When people move their clocks up an hour for Daylight Saving Time, it can lead to a poorer quality of sleep until they adjust.
Researchers are looking into whether poor sleep quality could lead to an increased risk of having a stroke, especially for people 65 years old and older. Recent studies from the American Heart Association point to a connection between sleep and stroke.
"What we’re finding more and more is it’s its own independent risk factor," said Dr. Alex Venizelos, a neurologist at the Plaza Medical Center. "An independent risk factor for a stroke is sleep or certain sleep aspects."
Dr. Venizelos said the real link between stroke and lack of sleep is with sleep apnea, where something obstructs a person’s airway during sleep. This can lead to high blood pressure and rhythm abnormalities.
"I would recommend for all my patients to get a good amount of sleep and to have regular sleep patterns," said Venizelos. "In addition to stopping to smoke, following up with your doctor and controlling your blood pressure and diabetes."
Venizelos said the link between ischemic stroke and sleep is definitely present, but more research needs to be done.
"In terms of changing your circadian rhythm, more research needs to be done," Venizelos said. "Certainly sleep is an important aspect in stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and also heart disease. How that factors in I think we really need to figure out."
