Exercising regularly and getting the right amount of sleep each night significantly reduces a person's risk of stroke, a new study has shown.

US researchers analysed data on almost 289,000 people who had been monitored between 2004 and 2013. The participants' sleep was assessed, as well as their involvement with physical activity, such as walking, cycling and gardening.

The study found that those who got an average amount of sleep - seven to eight hours per night - were 25% less likely to suffer a stroke.

However, the same could not be said if they did not get enough sleep or if they slept for too long. In fact, those who got more than eights hours of sleep per night were 146% more likely to have suffered a stroke, while those who slept for less than seven hours per night were 22% more likely.

When the proper amount of sleep was combined with regular exercise, the risk of stroke fell even more. Those who slept for seven to eight hours per night and undertook vigorous exercise for 30-60 minutes three to six times per week had a significantly reduced risk of suffering a stroke.

Every year in Ireland, some 10,000 people suffer a stroke and 2,000 people die as a result. Thousands more are left with stroke-related disabilities.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, depriving it of oxygen. As a result, some of the brain cells die and others are damaged. One in six people will have a stroke at some stage in their life.

Details of these findings were presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2016 in Los Angeles.