Insomnia Linked to Higher Stroke and Hospitalisation Risk

INSOMNIA may be associated with an increased risk of stroke, hospitalisation, and several neurological and mental health conditions, according to a comprehensive review.

The research, supported by the European Academy of Neurology, found that people with insomnia had a 26% higher risk of stroke and 28% higher odds of hospital admission compared with those without insomnia.

Examining the Wider Health Impact of Insomnia

Researchers conducted an umbrella systematic review examining evidence across seven outcomes: dementia, stroke, depression, suicidal behaviour, mortality, workplace accidents, and hospitalisation.

The team searched MEDLINE and EMBASE up to August 2025, combining evidence from existing systematic reviews with three new systematic reviews investigating stroke, occupational injuries, and hospital admission.

Insomnia is characterised by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, accompanied by impaired daytime functioning despite adequate opportunity to sleep.

Although its immediate effects on sleep quality and daily functioning are well recognised, the researchers sought to clarify whether insomnia was also associated with longer-term neurological and general health outcomes.

Stroke Risk Increased by a Quarter

Nine eligible studies investigating stroke were identified, involving more than 1.3 million participants. Six studies were included in the meta-analysis.

Overall, insomnia was associated with a 26% higher risk of stroke. However, the researchers observed substantial variation between individual studies, suggesting that the strength of the association may differ across populations and study designs.

Five studies examined hospitalisation, with three included in the meta-analysis. Researchers also found that people experiencing insomnia had 28% higher odds of hospital admission for any reason compared with those without insomnia.

Associations with Dementia and Mental Health

The wider review also identified associations between insomnia and depression, suicidal behaviour, and dementia. Previous meta-analytic evidence has linked insomnia to 36% higher odds of all-cause dementia and 52% higher odds of Alzheimer’s disease.

Results were not consistent across every study, but more so for Alzheimer’s disease, whereas findings concerning vascular dementia were mixed.

These observations suggest that insomnia could be an important marker of broader brain and mental health, rather than simply an isolated sleep complaint.

Nevertheless, the researchers emphasised that the findings do not establish causality. Differences in how insomnia was defined, potential confounding factors, and inconsistent consideration of sleep medication use limited the available evidence.

Further research is needed to determine whether effective insomnia treatment can reduce subsequent neurological and general health risks.

The authors suggest that recognising and managing insomnia should form part of wider clinical discussions surrounding brain health and preventative care.

Reference

Vignatelli L, et al. Insomnia as risk factor for brain, mental and general health consequences: an umbrella systematic review. Sleep Med Rev. 2026;102372. DOI:10.1016/j.smrv.2026.102372.