under control, he added.
Plain old snoring can get a little annoying, especially for someone listening to it. But when a snorer repeatedly stops breathing for brief moments, it can lead to cardiovascular problems and potentially be life-threatening.
It’s a condition known as sleep apnea, in which the person may experience pauses in breathing five to 30 times per hour or more during sleep. These episodes wake the sleeper as he or she gasps for air. It prevents restful sleep and is associated with high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and heart failure.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and stroke is the No. 5 cause and a leading cause of disability. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for both.
“The evidence is very strong for the relationship between sleep apnea and hypertension and cardiovascular disease generally, so people really need to know that,” said Donna Arnett, Ph.D., chair and professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the incoming president of the American Heart Association.
A Common ProblemOne in five adults suffers from at least mild sleep apnea, and it afflicts more men than women, Dr. Arnett said. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea in which weight on the upper chest and neck contributes to blocking the flow of air. (Another type, called central sleep apnea, is far less prevalent.)
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with obesity, which is also a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Besides obesity contributing to sleep apnea, sleep deprivation caused by sleep apnea can, in an ongoing unhealthy cycle, lead to further obesity, Dr. Arnett explained.
Listen to Those Snoring ComplaintsOften a roommate or sleeping partner of someone with sleep apnea notices it. “It’s really hard to detect if you live alone, unless you go through a sleep study,” Dr. Arnett said. People with sleep apnea may be more tired during the day, she said, and therefore prone to accidents or falling asleep.
Dr. Arnett told of her own family’s experience with sleep apnea. She accompanied her 73-year-old mother, Lela Arnett, on a trip to Germany and heard her make loud snorts during the night.
It got so noisy that Donna Arnett ended up sleeping in the hotel room’s bathroom with the door closed. It turns out her mother had sleep apnea and severe hypertension. Her mother knew she sometimes awoke when she took big breaths, but she didn’t realize the severity of what was happening.
Getting Proper Treatment
Through treatment known as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, her mother’s blood pressure stabilized. The CPAP device involves wearing a mask while sleeping.
Through treatment known as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, her mother’s blood pressure stabilized. The CPAP device involves wearing a mask while sleeping.
It keeps air pressure in the breathing passages so they don’t close down. Some patients have bad reactions to the masks, Dr. Arnett said, but their design has evolved significantly, making it easier to find a suitable one.
In a sleep study, doctors count pauses in breathing to determine whether the patient has mild sleep apnea, characterized by five to 15 episodes per hour; moderate sleep apnea, defined by 15 to 30 per hour; or severe sleep apnea, meaning more than 30 each hour.
It’s certainly possible to have simple, loud snoring without sleep apnea. But with regular snoring, the person continues to inhale and exhale.
With sleep apnea, the sleeping person tends to have periods when he or she stops breathing and nothing can be heard. The good news is treatment that keeps the breathing passages open and oxygen flowing can yield fast results, Dr. Arnett said. “Blood pressure comes down really quite quickly.”
Getting Good Rest
Getting Good Rest
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep follow some of these suggestions:
- Get regular physical activity, but don’t do it right before bed because that gets your adrenaline pumping and can keep you awake.
- Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day for women and two drinks for men; too much alcohol interferes with sleep.
- Avoid caffeine before bed.
- Develop a pre-bedtime routine such as taking a warm bath, dimming the lights or having some herbal tea
Sleeping for longer than eight hours a day can double your risk of a stroke, scientists have discovered.
Experts at the University of Cambridge suggested the findings from their 10-year study of 10,000 people could save lives and slash he althcare costs.
Every year there are more than 150,000 strokes in the UK.
It is the equivalent of one every three and a half minutes and around one in every four people who suffer a stroke will die.
A stroke is a serious, life-threatening medical condition which happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
It is Britain’s third biggest killer, behind heart disease and cancer.
Researchers began collecting data in 1998 by asking people aged between 42 and 81 how long they slept on an average day.
Snoring: There”s a link between sleeping longer and a greater risk of stroke
They checked their sleeping patterns four years later and then six years after that.
The study found that those who said they slept more than eight hours a night at both points of the study were twice as likely to suffer a stroke.
And people who went from sleeping less than six hours a night to more than eight hours were four times as likely to have a stroke.
It is not known why there is an increased risk of stroke if you you sleep too long.
Importantly, the study only found an association between sleep length and risk of stroke. It did not find that sleeping for too long actually causes stroke.
Yue Leng, of the University of Cambridge, said: “It’s apparent both from our own participants and the we alth of international data that there’s a link between sleeping longer than average and a greater risk of stroke.
“What is far less clear, however, is the direction of this link, whether longer sleep is a symptom, an early marker or a cause of cardiovascular problems.
“In this study we are implying that a long sleep is an indicator that we could be at risk of stroke. It is not suggesting longer sleep itself is a risk factor.
“More research is definitely needed. This is the first one in the UK to find this association and we found sleeping duration is an indicator.
“It can have a positive impact on public he alth as research like this could end up saving the NHS money in the long term.”
GettyMore research: Scientists say the results are still inconclusive
Previous studies have suggested a link between sleep and the risk of stroke.
But the new research published last night (WED) in journal Neurology is the first to investigate in detail the link between sleep duration and stroke risk.
Researchers say it is unclear why the link between sleep and stroke risk exists.
Lack of sleep has been linked with factors such as disrupted metabolism and raised levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol, all of which may lead to higher blood pressure and increased stroke risk.
But the findings suggest that the link was independent of normal risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The study followed 10,000 people aged 42 to 81 and found those who slept longer than eight hours on average at any point faced a 46% greater risk of stroke.
The study found that those who said they slept more than eight hours a night at both points of the study were twice as likely to suffer a stroke as those sleeping between six and eight hours.
Most of them reported sleeping between six and eight hours a day with just one in 10 reporting sleeping for more than eight hours a day.
People who slept less than six hours a day were at an 18% increased risk than those who slept between six and eight hours.
Once they had collected their data the scientists combined their findings with 11 other global studies.
Their final analysis included more than 500,000 people from seven countries and supported the findings of their own research.
GettyMore understanding: Scientists want to further their research into bedtime habits
Prof Kay-Tee Khaw, senior author on the study, said: “We need to understand the reasons behind the link between sleep and stroke risk.
“With further research, we may find that excessive sleep proves to be an early indicator of increased stroke risk, particularly among older people.”
The study was supported by the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK.
Tonight the Stroke Association said the study on sleeping longer “does not provide sufficient evidence to prove that this is of concern”.
A stroke occurs when there is a disturbance of blood flow to the brain, which often results in loss of brain function. High blood pressure is usually considered the #1 risk factor of stroke; however, in light of recent research sleep apnea is climbing in significance in its relation to stroke risk.
At the 2012 SLEEP conference, research indicated that getting fewer than six hours of sleep a night can significantly increase the risk for stroke – up to 4X. It is plausible that this association can be from the fact that sleep apnea exacerbates other known risk factors such as high blood pressure, spurring inflammation, and altering metabolic hormones.
Another study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference demonstrated that sleep apnea is strongly linked with symptom-less stroke – also known as silent stroke – where a person doesn’t know he or she has suffered one. Sleep apnea predisposes one to these silent stokes which are linked with memory loss, difficulties with motor function (like walking), and mood problems.
In 2011 strokes were the 2nd most frequent cause of death worldwide accounting for more than 6.2 million deaths. Taking measures to diagnose and treat sleep apnea can play a large role in preventing stroke, extending life, and improving quality of life.
At Sleep Right Dental, we have the privilege of tackling this serious sleep disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA as well as snoring), head on by treating sleep apnea with Oral Appliance Therapy (one of the many options in treating OSA). If you would like more information about Sleep Apnea, Treatment, Oral Appliance Therapy or have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to give us a call (314-292-5452), or personally shoot me an email (kevin@sleeprightdental.com).
You can also fill in the form below, and we will give you a call ASAP to answer any questions you may have, and set you up with a complimentary consultation appointment.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, share it, and take your health seriously.
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