A study conducted by researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland showed that the duration of rest, in addition to regular sleep schedules, may play a key role in preventing myocardial infarction and strokes.
The scientific journal BMC Cardiovascular Disorders reports that, as part of the experiment, scientists monitored the sleep quality of 3,231 people, with an average age of 46, for one week. To ensure accuracy, they used wearable tracking devices instead of self-monitoring records. After collecting the data, they followed up on the participants' health for another decade.
The results showed that people suffering from chronic sleep deprivation (less than eight hours) had double the risk of developing serious heart disease due to irregular sleep schedules compared to those who maintained a regular sleep schedule.
Interestingly, the study results showed that adhering to a consistent bedtime was more important than maintaining a regular wake-up time, as the difference in participants' behavior was clear. Those who maintained a consistent bedtime deviated from it by an average of 33 minutes over a week, while those with irregular sleep schedules deviated by an average of 108 minutes.
In addition, it turned out that people who habitually compensated for late nights by sleeping in late on weekends did not mitigate the damage caused by the disruption of biological rhythms.
According to researchers, it's all about biological rhythms. They link these differences to a disruption of the body's natural circadian rhythm. When a person goes to sleep at 11:00 PM on weekdays and at 2:00 AM on weekends, their internal systems are subjected to stress similar to jet lag, which disrupts the nighttime recovery process and blood pressure regulation, placing additional strain on the cardiovascular system in the long run.
It's worth noting that people who regularly sleep 8 hours or more don't experience the same negative effects when their sleep schedule is disrupted. This suggests that adequate sleep partially mitigates the negative impact of varying sleep patterns.
Researchers emphasize that, based on global statistics indicating that cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death, even a simple habit like going to bed at a regular time can be an effective preventative measure. Therefore, experts recommend aiming for eight hours of sleep and minimizing the difference between sleep schedules during the workweek and weekends.
