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Sleep disturbances, such as insufficient or excessive sleep, poor quality, and sleep disorders like sleep apnea, can significantly elevate the risk of stroke, warns Dr. Stephen English, a vascular neurologist at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. English has explained the vital role sleep plays in brain health, noting its regenerative effects on blood vessels and brain cells, which contribute to long-term viability.

"It's so restorative for brain health," he said, according to The Seattle Times. "Adequate sleep helps to ensure that our blood vessels and our brain cells are healthy and viable for years to come."

However, disruptions in sleep patterns, characterized by reduced oxygen and blood flow to the brain, can lead to detrimental changes over time, increasing susceptibility to stroke or cognitive impairment from vascular disorders.

"When people have sleep-related disorders, such as sleep apnea, they're getting less sleep or poor-quality sleep. And that leads to reduced oxygen and blood flow to the brain. And that can reduce or make changes over time to the brain that leads to increased risk of stroke or cognitive impairment from vascular disorders to the brain," Dr. English explained.

Highlighting sleep hygiene as a modifiable risk factor alongside diet and exercise, Dr. English stressed the importance of taking proactive measures to reduce stroke risk. Addressing foundational health aspects, such as blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, through lifestyle modifications can significantly mitigate long-term risk.

"The better we are at taking care of the foundational things for our health go a long way to making sure our blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol - those are the risk factors. If we can modify those, we can really reduce our risk long term," Dr. English said.

Recognizing the urgency of identifying stroke symptoms, Dr. English is advocating for the FAST acronym as a mnemonic aid: assessing facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulties, and prompt action to call emergency services if any signs are observed.

Additional sudden signs such as unilateral weakness or numbness, vision disturbances, severe headache, or unexplained dizziness should also prompt immediate medical attention, as every minute counts during a stroke event.