Too Much or Too Little Sleep Linked to Stroke Risk in Women

Recent research suggests that sleeping too much, or too little, may heighten a woman’s risk for stroke. This furthers the evidence that we should all try to get a good night’s sleep—or face serious health consequences!

In this study, published in the journal Stroke, more than 93,000 women were assessed and those who slept more than nine hours a night had a 60-70% increased risk of stroke than women who slept only seven hours. Additionally, those who slept six or fewer hours had a 14% higher risk.

This risk could not be explained by other risk factors, such as cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. However, it is unclear from the study if other disorders might account for some of this risk. Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, or other medical conditions, such as depression (which might result in longer sleep and is associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke) may contribute to the increased risk.

This research adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests that sleep is an important part of maintaining good health and that failing to obtain it may lead to major health problems.