Study finds that irregular sleep schedules may increase risk of heart attack and stroke

Researchers calculated Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) scores for 72,269 participants aged 40 to 79 from the UK Biobank, a UK-based database of study participants. People with high SRI scores had more consistent sleep-wake times (i.e., bedtime and wake time), whereas people with low SRI scores had less consistent sleep-wake times.

So what does this mean for your sleep habits? And what if you stayed up later tonight than you did last night? We spoke with Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a sleep medicine physician, to learn more about how your sleep schedule impacts your risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and heart disease. stroke.

What did the study find?

Researchers found that people who slept irregularly (those who went to bed and woke up at different times over a 7-day period) experienced more severe psychological problems than those who slept regularly (those who adhered to the same sleep and wake times). They found they were 26% more likely to have a vascular event. 3 times in 7 days). Cardiovascular events occur whenever there is damage to the heart muscle. This includes cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

But how does your sleep schedule affect your heart in the first place? Researchers in this study found that irregular sleep can be linked to circadian rhythms (internal body clocks), hormonal regulation (increased cortisol, also known as the stress hormone) , explains that it can disrupt immunity (the body’s ability to protect itself from disease) and the nervous system (which regulates mood, thinking, etc.). All of these natural processes are in place to keep your body functioning. Sleep is necessary for your body to get the rest it needs to function properly.

So what if you could still get enough sleep? The study found that even if people with irregular sleep schedules were getting the recommended amount of sleep (more on that below), they weren’t able to offset the effects of their irregular schedules. What it means: Keeping a consistent sleep-wake schedule may be better for your heart than snoozing for long periods of time.

Please note that this was an observational study, so the researchers did not conclude that irregular sleep causes serious cardiovascular events. This means there’s a strong link between your sleep schedule and your overall heart health. Researchers also want us to know that while sleep is essential to our health, it’s not the only factor that affects the heart. Genetics, diet plans, exercise plans, and underlying health conditions can also increase (or lower) your risk of heart disease.

Learn more about the relationship between sleep and heart health

According to Dr. Dasgupta, sleep rejuvenates your heart and gives it a chance to relax. “When you sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure tend to drop,” he says. Without enough sleep, your heart can’t rest, and stress can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. These are all common risk factors for heart disease.

Effect on stress

Stress hormones such as cortisol are hormones that rise when you wake up and decrease during the day, but can remain elevated if you don’t get enough sleep. This surge in hormones can increase blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), which can put a strain on your heart over time.

Impact on diet and exercise

Lack of sleep can also affect your lifestyle habits. Foods high in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium often pack more of an energy punch than heart-healthy foods, so they’re more appealing when you’re tired. That might get you through the day, but over time these foods can increase your risk of developing cholesterol buildup in your arteries (heart blood vessels), a common precursor to cardiovascular events. There is. Remember, when you’re tired, you likely don’t have the time (or energy) to exercise, an important lifestyle habit for your overall health.

Impact on mental well-being

Sleep deprivation not only makes it difficult to regulate emotions, but it also disrupts important chemical messengers in the brain such as serotonin, the “feel-good hormone” that helps regulate mood and other functions such as memory, digestion, and sex drive. may cause . Therefore, lack of sleep can lower serotonin levels and make you more susceptible to mental health conditions such as depression, another risk factor for heart disease.

So how much sleep do we actually need?

Now that we know that sleep-wake consistency is important, let’s talk about how much sleep you should aim for when building (or improving) your sleep schedule. So the answer will be a little different for everyone. Your lifestyle habits, genetics, overall health, and sleep debt can influence the amount of sleep that’s right for you. For example, you may feel refreshed after six hours of sleep, but your partner may be sleeping a few more hours even if you go to bed at the same time.

However, one of the most important factors to help you figure out your baseline is your age. Experts recommend the following amount of sleep based on your age:

Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours of sleep Infants (4-12 months): 12-16 hours per day Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours per day Children (3-14 hours) (12 years old): 10-12 hours per day Youth (13-18 years): 8-10 hours per day Adults (18 to 18 years): 8 to 10 hours per day (64 years and older): 7 to 9 hours per day Seniors (65 years and older): 7 to 8 hours per day

However, if you’re getting the recommended amount of sleep for your age and still feel light-headed when your alarm goes off, you may want to talk to your doctor. We can determine if you have an underlying sleep disorder that is affecting your sleep quality and provide treatment to alleviate symptoms.

8 effective ways to sleep better

Even if you’re notorious for irregular sleep, you know yourself, it’s never too late to change your sleep habits, says Dr. Dasgupta. He suggests:

If possible, keep (more or less) consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, even on weekends, vacations, and holidays Keep a sleep diary to record your sleep and wake times so you know when to go to bed Alarm clock Keep it out of reach You won’t be able to hit the snooze button in the morning Get outside and get some sunlight as soon as you wake up (if you don’t have direct sunlight, a light therapy lamp is a good alternative) Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, especially before bedtime, and exercise regularly, but avoid too close to bedtime. Blue light from your devices can keep you awake longer, so make your bed a screen-free sleep-only zone. Get out of bed and do something relaxing for a few minutes (like reading or listening to calming music) if you’ve been under the covers for hours and have trouble falling asleep.

Remember: Creating a consistent sleep schedule happens overnight (no kidding). Start slowly. Follow these strategies one step at a time to get your body used to your new and improved sleep routine.