Late Nights Linked To Artery Problems
If you regularly stay up late, you might be putting yourself at risk for some pretty serious artery problems. A study, presented at the American College of Cardiology's 58th Annual Scientific Sessions, looked at the link between bedtimes and health, and found that men who went to bed after midnight have much greater degree arterial stiffening, an early signal of atherosclerosis, which is plaque build up on the insides of the arteries.
"There have been many studies about the relationship between sleep - mainly sleep duration - and occurrence of disease, but it remains unclear how bedtime affects cardiovascular risk factors and arterial stiffness, which is the first indication of hardening of the arteries," said Yu Misao, MD, PhD, the study author.
Could going to bed late be affecting your heart health?
The study by Misao and colleagues set out to answer just this question by testing 251 healthy men no older than 60.
The participants had an annual check-up where their blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI) and lipid levels were all measured and recorded.
Brachial ankle pulse wave velocity was used to check for evidence of any arterial stiffening, and any connection with sleeping habits.
The average sleep was Six hours, 20 minutes sleep, and most of the subjects said they went to bed at 11:30 pm.
The study discovered that the less hours the subject slept, the higher his blood pressure, triglyceride levels and blood cholesterol were.
"This is consistent with previous reports showing that short sleep duration may negatively affect cardiovascular risk factors," Misao states.
How much the subjects slept appeared to have no bearing on arterial stiffness.
What the team did next was to divide the subjects into 3 groups according to how many hours they slept at night - less than 6, 6-7 or 7+ hours.
An across all three groups, the subjects who went to bed before midnight had more relaxed arteries, when compared to men who went to bed after 12:00.
Misao speculates that being up later allows for more snacking, (and other unhealthy behaviors for the heart) leading to obesity, a known risk factor for heart disease.
Another possible theory is that going to bed late may activate the sympathetic nervous system, which controls body functions like heart rate as well as how the body reacts to stress.
Maybe burning the midnight oil could be throwing the internal clock off and cause problems in ways we don't understand.
Staying up late might help us relax after a demanding day, it may also put an unnecessary strain on your arteries, your heart and perhaps your whole cardiovascular system.
Other research has connected sleep loss with serious conditions like diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
You don't need a doctor to tell you that getting the right amount of rest helps you function at your best, makes you better able to mange stress and keeps your body rested and ready to handle physical challenges or fight off illness.
And while this doesn't mean you have to alter your sleeping patterns, if works for you, it doesn't hurt to understand the potential link between later bedtimes and heart health.
Establishing a good sleep routine and having a restful place to sleep are critical steps to helping you get the rest your body needs.
You might also want to focus your energy on what experts already know will help to minimize your risk for artery problems, like eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising most days of the week - which will all help your sleep routine.
Next - just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information on artery problems linked to late nights, plus for a limited time get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here for more details on this study on artery problems and late nights.