Getting a good night's sleep is key to feeling rested and energized tomorrow, but it also contributes to future health. It can be easy to excuse a night of poor sleep by promising yourself to make it up later, but these nights of poor sleep add up. Recent studies are finding that irregular or disrupted sleep contributes to the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and immunological disorders.
Sleeping inconsistent hours is a common trend among people in the US. Many people wake up early on weekdays and sleep in on weekends. Technology and illness keep people awake at night and they prevent people from having restful sleep. Studies conducted at Northwestern University and Vanderbilt University specifically looked into the effects that irregular and disrupted sleep patterns have on physical health. It is understandable that restful sleep helps the body to maintain healthy functioning and strength day to day, but the consequences of poor sleep may be surprising.
The scientific review "Circadian disruption and human health", by Phyllis Zee and colleagues gives a comprehensive overview of the conditions that contribute to poor sleep and the lasting effects of poor sleep. In addition to a busy schedule, light exposure in the evenings, neurological and psychological disorders, chronic pain, and sleep apnea can also make getting restful sleep difficult. When these issues go untreated and a person consistently doesn't sleep well, it becomes harder and harder for them to get back to a healthy sleep schedule. Due to the interconnectedness of the body, metabolic pathways and the cardiovascular system take a big hit when a person has an unhealthy sleep schedule. Dr. Zee's studies have found that metabolism and sleep are highly connected and disruptions in the REM cycle lead to an increased risk of diabetes and obesity. The sleep cycle is key for insulin effectiveness and glucose tolerance. When disrupted, these systems get misaligned and contribute to a chronic issue.
The article "Study finds chronically disrupted sleep may increase the risk for heart disease", in Science Daily looks at a study that specifically analyzed the ways that irregular and disrupted sleep contributes to heart disease. The study found that, on average, participants that had more irregular sleep patterns had higher levels of "hardened" arteries. "Hardened" arteries refer to build-ups and blockage in the arteries that contribute to higher blood pressure, greater risk of heart attack and stroke, and restricted blood flow. When doctors encouraged these individuals to improve their sleep schedules, their risk for heart disease decreased. They also noticed issues with chronic inflammation, poor glucose metabolism, and increased activation of the fight-or-flight response in these individuals.
This study on heart disease ties in with Dr. Phyllis Zee's work, as she cites many of the same issues in her research. Her paper discusses an increased risk for stroke, hypertension, and arrhythmia in individuals who have disrupted sleep cycles. Unfortunately, this increased risk is not isolated to adults. Children with poor sleep schedules can who have other risk factors like Type 1 Diabetes can have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
This information is important because almost everyone experiences a poor sleep schedule at some point in their life. If this information is learned and healthy sleep schedules are implemented at a young age throughout the population, we could see a significant decrease in metabolic and cardiovascular disease. By increasing the societal value of a good night's rest, we could decrease the incidence of chronic health issues and increase the population's life expectancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment