Irregular Sleep Patterns Increase Heart Disease Risk by 2x in Large Study
Does Having Irregular Sleep Patterns Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease?
Yes, dramatically. This large multi-ethnic study of over 2,000 adults found that people with irregular sleep-wake patterns had nearly double the risk of cardiovascular events compared to those with consistent sleep schedules. The increased risk was independent of sleep duration, sleep quality, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, suggesting that the timing consistency of sleep is as important as how much sleep you get. Even people who got adequate sleep hours showed increased cardiovascular risk if their sleep timing was highly variable from night to night.