Inconsistent sleep patterns might drive a higher risk of heart attack or stroke, according to the findings of a new study published this week in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
The research team, led by Jean-Philippe Chaput, a senior scientist with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Canada, looked at the data of more than 72,000 individuals in the UK Biobank. The study participants wore an activity-tracking device, like a Fitbit, for one week to record their sleep. The researchers identified participants who had irregular sleep patterns and found they also had a higher risk of heart-related events, like a stroke or heart attack.
According to the study’s findings, the worse a person’s sleep consistency, the higher their risk of life-threatening incidents.
Individuals who fall asleep and wake up at different times each day have a 26% increased risk of potentially fatal heart-related medical emergencies, according to the research.
Notably, the findings indicate that obtaining the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each evening did not counteract the heightened risk that came with irregular sleep patterns.
“Sufficient sleep offsets MACE [major adverse cardiovascular event] risk for moderately irregular sleepers, but not for irregular sleepers. Findings from this study suggest that more attention needs to be paid to sleep regularity in public health guidelines and clinical practice due to its potential role in cardiovascular health,” the recently published study concluded.
It is speculated that irregular sleep patterns might disrupt the body’s blood sugar, cholesterol, inflammation, and immune function management, driving elevated blood pressure, the release of stress hormones, and other adverse effects.
Earlier this year, The Dallas Express reported that irregular sleep was also linked to heightened diabetes risk. According to American and British research, individuals who slept irregularly were nearly 60% more likely to eventually succumb to diabetes compared to more consistent sleepers.
In another study, people with chronic sleeping problems were found to be susceptible to a range of health problems compared to those who sleep normally.