Is Your Bedtime Hurting Your Heart?
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Sleep Tight: Lots of us had bedtimes that were all over the place as young adults. But if inconsistent bedtimes persist into your 40s or beyond, that could spell trouble later. New research has found irregular sleep timing in middle-aged adults — especially those who sleep fewer than eight hours a night — can significantly increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
The Study: Researchers analyzed data from 3,231 Finnish adults born in 1966. Their sleep timing and duration were tracked with wearable sleep trackers for one week when they turned 46 to record their bedtimes, wake-up times, and sleep midpoints. Researchers then tracked participants’ health data for 10 years (or less if they experienced a cardiovascular event, moved abroad, or died).
The Takeaway: Participants with irregular bedtimes and sleep duration of less than seven hours and 56 minutes were twice as likely to experience a serious cardiac event. Researchers didn’t observe any such association with irregular wake-up times or when participants had irregular bedtimes but got enough sleep. This study supports previous research on the effect of sleep timing and duration on heart health.
Keep in Mind: The study found only a connection, not causation, and it wasn’t extremely strong.
