Insomnia not only interferes with your important rest and sleep but can also trigger more serious health problems. A large study conducted in Taiwan revealed that insomnia can increase the risk of stroke, especially in adolescents and young people.
These results were found by researchers after observing more than 21,000 people who experience insomnia and 64,000 people who do not experience insomnia. None of the participants had previously had a stroke or had other sleep problems, such as sleep apnea.
After conducting research for four years researchers found that insomnia can increase a person's risk of stroke by up to 54 per cent. The risk is even greater in young people between the ages of 18 and 34. They are eight times more likely to have a stroke if they have insomnia.
Researchers also found that the more severe a person's insomnia, the higher the risk of stroke they have. Researcher Ya-Wen Hsu from Chia Nan University also emphasizes that the level of insomnia has a direct effect on the risk of stroke.
"We see that people who have sleep problems tend to have other health factors that can increase the risk of stroke. This could be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle," said Dr Suzanne Steinbaum from Lenox Hill Hospital, as reported by Web MD.
Researchers also argue that insomnia and stroke are actually in an interconnected cycle. Both can influence each other. It could be that insomnia increases the risk of stroke, or conversely, an unhealthy lifestyle that increases the risk of stroke also makes people experience insomnia.
Whatever it is, one clear thing is that it has a huge impact on young people and adolescents. Usually, young people and adolescents underestimate their sleep time and often stay up until the night. The results of this study encourage young people to pay attention to the quality and time of their sleep to avoid the risk of stroke.
