How Soundly You Sleep Could Lower Your Stroke Risk
A recent study has come to the conclusion that those people who enjoy a good night's sleep are less likely to suffer from a stroke.
The researchers point out that the worrying factor is that some nine out of ten people do not usually get such a good night's sleep.
They found during their research that suffering long periods of poor or disrupted sleep is linked to a heightened risk of heart disease and stroke.
What was this study?
The study was carried out by Dr Aboubakari Nambiema with his group at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, France.
The researchers examined data on some seven thousand two hundred men and women aged between fifty and seventy five.
Dr Nambiema said:
"The low prevalence of good sleepers was expected given our 24/7 lives."
He went on to say:
"The importance of sleep quality and quantity for heart health should be taught early in life when healthy behaviours become established."
What did the researchers find?
At the start of the study, ten percent of the participants had an optimal sleep score,meaning they slept seven to eight hours per night - they had no insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness or sleep apnoea.
Those who slept optimally were found to have a seventy four percent lower risk of heart disease or stroke compared with those with the lowest sleep scores.
How to recognize the signs of a stroke
The signs and symptoms of a stroke vary from person to person, but usually begin suddenly.
As different parts of your brain control different parts of your body, your symptoms will depend on the part of your brain affected and the extent of the damage.
The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word F.A.S.T.
- Face – the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
- Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm.
- Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you're saying to them.
- Time – it's time to call for urgent medical attention immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
It's important for everyone to be aware of these signs and symptoms, particularly if you live with or care for a person who is in a high-risk group - those include the elderly, those who have diabetes or suffer from high blood pressure.
How to ensure that good night's sleep
Our Sleep Aid Formula will help you to fall asleep naturally, helping you relax and get a good night's sleep while leaving you feeling refreshed and alert the next day. The homeopathic ingredients have been carefully selected to ensure that symptoms of sleeplessness are tackled naturally. For example, apium graveolens contains a soporific active principle, helping when you cannot sleep because of an over active mind or you find you wake up during the night.
Just massage one or two drops on the temples and the back of neck thirty minutes before bedtime. If you wake up during the night, reapply.
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Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.