Sleeping for more than eight hours a night increases your chance of a stroke, research suggests.
Experts found people who rest for seven to eight hours each night and exercise several times a week can significantly reduce their risk of suffering a stroke.
But those who sleep for longer increase their chances of having a stroke by 146%, according to a study of nearly 290,000 people
US researchers from the New York University School of Medicine, presented their findings at the American Stroke Association Meeting in Los Angeles, after analysing factors that contribute to the risk of strokes.
They found that sleeping for seven to eight hours a night and exercising for 30 to 60 minutes, three to six times a week gave the maximum benefits for stroke prevention.
The survey, which analysed the health, lifestyle, age and ethnicity of the participants from 2004 to 2013, found that sleeping for less than seven hours could increase the risk, by 22%,
Strokes occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off or when a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts.
More than 100,000 people suffer a stroke each year – the third biggest cause of death in England after heart disease and cancer.
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