Is Your Bedtime All Over the Place? New Study Links Habit To An Increase In Heart Attacks

If you are someone who sleeps whenever they feel like it, then you need to rethink this sleeping habit. Irregular sleep schedules are caused by multiple factors, such as not having dinner on time, being stressed, or having hormones that are not balanced in the body. While there is an extensive amount of research on the importance of sleep schedules, a recent study points to a higher heart attack risk. While there are limitations to achieving a consistent sleep schedule in India, such as long working hours, late dinners, and unnecessary screen exposure, actively prioritising your sleep is paramount.

Especially as the pace of living gets quicker, so do the types of health issues affecting Indians. According to the Sleep Foundation, over 58% of Indians struggle with getting the sleep they need daily. And a new study just proves how important it is to practise sleep hygiene.

What Did The Sleep Study Find?

The study conducted by the University of Oulu, Finland, recorded the health outcomes for people in their 40s who had erratic bedtimes. Irregular sleep cycles were found to double the risk of heart attacks, which are primarily driven by a combination of diet, lifestyle, and plaque deposits in the arteries.

Researchers tracked thousands of people for over 10 years and found that when they had inconsistent bedtimes, especially when they slept for less than 8 hours, they faced double the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

While some variation in sleep cycles is common, the study also found that it didn't matter when people woke up, but if their bedtime was erratic, then the risk would be significant.

If you are someone who doesn't care how much they sleep daily, then you need to re-evaluate your choices if you want to safeguard your heart health.

Also Read: Daytime Napping Linked To Higher Mortality Risk In Older Adults, Study Finds

How Does Irregular Sleep Harm The Heart?

Irregular sleep doesn't give enough time for the heart to rest, as it needs to pump blood throughout the whole body daily. When your lifestyle choices lead to later bedtimes, your heart suffers as a result. Especially for those people who are in their 40s, they need to be extra careful of their sleep time and eliminate distractions and possible activities that could delay their sleep cycle. Here is what daily irregular sleep does to the heart, as per the research published in the Frontiers of Medicine journal:

• Disrupts circadian rhythm, which means that the body's natural rhythm gets disrupted.
• Affects blood pressure regulation, which puts undue pressure on the heart.
• Raises stress hormones (cortisol), which impact the whole body, especially the heart.
• Increases inflammation and metabolic imbalance, which drives the risk of chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases.
• Irregular sleep is also linked to insulin resistance and obesity, which are already at record numbers in India.

Why Indians Are Particularly At Risk

Indians remain particularly at high risk, as late nights, long screen time, and a complete disregard for their heart health are the norm until actual disease markers are detected. Here are the reasons that may be driving your irregular sleep that you need to adjust to make sure your heart remains healthy:

• Late dinners delay the secretion of the sleep hormone, which delays the sleep cycle, and social schedules can also delay sleep time.
• Shift work that doesn't take the body's needs into consideration, especially those on night duty, can suffer greatly from the impact of irregular sleep on their heart health.
• High smartphone usage that extends into the hours of the night disrupts the brain's hormone secretion, making it harder to sleep.
• Current estimates by Statista confirm that over 60 million adults in India suffer from some kind of heart disease.

Signs Your Sleep Schedule Is Hurting Your Heart

There are particular signs that indicate that your sleep schedule could be hurting your heart. Here are the signs that you need to know:

• Different bedtimes each night consistently make it an irregular sleep time that can double your risk of a heart attack.
• Weekend "catch-up sleep", which is normally practised by those who have early mornings.
• Morning fatigue despite enough sleep hours is a sign that you need to take a break and revise your daily schedule.
• A high resting heart rate or BP fluctuations that are recorded when medical tests are conducted are an important sign that your irregular sleep is damaging your heart.

How To Fix An Irregular Sleep Routine

Dr Prashant Saxena, Sleep Medicine Specialist at Fortis Hospitals, Delhi, explains ways to fix your sleep routine, saying, "Not just how much sleep you get, but how irregular it is, decides your long-term heart and metabolic health."

• Fix a consistent sleep and wake time that is aligned with your daily schedule.
• Avoid screens 60 minutes before bed, as this can give your brain time to slip into rest mode easily.
• Early, lighter dinners are needed that take the time you go to sleep into account.
• Reduce caffeine consumption after 4 pm as it can delay sleep time.
• Morning sunlight exposure is necessary to give your brain time to get accustomed to mornings and get into the right rhythm.
• Gentle evening routines that involve yoga and breathing exercises can make your brain rest more easily.

Who Should Be Extra Careful?

People who should be extra careful of their sleep time are those who have existing health issues, such as

• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Family history of heart disease
• Midlife adults (40-60 years)

Note: Even though the study focuses on people in their 40s, people of all ages need to take their sleep seriously if they want to preserve their heart and metabolic health.

Sleep timing consistency is needed, as it is as important as sleep duration. There are small daily habits that can significantly lower heart attack risk, and prevention for those begins with setting and adhering to a consistent bedtime.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.