Snoring and difficulty sleeping may lead to long-term health risks

Snoring may not only cause a tired day after the restless sleep, but may be a sign of higher heart disease and other health risks in the future. A new study explains that people who cannot fall asleep easily, wake up frequently, or snore, may have higher chances of developing heart disease.

For the study, University of Pittsburgh researchers questioned individuals between 45 and 74 years old. Researchers asked this group of more than 800 people about sleep quality, and then followed up after three years.

During the follow ups, researchers noticed the people who claimed to have been loud snorers noticed a 200 percent higher chance of having risk factors associated with heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes when compared to non-snorers.

The study also found individuals having trouble falling asleep to be about 75 percent more likely to notice similar symptoms when compared with people who can fall asleep easily.

Additionally, people who performed less physical activity also noticed higher risks of having specific health risks as well.

The findings for the study can be found in the journal Sleep.

This study is one of many proving a link exists between lack of sleep and health risks like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.