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Medical News Today
26-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Heart health: Exercise not enough to offset effects of poor sleep
Poor sleep can impact health in many ways, particularly the heart. blackCAT/Getty Images A study led by researchers from Uppsala University examined how sleeping poorly can affect the body — specifically heart health. In the crossover study, scientists checked the participants' biomarkers after they underwent sessions of poor sleep and healthy sleep. They found that biomarkers associated with inflammation and heart health increased after just three nights of poor sleep. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night, this can sometimes be tough to achieve. Whether it is due to stress or underlying health issues, it is almost inevitable to get less than the recommended sleep at some point. A new study examines how quickly the body can start reacting negatively to poor sleep. The results show that getting a bad night's sleep just three nights in a row can start affecting health. When seeing whether exercise could offset the effects of three nights of poor sleep, the researchers learned that it could help but did not cancel the effects of poor sleep. The study appears in the journal Biomarker Research . The researchers noted that prior studies have shown the cardiovascular risks of chronic poor sleep. However, they thought research on short-term sleep deprivation and physiological factors needed to be expanded. This study examined the effects of poor sleep in 16 young men , who the researchers noted all had healthy weights. The researchers carried out the study over two sessions, each of which included three nights of monitoring in a sleep lab. In one session, the men underwent 3 nights of restricted sleep. On these nights, they only got around 4.25 hours of sleep. The researchers collected blood samples from the participants in the morning and evening and before and after high-intensity exercise. The high-intensity exercise sessions lasted 30 minutes each. In another 3-night session, the participants got a normal night's sleep of around 8.5 hours on average. The study analyzed 88 proteins related to cardiovascular disease, such as leptin, lipoprotein lipase, and galectin-9. After reviewing the data collected, the researchers found that short-term sleep restriction was enough to change the participants' biomarkers. Just three nights of poor sleep elevated proteins that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Exercise was not enough to completely cancel out the harm caused by sleep restriction. While exercise did impact protein levels to some degree, the participants still experienced increases in 16 proteins related to cardiovascular disease. According to the study authors, 'the upregulated set included several stress, interleukin, and chemokine-related proteins.' Some beneficial proteins that are connected to the positive effects of exercise, such as IL-6 and BDNF, were elevated regardless of sleep status. However, the proteins in people with sleep restriction were not elevated as much as in people with normal sleep. The study shows that short-term sleep restriction can contribute to biological changes even in young, healthy men. This information demonstrates the need for awareness of how just a few nights of poor sleep have the potential to impact the heart. The study authors emphasized that more research is necessary to determine the impacts that short-term sleep restriction can have on older adults and women. Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, spoke with Medical News Today about the study findings. 'This biomarker-based study found changes in blood chemistry associated with inflammation after a few nights of sleep restriction,' said Chen. 'This suggests a biochemical mechanism by which poor quality sleep can impact someone's health.' Chen said the results are 'not entirely surprising' and noted that poor sleep can impact numerous health factors. In addition to cardiovascular health, Chen said sleep restriction can negatively impact endocrine and immune functioning. For people who want to improve their sleep quality and reduce the chances of activating harmful proteins related to sleep restriction, Chen suggested that people maintain 'a consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine.' 'We also recommend that people practice good sleep 'hygiene' including avoiding caffeine and alcohol later in the day, avoiding the use of electronic devices before bedtime, limiting long daytime naps, exercising regularly, and following a healthy diet,' Chen told MNT . Harneet Walia, MD, medical director of sleep for Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, also spoke with MNT . Walia noted the 'robust methods' used in the study and said, 'the findings add meaningful evidence to the growing literature suggesting that sleep duration directly impacts cardiovascular health.' 'This adds to the body of literature and amplifies the association of sleep restriction with a pro-inflammatory state, suggesting that even short-term sleep restriction can have significant health consequences.' — Harneet Walia, MD Walia recommended that people 'create a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to your body it's time to wind down' to ensure the best chances for a good night's sleep. Heart Disease Cardiovascular / Cardiology Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Just three nights without a full 8 hours of sleep can harm your heart
Think only a few hours of sleep is enough? Think again. Swedish researchers say just three consecutive nights without a full eight hours of sleep can harm a person's heart health. 'Unfortunately, nearly half of all Swedes regularly experience disturbed sleep, and this is particularly common among shift workers. That is why we wanted to try to identify mechanisms that affect how lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,' Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, a docent at Uppsala University, said in a statement. Cedernaes led the study, which was published recently in the journal Biomarker Research. To reach these conclusions, the authors examined how sleep deprivation affects the body's biomarkers, which are indicative of a person's overall health. Their research included 16 young men who had healthy sleep habits. The men spent two sessions in a sleep laboratory, with controlled meals and activity levels. During one session, they got 8.5 hours of sleep for three consecutive nights. For the second, they only got about four hours. The researchers collected blood samples from the participants during the morning and evening, as well as following high-intensity exercise lasting 30 minutes. They measured the levels of 90 proteins in the blood, finding that many associated with increased inflammation rose when the men were sleep-deprived. Many of these proteins have already been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Further research needs to be conducted, they noted, to understand how the same effects might differ in women, older people, people with heart disease, and those with different sleep patterns. However, previous research has linked a chronic lack of sleep to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is at least 7 hours each day. In the U.S., 12 percent of residents say they have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia. 'Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases. That is why it was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased in the same way in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation,' Cedernaes explained. 'This means that it's important to emphasise the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health even early in life.' Exercising led to a slightly different response, the study authors said. However, a number of key proteins increased whether the person was sleep-deprived or not. 'It's important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause. But it's also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep,' said Cedernaes.
Perth Now
13-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Only three nights of bad sleep increases heart attack and stroke danger
Three nights of poor sleep can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke in "perfectly healthy" people. A new study has revealed that a lack of shuteye triggers molecular mechanisms that are linked to a greater danger of heart problems and just a couple of nights of inadequate rest is enough to set them off. Swedish experts investigated how sleep deprivation affects biomarkers (proteins in this case) in the body that are linked to cardiovascular disease. Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, study leader at Uppsala University, said: "Unfortunately, nearly half of all Swedes regularly experience disturbed sleep, and this is particularly common among shift workers. "That is why we wanted to try to identify mechanisms that affect how lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. "Ultimately, the purpose was to identify opportunities to address these problems." The research team studied 16 young men of normal weight and with healthy sleep patterns - strictly controlling the amount of rest they got and making them do high-intensity 30-minute workouts. The boffins found increased signs of inflammation in the blood of participants when they were sleep-deprived, regardless of their healthy status. They wrote in the journal Biomarker Research: "Our findings based on highly standardised in-lab conditions, indicate that even short-term sleep restriction can produce a biomarker profile associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk."
Miami Herald
12-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Few nights of bad sleep increases risk of heart attack and stroke: study
By Stephen Beech Lack of sleep for just a few nights can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke, warns new research. Even a couple of days with insufficient shuteye promotes molecular mechanisms linked to a greater risk of heart problems, according to the findings. Swedish researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects biomarkers - in this case, proteins - associated with cardiovascular disease. Study leader Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, of Uppsala University, said: "Unfortunately, nearly half of all Swedes regularly experience disturbed sleep, and this is particularly common among shift workers. "That is why we wanted to try to identify mechanisms that affect how lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. "Ultimately, the purpose was to identify opportunities to address these problems." A chronic lack of sleep is a growing public health problem around the world, and in large population studies it has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeat, also known as atrial fibrillation. Dr. Cedernaes says heart health is influenced by several lifestyle factors, including sleep, diet and exercise. To separate out the effects of sleep, he said a number of conditions were controlled in the laboratory environment such as diet and physical activity. The research team studied 16 healthy young men of normal weight who all had healthy sleep habits. The participants spent time in a sleep laboratory where their meals and activity levels were strictly controlled in two sessions. In one session, the participants got a normal amount of sleep for three consecutive nights, while during the other session, they got only about four hours of sleep each night. During both sessions, morning and evening blood samples were taken, and following high-intensity exercise lasting 30 minutes. The research team measured the levels of around 90 proteins in the blood and were able to see that the levels of many of these that are associated with increased inflammation rose when the participants were sleep-deprived. Many of the proteins have already been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure and coronary artery disease. Dr. Cedernaes said: "Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases. "That is why it was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased in the same way in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation. "This means that it's important to emphasise the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health even early in life." Physical exercise generated a slightly different response after a lack of sleep, according to the findings published in the journal Biomarker Research. However, a number of key proteins increased equally, whether the person was sleep-deprived or not. Dr. Cedernaes said proteins that can be linked to the positive effects of exercise increased, even if the person had too little sleep. The research team has previously shown that exercise in the presence of sleep deprivation can result in a slightly increased load on the heart's muscle cells. Dr. Cedernaes said: "With this study, we have improved our understanding of what role the amount of sleep we get plays in cardiovascular health. "It's important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause. "But it's also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep." He added: "Further research is needed to investigate how these effects might differ in women, older individuals, patients with heart disease, or those with different sleep patterns. "Our ongoing research will hopefully help to develop better guidelines on how sleep, exercise and other lifestyle factors can be harnessed to better prevent cardiovascular diseases." The post Few nights of bad sleep increases risk of heart attack and stroke: study appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Just three nights of bad sleep ‘can increase risk of heart attack or stroke', scientists warn
JUST three nights of bad sleep can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke - even for "perfectly healthy" people, warns new research. Lack of shuteye triggers molecular mechanisms linked to a greater risk of heart problems, according to the findings - and just a couple nights of insufficient sleep is enough to set those off. Advertisement 1 Just a few days of bad sleep can set of molecular mechanisms linked to increased risk of heart issues Credit: Getty Swedish researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects biomarkers - in this case proteins - linked to cardiovascular disease. Study leader Dr Jonathan Cedernaes, of Uppsala University, said: "Unfortunately, nearly half of all Swedes regularly experience disturbed sleep, and this is particularly common among shift workers. "That is why we wanted to try to identify mechanisms that affect how lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. "Ultimately, the purpose was to identify opportunities to address these problems." Advertisement A chronic lack of sleep is a growing public health problem around the world, and large population studies have linked it to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeat - also known as atrial fibrillation. The research team studied 16 healthy young men of normal weight who all had healthy sleep habits. Dr Cedernaes said heart health is influenced by several lifestyle factors, including sleep, diet and exercise. To separate out the effects of sleep, the research team set out to control other factors and conditions that could trigger heart issues though the laboratory environment of their experiment. Advertisement The participants took part in two different sessions, spending time in a sleep laboratory where their meals and activity levels were strictly controlled. In one session, the participants got eight and a half hours of sleep for three consecutive nights, while during the other session, they got only about four hours of sleep each night. Five best stretches to improve sleep They had blood samples taken every morning and evening for each session. On the third day of both sessions, people were asked to do 30-minute high intensity workout and had their blood analysed again. Advertisement The research team measured the levels of around 90 proteins in participants' blood, finding signs of increased inflammation in participants when they were sleep-deprived - even if they were "previously perfectly healthy". "Our findings based on highly standardised in-lab conditions, indicate that even short-term sleep restriction can produce a biomarker profile associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk," researchers wrote in the journal Biomarker Research. Studies have already linked many of the proteins spotted by researchers to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure and coronary artery disease. Dr Cedernaes said: "Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases. Advertisement "That is why it was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased in the same way in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation. "This means that it's important to emphasise the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health, even early in life." Top tips and tricks for winding down for sleep before bed EMILY Robertson, from Mira Showers, shared their top sleep hacks, particularly for during hot weather. Wind down with purpose About an hour before bed, start dimming lights around your home. This signals to your brain that it's time to produce melatonin, your natural sleep hormone. Think of it as helping your body shift gears from "daytime mode" to "sleep mode." Disconnect to reconnect Put away phones, tablets, and laptops at least 30 minutes before bedtime. The blue light from screens tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime. Instead, try reading a physical book or magazine under soft lighting. Take a warm shower A 10-minute warm shower about an hour before bed helps trigger your body's natural cooling process afterward, which makes falling asleep easier. The gentle warmth also relaxes tight muscles from your day. Try gentle stretching A few simple stretches can release physical tension. Focus on your neck, shoulders, and back - areas where we tend to hold stress. Just 5 minutes can make a big difference. Sip something soothing A small cup of caffeine-free tea like chamomile, lavender, or valerian can be a lovely ritual. Just drink it about an hour before bed so you're not waking up for bathroom trips. Researchers also found that exercise generated a slightly different response in the body if participants were sleep deprived. But a number of key proteins linked to the positive effects of exercise increased equally, whether or participants were sleep-deprived - suggesting that some of the effects of bad sleep may be offset by exercise. Advertisement The research team have previously shown exercising when sleep deprived can increase pressure on the heart's muscle cells. Dr Cedernaes said: "With this study, we have improved our understanding of what role the amount of sleep we get plays in cardiovascular health. "It's important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause. "But it's also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep." Advertisement He added: "Further research is needed to investigate how these effects might differ in women, older individuals, patients with heart disease, or those with different sleep patterns. "Our ongoing research will hopefully help to develop better guidelines on how sleep, exercise and other lifestyle factors can be harnessed to better prevent cardiovascular diseases."
