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A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine reveals that the timing and regularity of sleep could play a pivotal role in adolescent heart health. While it is widely known that teenagers need a significant amount of sleep, the new findings suggest that it’s not just the total hours of sleep that matter, but also when and how consistently they sleep. The study indicates that late nights and irregular sleep patterns could elevate the risk of cardiovascular problems in later life.
Adolescents often struggle to meet the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep, and their sleep schedules are frequently disrupted by academic and social demands. However, this research highlights that two distinct patterns of sleep misalignment may increase the risk of cardiac issues. These include irregular sleep schedules during the school week and late sleep onset on non-school days.
The study, published in the journal SLEEP, followed a group of 360 adolescents aged 12 to 23. Researchers monitored the heart rate variability (HRV), a key indicator of heart health, and discovered that irregular sleep schedules led to lower HRV, which has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. These findings remained consistent even after accounting for the total amount of sleep.
One of the lead authors, Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, a professor at Penn State College of Medicine, emphasized the importance of aligning adolescents’ internal body clocks with their sleep-wake cycles to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in the future. He explained that the biological changes during puberty push teens to become more “evening types,” yet early school schedules create a mismatch between their circadian rhythm and the demands of daily life, leading to insufficient and irregular sleep.
The research suggests that both weekend sleep delays and irregular school-week schedules can significantly impact heart health. Adolescents who stayed up later and slept in on weekends exhibited lower HRV, while those with fluctuating sleep schedules during the school week also showed signs of cardiovascular stress. Even a one-hour shift in sleep patterns was enough to affect heart function, though longer delays were found to have more severe effects.
The researchers urge medical professionals to assess adolescent sleep patterns during routine visits, as identifying and addressing irregular sleep schedules early could help prevent future cardiovascular issues. With targeted interventions to improve sleep consistency, it may be possible to protect young people’s heart health as they mature.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on research conducted by Penn State College of Medicine and may not apply to every individual. Always consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice regarding health and wellness.
