Research shows that poor sleep also leads to other serious diseases
According to a recent study, middle-aged women who sleep less than five hours a night are up to 75 percent more likely to suffer from heart failure or stroke.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh, US, followed nearly 3,000 women aged between 42 and 52, for over 16 years, to reach the above conclusions.
Every year for nearly two decades, women filled out surveys about their sleep, including how many hours they slept on average per night and whether they believed they suffered from insomnia. They also completed health questionnaires to record ongoing illnesses or problems.
Up to 75% increased risk of disease
Analysis of the data revealed that women who regularly slept less than five hours a night had up to a 75% increased risk of suffering from a variety of cardiovascular problems – including stroke, heart attack, heart failure and coronary heart disease.
Surprisingly, this relationship held true even when other potentially contributing factors were considered, such as BMI (body mass index) and underlying health conditions.
Impacts of lack of sleep
Scientists say this may be because sleeping too little can increase blood pressure and trigger insulin resistance, increasing the risk of blood vessel damage.
They also warned that it increases the risk of obesity – known to impact heart health – due to dysregulation of hunger and satiety hormones in the body.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. But research suggests that up to a third of adults regularly fail to achieve this goal. Among middle-aged women, research suggests that about half fail to get the recommended seven hours of sleep each night.
Insufficient sleep during menopause
Women in this age group already have a higher risk of heart disease. Declining estrogen levels after menopause can make blood vessels stiffer, cutting off blood flow to the heart.
The study, published in the journal Circulationfrom the American Heart Association, used data from the Nationwide Women’s Health Study (Swan), which followed thousands of women for more than 22 years.
It recruited premenopausal women aged 42 to 52 in 1996 and followed them for the next 16 years. During the study period, 200 cardiovascular events were reported, of which 23 were fatal.
Cardiovascular events were defined as myocardial infarction – or heart attack – heart attacks or treatment for coronary heart disease.
Insomnia is common among them
About 10% reported having difficulty falling asleep each night, while a quarter said they woke up multiple times during the night.
A total of 363 (or 14%) reported sleeping less than five hours on average each night, while 760 (or 30%) said they slept more than eight hours per night.
The majority of women (1,395, or 55%) reported sleeping on average about six and a half hours each night.
The researchers also conducted a second analysis that also considered reports of insomnia symptoms, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up multiple times during the night, or waking up earlier than expected.
This revealed that those who slept an average of less than five hours a night and had insomnia symptoms more than three times a week were 75% more likely to suffer from heart disease.
These data were compared with those of women who got the recommended amount of sleep and said they rarely suffered from insomnia symptoms.
Limitations of the study included that sleep duration and insomnia symptoms were self-reported and were not monitored by a medical device such as a smartwatch.
The researchers also didn’t consider other factors that influence sleep, including timing, regularity and efficiency – or how much light, deep and REM sleep someone received.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, accounting for approximately 300,000 deaths per year. Over 60 million women in the United States live with some type of heart disease.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
