02.12.2024.
If you’re waking up and going to bed at different times each day, you may be putting your heart health at risk—regardless of how many hours you sleep.
Key findings from a new study:
- Sleep regularity (maintaining the same waking and bedtime schedule) may be more critical than sleep duration for heart health.
- Irregular sleep patterns were associated with a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke—even when participants got enough sleep.
- On the flip side, sticking to a regular sleep schedule offered protection against these risks.
Study highlights:
A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health analyzed data from over 72,000 adults aged 40 to 79 with no prior history of major cardiovascular events. The research focused on two sleep metrics:
Sleep duration (total hours slept).
Sleep regularity (consistency in bedtime and wake time).
Participants were categorized based on their Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) scores, derived from data collected by activity trackers over seven days:
- Regular sleepers (SRI > 87.3): Lowest risk of heart issues.
- Moderately irregular sleepers (SRI 71.6–87.3): Modest 8% increase in risk.
- Irregular sleepers (SRI < 71.6): 26% higher risk of cardiovascular events.
The bigger picture:
Even getting the recommended hours of sleep didn’t eliminate the cardiovascular risk for those with irregular schedules. However, those in the moderately irregular group saw some benefits if they met sleep duration guidelines.
Protective effects of regular sleep:
Individuals with more consistent sleep patterns experienced reduced risks:
- A minimum SRI score of 77.1 lowered the risk of major cardiovascular events by 15%.
- An SRI score of 80.8 was linked to an 18% risk reduction.
Why it matters:
The study, which controlled for various factors like age, lifestyle, and health history, is the first of its kind to emphasize sleep regularity over duration. Researchers found that irregular sleep disrupts the body’s internal clock, which could explain its strong association with heart health risks.
Bottom line:
Prioritizing a regular sleep schedule could be as important as how long you sleep. Setting consistent bedtime and wake-up times might be a simple yet powerful way to protect your heart.
