Usual/Permanent Night Shifts, Poor Sleep Quality Linked to Epilepsy
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2024 -- Night shifts and poor sleep quality are associated with an increased risk for incident epilepsy, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in BMC Public Health.
Xushuai Dong, from the Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University in Jinan, China, and colleagues examined whether there is a positive association between night shift work, sleep quality, sleep behaviors, and the risk for epilepsy in a study including 270,000 individuals with or without epilepsy from the U.K. Biobank followed over 13.5 years.
The researchers observed a positive association for night shift work with a higher risk for epilepsy. A gradual increase was seen in epilepsy risk from never/rarely to usual/permanent night shift work; the highest risk was seen for usual/permanent night shift work (hazard ratio, 1.29). Sleep quality was also significantly associated with the risk for epilepsy. A higher risk for epilepsy was seen in association with sleep duration (less than seven or more than eight hours/day), frequent insomnia, and daytime sleepiness (hazard ratios, 1.19, 1.19, and 1.46, respectively). A U-shaped association was seen for sleep duration with epilepsy risk. No significant association was found between sleep chronotype and snoring and incident epilepsy risk.
"In conclusion, our study suggests a positive association between current night shift work, sleep quality, and risk of epilepsy," the authors write. "These insights have significant implications for primary prevention strategies for epilepsy in public health."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
New Definition of Epilepsy Improves Diagnosis, Treatment
TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 -- The new International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) definition of epilepsy results in a higher frequency of epilepsy diagnosis and treatment, according...
Medial Temporal Lobectomy Aids Seizure Outcomes in Epilepsy
MONDAY, April 14, 2025 -- Medial temporal lobectomy is effective in improving seizure outcomes among patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, according to a study...
Risk for Long COVID Lower in Pregnant Individuals
WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2025 -- The risk for long COVID among pregnant individuals is lower than among matched nonpregnant women, according to a study published online April 1...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.