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A Good Night’s Sleep May Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

By: | Tags: , , , , | May 29th, 2019

Countless articles have warned us about the health dangers of not getting a good night’s sleep: weight gain, irritability, even heart disease… the list goes on and on. What you may not know is that sleep deprivation may be connected to a higher risk of stroke. To find out more about the possible connection between stroke risk and lack of time spent on the pillow, we reached out to Dr. Michael Breus, “The Sleep Doctor.” Let’s first address if there is a connection between lack of sleep and stroke risk. When asked, Dr. Breus explains the research that proves the connection between lack of sleep and stroke is real. According to the European Heart Journal, 2011, sleeping less than 6 hours per day increases your likelihood of stroke by 15%.

That’s quite a number, 15%. So, what exactly is the connection between lack of sleep and a higher risk of stroke? Dr. Breus continues to explain, “Sleep deprivation affects hormone balance, cardiovascular health (blood pressure), weight gain (obesity), and blood sugar (diabetes). All high-risk factors for stroke.” Simply put, lack of sleep causes side effects that increase the chances of a stroke. Snoozing at least the recommended amount of sleep decreases not only your risk of stroke but also reduces the unhealthy side effects mentioned by the doctor.

How much sleep is recommended? The recommended “dosage” of sleep is 7-9 hours per night. Let’s put this in perspective: if your stroke chances INCREASE by 15% if you do not get the recommended amount of sleep, wouldn’t it be worth it to DECREASE your risk by 15% by following doctor’s orders? The answer to that question is obvious. There aren’t many of us who dislike sleeping, however, if you are one of the many that have trouble meeting the goal of 7-9 hours of sleep, here are some tips from the “Sleep Doctor” himself:

Step 1: Know Your Bedtime and Stick to One Sleep Schedule
Step 2: Eliminate All Caffeine Starting at 2 PM
Step 3: No Alcohol within 3 Hours of Bedtime
Step 4: Stop Exercising 4 Hours Before Bed
Step 5: Get 15 Minutes of Sunlight every day

The bottom line is the statics are real, and they are scary. In the United States alone, someone suffers a stroke every 30 seconds. Don’t be a statistic. Get some shut-eye, stay healthy and be proactive to reduce your risk of stroke.

If you are a health care professional and have considered TeleStroke services for your hospital, now is the time, don’t sleep on it. Our services can help you address a possible stroke patient when they need it most, that first “Golden Hour”. Plus:

Decrease Door-To-Needle times.
Increase alteplase utilization rates, up to 20%.
Improve patient retention.
Increase regional market share and improve regional reputation.

About the contributor Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and both a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was one of the youngest people to have passed the Board at age 31 and, with a specialty in Sleep Disorders, is one of only 168 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinction. Dr. Breus is on the clinical advisory board of The Dr. Oz Show and appears regularly on the show (39 times in 8 seasons). Learn more about the “Sleep Doctor” at www.thesleepdoctor.com.

Nattasha Acevedo, MD

Dr. Acevedo received her medical degree from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico and did her neurology residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She went on to do a clinical neurophysiology fellowship at Emory School of Medicine in Atla nta, Georgia and then joined private practice in Fort Myers, Florida. She currently resides in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She likes running, paddle boarding and spending time with family.
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Bernadette Borte, MD

Dr. Borte received her medical degree from St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine in Grand Cayman. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. Her areas of interest include inpatient neurology and acute stroke. When not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. Dr. Borte joined the TeleSpecialist family in March of 2019.
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Mazen Almidani, MD

Dr. Almidani is board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics and board certified in epilepsy, as well as neurology with special  qualification in child neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  Dr. Almidani is happily married with 4 children. His oldest son has autism and his daughter has complicated seizures; both were a drive for him to become a neurologist. Dr. Almidani enjoys soccer, running and spending time with his family. He is very involved with his sons’ therapy and helping with daily challenges. He is double board certified in Pediatric and Adult Neurology and Epilepsy. He sees children and adults. He also participates in charities for children in Syria who may be underprivileged and/or affected by the war. Dr. Almidani joined TeleSpecialists in August 2020.
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Amanda Cheshire, MD

Dr. Cheshire received her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She did a fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Cheshire is double board certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. She enjoys traveling, reading and music. She currently resides in Viera, Florida.  Dr. Cheshire joined TeleSpecialists in June 2019.
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Jessica Floyd, MD

Dr. Floyd completed her neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida followed by fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology with focus in EEG and epilepsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She has particular interest in hospital neurology and patient education as well as the blossoming specialty of lifestyle medicine. She strives to take advantage of every encounter with patients and medical staff to empower them to do their own research into how daily thoughts, choices, and habits can add up to create greater and longer-lasting brain and neurologic health for ourselves and our loved ones. She lives in Florence, South Carolina with her awesome husband of 13 plus years and three beautiful children. She is an avid yogi, astrologer, and lover of food and all things neurology! Dr. Floyd joined the TeleSpecialist family in July 2017.
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Nancy Futrell, MD

Dr. Futrell received her medical degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also did her neurology residency at the University of Utah as well as a research fellowship in cerebral vascular disease at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. She currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has authored 2 books and 50 peer reviewed papers. 
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Rebecca Jimenez-Sanders, MD

Dr. Jimenez Sanders received her undergraduate degree from Emory University, and her medical degree from the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She completed her neurology residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, where she also did a specialized headache medicine and facial pain fellowship. She currently resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband and her two daughters. She is also fluent in Spanish and Italian languages, and enjoys photography, baking, boating, and biking.
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Cory Lamar, MD

Dr. Lamar received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his internship and residency at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Following residency, he completed a clinical fellowship in neurophysiology, with a concentration in epilepsy. He currently resides in Florida and enjoys outdoor activities.
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Clifford Meyers, MD

Dr. Meyers received his medical degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and his MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He completed his neurology residency at the University of Rochester, where he also did a neurophysiology fellowship. Dr. Meyers resides in Webster, New York with his wife and daughter. When not doing teleneurology, he enjoys playing sports with his wife and daughter.
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Tao Tong, MD

Dr. Tong received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. She completed her neurology residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, where she also did a neuromuscular/EMG fellowship.  She currently resides in College Station, Texas. Dr. Tong is married with two boys. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and reading.
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Shubhangi Chumble, MD

Dr. Chumble attended BJ Medical School. She is a board certified neurologist with a subspeciality interest in sleep medicine. Dr. Chumble did her residency at Howard University in Washington DC and has practiced neurology since 2001 in private and corporate settings. She lives in Melbourne, Florida and loves the sunshine state. Her hobbies include yoga, meditation, cooking , traveling and meeting new people. She also loves to do stained glass, pottery and painting. She joined TeleSpecialists in June 2019.
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