Effects of Inadequate Sleep on Cardiovascular Wellness: Physical Activity Alone May Not Counteract Negative Impacts
Uppsala University researchers discover poor sleep significantly impacts heart health
A recent study, led by scientists from Uppsala University, has revealed that short-term poor sleep can increase biomarkers linked to inflammation and heart disease. During the crossover study, participants' biomarkers were analyzed after they underwent sessions of both poor sleep and healthy sleep. The results showed a significant increase in inflammatory and heart health-related biomarkers after just three nights of poor sleep.
Regularly getting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night can sometimes prove challenging due to stress, health issues, or other factors. However, prolonged periods of sleep deprivation can lead to various health issues.
This study aimed to investigate how quickly the body can react negatively to poor sleep. The researchers found that in a group of 16 young, healthy men, three nights of poor sleep (average of 4.25 hours per night) led to elevated proteins associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
When examining whether exercise could offset the effects of three nights of poor sleep, the researchers learned that while it could help, it did not fully cancel out the negative effects of sleep restriction.
The study's findings were published in a renowned journal.
The Impact of Short-Term Sleep Deprivation
Although chronic poor sleep has been associated with cardiovascular risks, research on short-term sleep deprivation and physiological factors was considered to be limited. This study aimed to expand this research by examining the effects of poor sleep in young, healthy men.
The research was conducted over two sessions, each consisting of three nights of monitoring in a sleep lab. During one session, the men underwent three nights of restricted sleep. In contrast, during the other session, they received a normal night's sleep of approximately 8.5 hours.
To analyze changes in biomarkers, the researchers collected blood samples from the participants in the morning and evening and before and after high-intensity exercise sessions lasting 30 minutes each.
Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease
Upon reviewing the data gathered, the researchers found that short-term sleep restriction was enough to alter participants' biomarkers. After just three nights of poor sleep, a number of proteins linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease were elevated. Exercise was not enough to completely cancel out the harm caused by sleep restriction; while exercise did impact protein levels to some degree, the participants still experienced increases in 16 proteins related to cardiovascular disease.
According to the study authors, "the upregulated set included several stress, interleukin, and chemokine-related proteins." Some beneficial proteins that are connected to the positive effects of exercise were also elevated. However, the increases observed in people with sleep restriction were less significant compared to people with normal sleep.
The study demonstrates that short-term sleep restriction can contribute to biological changes even in young, healthy men - indicating the need for awareness of how short periods of poor sleep can affect heart health. The researchers emphasized that more research is necessary to determine the impacts of short-term sleep restriction on older adults and women.
Improving Sleep Quality
Cheng-Han Chen, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, commented on the study's findings, stating, "This biomarker-based study found changes in blood chemistry associated with inflammation after a few nights of sleep restriction. This suggests a biochemical mechanism by which poor quality sleep can impact someone's health."
Chen emphasized that people can improve their sleep quality by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, practicing good sleep hygiene, and avoiding caffeine and electronic devices before bedtime, among other strategies.
Other experts, such as Harneet Walia, medical director of sleep for Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, agreed that the findings add significant evidence to the growing literature suggesting that sleep duration directly impacts cardiovascular health.
Both researchers emphasized the need for further research to fully understand the effects of sleep deprivation on various populations.
- The study's findings suggest that even short-term sleep deprivation can cause biological changes, specifically an increase in proteins linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in young, healthy individuals.
- In an effort to understand the impacts of short-term sleep restriction, researchers conducted a study involving two sessions of monitoring in a sleep lab, one with restricted sleep and the other with a normal night's sleep.
- Exercise was found to have some impact on protein levels, but it did not fully cancel out the negative effects of sleep restriction, meaning that poor sleep can still contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Chen, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, commented on the study's findings, stating that poor sleep quality can impact someone's health by causing changes in blood chemistry associated with inflammation.
- Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, practicing good sleep hygiene, and avoiding caffeine and electronic devices before bedtime are strategies that people can use to improve their sleep quality and, consequently, their cardiovascular health and overall well-being.
