This Common Bedtime Habit Is Horrible for Your Heart
VICE • • health
Key Points:
- A study by the University of Oulu tracked sleep habits of 3,231 adults and found that irregular bedtimes doubled the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes over a decade compared to consistent bedtimes.
- The research suggests that disrupting circadian rhythms by frequently changing bedtime strains the heart, which relies on predictable rest periods to recover.
- Wake-up times showed no significant impact on heart risk; bedtime consistency was the critical factor, with irregular sleepers varying their bedtimes by nearly 2 hours weekly versus about 30 minutes for consistent sleepers.
- Increased cardiovascular risk was mainly observed in individuals sleeping less than eight hours per night, indicating that sufficient sleep duration can partially mitigate risks associated with irregular bedtimes.
- While the study does not prove direct causation and acknowledges other contributing factors to heart disease, the strong association highlights the importance of maintaining regular bedtimes alongside adequate sleep for heart health.
