If you regularly stay up to catch the late show with the host of your choice, or watch the end of a favorite classic movie, you might be more than a bit drowsy the next day, you might also be putting yourself at risk for some pretty dangerous artery problems.A first ever study, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 58th Annual Scientific Sessions, looks at bedtimes and health, and finds that men who go to bed after midnight have much more arterial stiffening, an early signal of atherosclerosis (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?
A study by Misao and colleagues carried out research to answer this question by testing 251 healthy men no older than 60.
Every year the subjects blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI) and lipid levels were all measured and recorded.
The men were also examined for evidence of any arterial stiffening, and the participants also completed a questionnaires about sleep habits and bed times.
The average sleep was Six hours, 20 minutes sleep, and most of the subjects said they went to bed at 11:30 pm.
The research discovered that the less time a participant slept each night, the greater his blood pressure, triglyceride levels and blood cholesterol levels were.
“This is consistent with previous reports showing that short sleep duration may negatively affect cardiovascular risk factors,” Misao explains.
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.
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Although it is not clear why this is the case, Misao speculates that being up late allows for more snacking, leading to obesity, a known risk factor for heart disease.
Another theory holds that going to bed after midnight might activate the sympathetic nervous system – known to speed up body functions like heart rate as well as managing how the body reacts to stress.
Perhaps going to bed late may throw your internal biological clock off and cause issues in ways we don’t yet really understand.
So while staying up late can help us get things done, or give us a bit of peace after a demanding day, it may also put strain on your arteries, heart and perhaps your whole cardiovascular system.
Other large studies have associated chronic sleep loss with serious conditions like diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
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 change your sleeping schedule it if works for you, it doesn’t hurt to be aware of 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 – eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising most days of the week.
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.