WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New research suggests that inconsistent sleep schedules even when total sleep time is adequate can markedly increase the risk of heart disease.
A large-scale international study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that adults with the most irregular sleep patterns faced a 26 percent higher risk of experiencing major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
The study followed more than 72,000 adults over an average of 7.8 years, tracking their sleep habits using wrist-worn accelerometers. Researchers calculated a 'Sleep Regularity Index', a measure of consistency in sleep and wake times, sleep duration, and interruptions. Participants with the lowest SRI scores indicating erratic sleep patterns were significantly more likely to suffer cardiovascular issues.
Notably, even among those who slept the recommended 7-9 hours per night, irregular sleep patterns still posed elevated health risks. The most pronounced link was with heart failure, where risk increased by 45 percent.
Supporting these findings, a separate study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that young adults with chronic anxiety and irregular sleep schedules showed early signs of cardiovascular dysfunction, including impaired blood pressure regulation, vascular health, and elevated oxidative stress levels.
Interestingly, these risks were not correlated with total sleep duration or efficiency, underscoring the importance of night-to-night consistency over sheer quantity.
Experts say that irregular sleep disrupts the body's internal clock, leading to metabolic imbalances, increased stress hormone activity, and inflammation factors that strain the cardiovascular system.
As a result, health professionals are urging people to adopt more consistent sleep routines, including fixed bedtimes and wake-up times, even on weekends. Maintaining regular sleep patterns may be just as essential for heart health as the number of hours spent asleep.
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