Research published this year in the Journal of the American Heart Association has shown that chronic sleep disruptions and highly variable sleep durations from night to night may increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries.
The study included over 2,000 participants who had their sleep measured for seven days using a wrist-worn device. The participants also underwent various measurements of arterial health. Their sleep regularity and sleep disruptions were then compared to the health of their arteries.
The results showed that participants with irregular sleep durations tended to have higher coronary artery calcium (a measure of calcified arterial plaque), more plaque in their arteries, and greater arterial stiffness. Participants with irregular sleep timing (a standard deviation of greater than 90 minutes in the onset of sleep from day-to-day) were also more likely than those with regular sleep timing (standard deviation of less than 30 minutes) to have increased coronary artery calcium.
The authors suggested that the link between sleep and cardiovascular disease may be caused by disruptions to the body’s circadian rhythm. Circadian clock genes are associated with many of the body’s cardiovascular functions, including blood pressure, heart rate, vascular relaxation/contraction, and more. If the circadian rhythm of the body is frequently disrupted, the cardiovascular functions of the body may also be disrupted, causing worse heart and arterial health.
To achieve optimal heart and sleep health, one of the most important and often-overlooked factors is simply prioritizing sleep. Choosing to go to bed at approximately the same time every night and budgeting at least eight hours per day for sleep can have a major positive impact on overall health. Other effective ways to improve sleep include making your bedroom cool and dark, avoiding screens before bedtime, and avoiding caffeine in the second half of the day.
Sources: JAHA, Science Daily
