The longer you sleep, the greater is stroke risk

If you get more than eight hours of shut-eye a night, then you are sleeping your way to a stroke, according to a new study.

You may have no control over some risk factors for stroke, like your age or sex, but there are many that you can change or control. The study suggested that getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night and exercising 30 to 60 minutes, three to six times a week lowers a person's risk of stroke.

Researchers used a computerized analysis of health, lifestyle, demographic and other factors among 288,888 adults (77 percent white; nearly half 45 or older) who participated in a survey from 2004 to 2013.

They analysis examined how long, average and short sleep durations and physical activity, such as walking, swimming, bicycling, gardening and more, impact stroke risk.

Researchers found that average sleepers, who slept seven to eight hours a night, were 25 percent less likely to have experienced a stroke, while long sleepers, who got more than eight hours a night, were 146 percent more likely to have suffered a stroke.

Short sleepers, who slept less than seven hours a night, were 22 percent more likely to report having had a stroke.

The study also showed that an average sleep (7-8 hours) and vigorous leisurely activity (30-60 minutes) three to six times per week significantly decreased stroke risk.

Computer analysis of large, complex health information sets is an important tool for accurately determining health risks in populations, according to the authors.

The study has been presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2016.