Habitually being short on sleep significantly increases the risk of stroke among normal-weight adults.

More than 5,000 people with no history of stroke participated in a three-year study. Results showed a greater incidence of stroke symptoms among those who slept less than six hours per night.

“In employed, middle-aged to older adults—relatively free of major risk factors for stroke such as obesity and sleep-disordered breathing—short sleep duration may exact its own negative influence on stroke development,” said Megan Ruiter, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “We speculate that short sleep duration is a precursor to other traditional stroke risk factors.”

SOURCE

“Top Risk of Stroke for Normal-Weight Adults: Getting Under 6 Hours of Sleep,” American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 6/11/12