Sleeping more than eight hours ‘linked with greater risk of stroke’

A new study from the University of Cambridge has indicated that people who sleep for more than eight hours a day have an increased risk of stroke.

The research monitored just under 10,000 people aged 42 to 81 years, with 346 suffering a stroke during this time. People who slept longer than eight hours a day were at a 46 percent greater risk of stroke than average.

This increased risk was even more pronounced – close to four times that of people who maintained average sleep patterns – for those whose reported sleep habits that increased from short to long over the four-year reporting period.

However, the study was not able to explain why this link exists, noting that the association between longer sleep duration and higher risk of stroke was independent of normal risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, senior author on the study, said: "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."

Every year, around 110,000 people have a stroke in England, making it the nation's third largest cause of death.