Everyone is guilty of staying up too late a few nights each week. What many don’t realize is that this could actually have an unwanted effect on the heart. Yes, those who go to sleep at different times or get different amounts of shuteye from night to night may eventually develop a hardening in the arteries. This was what a new study saw and suggested.
If you want a good reason to have a regular bedtime schedule and be able to stick to it, then this could be it for you. That’s because a new study suggests that too much variety and differences in the timing and amount of sleep you get may actually increase your chances of developing a major risk factor when it comes to suffering from future heart attacks and strokes.
The study that was made looked into the connection between sleep habits and atherosclerosis. The latter refers to an accumulation of fatty plaque inside the artery walls. As a result, this makes blood vessels stiffer and narrower in the long run and thus, this will eventually reduce blood flow and oxygen that is distributed in the body. These fatty deposits that happen can also form blood clots that may block the artery. When this happens, a heart attack or stroke can take place.
Varying Bed Times and Length of Sleep Vs. Higher Chances of Atherosclerosis
In order to determine the link between sleep regularity and blood vessel health, researchers got around 2,000 middle-aged and older adults to wear wrist devices. These were there to detect when they were asleep and awake. They were also asked to create sleep diaries for one week. Participants were also asked to complete an in-home sleep study to get more information on how their bodies functioned when they were asleep. These included assessments of their heart rate and breathing patterns.
They then compared the findings to those who got consistent amounts of sleep every night. Those who had at least two hours of variation in sleep duration within the week had 75 percent higher odds when it comes to signs of atherosclerosis, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Those with bedtimes that differed by 90 minutes or more over the week had also had 40 percent more chances of showing signs of atherosclerosis than those who consistently went to sleep at night.
“This study is one of the first investigations to provide evidence of a connection between irregular sleep duration and irregular sleep timing and atherosclerosis,” said Kelsie Full, PhD, MPH, the lead study author in the study and an assistant professor of medicine in the division of epidemiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
This link went further even after researchers took note of several other factors that might independently affect atherosclerosis risk. The factors considered were smoking, drinking, age, sex, race and ethnicity, exercise habits, obesity, high blood pressure, and schedule of work.
It must be noted that the study wasn’t a controlled experiment that was made to prove whether specific sleep habits might directly bring about atherosclerosis,. The researchers also didn’t make assessments on whether hardening in the arteries resulted in events such as heart attacks or strokes. There was also another drawback included in this study. It was the fact that the scientists only measured sleep and atherosclerosis at one point in time.
Healthy Sleep Hygiene for a Healthy Heart
Even with the limitations, the findings have already stressed the importance of good sleep habits, Dr. Full said. “Maintaining regular sleep schedules and decreasing variability in sleep is an easily adjustable lifestyle behavior that can not only help improve sleep, but also help reduce cardiovascular risk for aging adults,” Full explained.
The constant changes in bedtimes and wake times can wreak havoc and make an impact on the body’s circadian rhythms. This is the internal biological clock that naturally happens during the day and at night when the body needs to rest, said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD. She is the director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
“These circadian rhythms regulate cardiovascular functions like heart rate and blood pressure,” said Dr. St-Onge. She wasn’t part of the new study but knows about the body’s functioning. “Disruptions and disturbances in these rhythms can cause chronic inflammation, impact glucose metabolism, and cause alterations in immune functions, all of which can contribute to atherosclerosis.”
It is extremely important to know why sleep is so crucial for cardiovascular health. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) last year added sleep to its key recommendations for a heart-healthy lifestyle. They said that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night to lower the risk of suffering from a heart disease and for a wide range of other chronic health ailments, the AHA said.
Tips for Getting Healthier Sleep Habits
There are several things that you need to start doing in order to improve your very own sleep hygiene. This form of routine helps you stay consistent on sleeping at keeping a consistent schedule and getting the rest you truly need, said José Ordovás, PhD. He is a sleep researcher and professor of nutrition and genomics at Tufts University in Boston. He also wasn’t part of the new study.
Dr. Ordovás made a few suggestions that you need to look into:
- Keeping a regular bedtime schedule
This means that you need to make an effort to go to bed and wake up at around the same time each day. Weekends are included here because this habit will help regulate your own internal clock and make it easier for you to sleep and wake up at a fixed schedule.
- Having relaxing routines
You can start looking into doing things that help you relax so you can ease into it come bedtime. Some of the suggested activities are taking a warm bath, reading a book, and listening to calming music. On the other hand, this means that you need to stay away from stimulating activities like watching TV or using electronic devices just when you’re about to go to bed.
- Making sure your bedroom is comfortable
Look at the environment where you sleep and see to it that it’s conducive for rest. Keep the room dark, cool, and quiet. Get a comfortable mattress and some pillows so your posture isn’t sacrificed when you sleep.
- Watching what you drink
Try to lessen caffeine and alcohol at night, or at least within a few hours before bedtime. These two drinks are known to disrupt your rest.
- Getting exercise regularly
Set aside time during the week for regular physical activities. This habit can make a good impact on sleep quality as well as lower your chances of suffering from a heart disease.
- Trying to lower stress
This means that if you’re feeling pressure, find ways to manage this in a healthy fashion. A few activities known to help are some relaxation exercises or doing some fun hobbies at certain times during the week.
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