An umbrella review linked insomnia with a 26% higher stroke risk and a 28% higher chance of hospital admission

What the research found

Study (umbrella review). Luca Vignatelli of the IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna and Stefan Seidel report in Sleep Medicine Reviews (doi 10.1016/j.smrv.2026.102372; Medical Xpress 27 September 2026). They combined existing reviews with new reviews of stroke, occupational injury, and hospitalization, searching MEDLINE and EMBASE through August 2025. For stroke, six of nine eligible studies entered the meta-analysis, covering more than 1.3 million people. Insomnia was associated with a 26% higher stroke risk (hazard ratio 1.26; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.53), with wide differences between studies. Across hospitalization studies, the odds of admission for any reason were 28% higher (odds ratio 1.28; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.43). The wider evidence also linked insomnia with depression and suicidal behavior, and most reviews linked it with all-cause dementia, more consistently with Alzheimer's disease than with vascular dementia. A prior meta-analysis estimated that insomnia meeting diagnostic criteria affects about 22% of people. Definitions of insomnia differed, and sleep-medicine use was rarely considered. The review does not show that treating insomnia prevents stroke. Educational notes.

Evidence level: Review of studies. This is among the stronger kinds of evidence, but one study rarely settles a question.

Read the original at European Academy of Neurology / Sleep Medicine Reviews