Sleep is health. But sleeping too much can degrade it. A study links too long nights to an increased risk of stroke. A sleep specialist comments on these results.
Sleeping too much can increase the risk of stroke. According to a study published in Neurology on February 25, there is a link between long nights (8 hours and more) and the frequency of these events. This is the result of monitoring people who had never had a stroke for 10 years.
A relative “long sleep”
The researchers recruited 9,600 healthy people (42-81 years). Questionnaires at the start of the study, then four years later, made it possible to determine their sleep habits. Between 1998 and 2004, 346 participants had a stroke. According to the results, “heavy sleepers” were 46% more at risk than those who slept the average night (6-8 hours).
But according to Dr. Sylvie Royant-Parola, sleep specialist, the conclusions of this study should be taken with caution. “The problem with these studies, which are declarative, is that there are people who sleep too much because they have hypersomnia or sleep apnea, but they don’t know it. However, these diseases have repercussions on health ”, explains the doctor to why actor. “Then, until half past eight, even nine o’clock, we’re not going to talk about a heavy sleeper. It is very relative. The association does exist, however, even if researchers fail to explain it.
Listen to Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola, sleep doctor: ” They hypothesize the context of a potential disease not yet declared, but it is completely putative. “
The sign of an underlying disease?
Too short or too long sleep duration has previously been associated with a risk of early mortality. Various studies have also shown that sleep time influences the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular or metabolic disorders, but also obesity. If the effects of a sleep debt on the body are better and better known, experts are struggling to explain the link between too long sleep and cardiovascular risk.
Listen to Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola, sleep doctor: “ Behind the little sleep, there are people who have an associated pathology, and we know that there is an increase in the stress of the organism. “
The authors of the study report a much more worrying result. Participants whose sleep habits changed during the study saw their risk change. Thus, little sleepers who have become heavy sleepers are four times more at risk of stroke than those whose sleep duration has remained stable. This change could in fact be the witness of a deterioration of the state of health.
Listen to Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola, sleep doctor: “ Someone who gets a lot of sleep is probably someone with an add-on pathology or intrinsic sleep pathology. “
Despite the study’s weaknesses, Dr Royant-Parola believes that it conveys a strong message: any change in sleep habits must be taken seriously. “We see through this research, that the goal is not to sleep a long time and a lot, it is to sleep well”, she insists.
“The amount of sleep you need can vary from person to person. But when you need a lot of sleep, it can be an indicator of poor health. “
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