Stroke and Sleep

뇌졸중과 수면

Stroke is a leading cause of death in most developed countries and some developing countries including South Korea. It is well known that stroke has is related in some way with several sleep disorders. At first, the onset time of stroke varies according to circadian rhythm. Early morning is the most prevalent time and late evening the least. The changes of blood pressure, catecholamine level, plasminogen activity and aggregation of platelet during sleep have been suggested as possible mechanisms. Sleep apnea (SA), a representative disorder in the field of sleep medicine, is found in more than 70% of acute stroke patients compared to 2-5% of the general population. Various sleep related breathing disorders occur after stroke and snoring is a distinct risk factor for stroke. So the relationship between stroke and SA is obvious, but the cause and effect are still not clearly known. Also, stroke may cause many sleep related problems such as insomnia, hypersomnia, parasomnia and changes in sleep architecture. Patients, family members and even medical personnel often ignore stroke-related sleep problems, being concerned only about the stroke itself. The clinical impacts of sleep problems in stroke patients may be significant not only in terms of quality of life but also as a risk factor or prognostic factor for stroke. More attention should be paid to the sleep problems of stroke patients.