Does your mom fall asleep while watching afternoon TV? Does Granddad take a nap in his chair after he finishes lunch? If so, they may have a significantly higher risk of having a future stroke that their senior counterparts who rarely nap during the day. A recent study conducted at Columbia University found that nodding off to sleep, frequently, during the day is a warning sign of a future stroke.
Study participants who were heavy dozers were found to have a five times greater risk for stroke than those who rarely nodded off. Participants who dozed occasionally had a nearly three times greater risk of future stroke. The chance of having other vessel-related disorders also increased among the daytime dozers.
It's possible that nighttime sleep apnea may be the cause of daytime drowsiness. People with sleep apnea briefly stop breathing during sleep and this causes spikes in blood pressure as they suddenly startle awake.
So if you notice that your senior loved one tends to doze during the day, please be sure to mention it to their doctor. Ask about having your loved one evaluated for a sleep disorder.
www.strokeassociation.org