Older Adults Should Stay Active, Avoid Long Naps and Oversleeping to Avoid Strokes

A Chinese study published in Neurology found people who sleep for a longer amount of time elevate their stroke risk by 85 percent, while those who take regular 90-minute naps raise that risk by 25 percent, reports Newsweek . "People, especially middle-aged and older adults, should pay more attention to their time spent in bed attempting to sleep and midday napping, and sleep quality, because appropriate duration of sleep and nap, and maintaining good sleep quality may complement other behavioral interventions for preventing stroke," noted Huazhong University of Science and Technology Professor Xiaomin Zhang. The researchers analyzed data from 31,750 people living in China with a median age of 62. After six years of self-reported follow-ups and physical examinations, 1,500 participants had had strokes. Among the 10,000 participants who slept for longer periods of time, 46 percent had a higher than average risk to eventually experience a stoke. Zhang acknowledged that the study does not prove that napping and long periods of sleep cause strokes, but merely demonstrates an association between long sleep periods and strokes.