Individuals who experience insomnia have a higher risk of suffering a stroke. A study revealed that adults below 50 are more at risk. Researchers explained that experiencing few insomnia symptoms could be detrimental as it conveyed a 16 percent risk of enduring a stroke. A stroke is a condition that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted. Some insomnia symptoms include being incapable of falling asleep, staying asleep, being unable to go back to sleep, and being up way early.

The finding of the study

The team of researchers discovered that the risk of stroke increased for individuals under 50 with more than five symptoms by 51 percent. These individuals were four times more prone to endure a stroke than those with good sleep. On the other hand, persons with more than five symptoms would have a 38 percent risk of suffering a stroke. The risks were greater for those with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.

Study author, Wendemi Sawadogo, explains that people lacking quality sleep can seek therapy to evaluate their situation and come up with a solution. Fortunately, this would lower the risk of suffering a stroke in the future. Sawadogo says that the difference in risk in both age groups could be due to the likelihood of a stroke occurring once one gets older. Some risk factors tend to increase with a person’s age making insomnia one among several. Sawadogo says focusing on sleep issues could be an excellent preventive measure for hindering stroke.

 The questions conveyed to each participant were if they were incapable of falling asleep, had trouble sleeping, could not go back to sleep, and woke up way early. Out of 458 with sleep troubles aged 50 years, 27 endured a stroke. Out of 654 with more than five symptoms, 33 suffered a stroke. Out of 19149 individuals with few symptoms, 1300 suffered a stroke. Lastly, out of 6282 participants without symptoms, 365 suffered a stroke.

Stroke symptoms to look out for

The face is one indicator of a stroke. By telling a person to smile, observe if one side droops. Another indicator is asking one to raise their arms and looking closely if one drifts down. Ask an individual to say a phrase and see if it is uttered strangely. If any of these are observed, immediate medical attention is advised. Other notable symptoms are dizziness, poor eye vision, confusion, and losing balance.