People who sleep less than eight hours and go to bed at irregular times may have up to twice the risk of serious heart problems, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Oulu followed 3,231 adults over a ten-year period to analyze the impact of sleep on cardiac health.
Participants used special devices that recorded their bedtime, wake-up time, and mid-sleep point—the time between falling asleep and waking up. To assess regularity, the researchers analyzed how much these schedules varied over the course of a week.
During the 10-year follow-up, 128 people (about 4%) experienced serious cardiac events, including heart attack, stroke, unstable angina, hospitalization for heart failure, and death from cardiovascular disease.
The results showed that people with very irregular sleep schedules had a significantly higher risk – but only if they slept less than about 7 hours and 56 minutes a night. Those who slept more than that did not show the same increased risk.
According to researchers, irregular sleep schedules disrupt the body's "biological clock," which controls heart function, hormones, metabolism, and recovery processes during sleep.
Interestingly, wake-up time did not appear to have a significant impact on risk, suggesting that sleep-wake consistency is more important.
Other factors associated with higher risk include:
Masculine gender
High body mass index (BMI)
Unemployment
People who experienced cardiac problems also more often had high blood pressure, cholesterol, and higher blood sugar.
The study, published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, also took into account other factors such as physical activity and health status, to ensure that the results were truly related to sleep.
Previous research has shown that insufficient and irregular sleep is linked to obesity, diabetes and a weakened immune system.
In the UK, adults sleep an average of just 6 hours and 27 minutes a night – less than the recommendation of 7–9 hours.
In conclusion, the researchers emphasize that not only the duration, but also the regularity of sleep is essential for long-term heart health. Even if you don't always get eight hours of sleep, maintaining a consistent schedule can help reduce the risk of stroke and other serious cardiac problems. /GazetaExpress/
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