Recent research led by Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes from Uppsala University in Sweden has indicated that just three nights of insufficient sleep can lead to changes in proteins in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States have highlighted the potential health risks associated with lack of sleep, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression.
The study involved measuring approximately 90 proteins in the blood, revealing that inadequate sleep can cause an increase in levels of inflammatory proteins associated with inflammation. Prolonged elevation of these proteins can damage blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart failure, coronary artery disease, and atrial fibrillation.
In the research, 16 healthy young men were monitored in a controlled laboratory setting with variations in their sleep patterns: three nights of normal sleep (8.5 hours per night) and three nights of restricted sleep (4.25 hours per night). At the end of each sleep period, they engaged in a 30-minute high-intensity cycling exercise before undergoing blood testing.
Despite exercise typically promoting the production of healthy proteins like Interleukin-6, insufficient sleep weakened these responses, suggesting that the benefits of exercise can be compromised by lack of sleep. While exercise can mitigate some negative effects of inadequate sleep, it cannot replace the fundamental function of sleep.
Even in young and healthy adults, a few nights of insufficient sleep can trigger these physiological changes, raising concerns for individuals experiencing poor sleep quality regularly. Dr. Cedernaes emphasized the significant prevalence of sleep disturbances among nearly half of Swedes, especially common among shift workers.
The timing of blood sampling throughout the day was also found to be crucial, as protein levels vary between morning and evening, with these differences amplified in cases of insufficient sleep. This highlights how sleep not only influences substances in the blood but impacts the times when these changes are most apparent.
Dr. Annie Curtis, Associate Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, detailed these findings in an article on The Conversation website, underlining the importance of recognizing the body’s chemical reactions surveillance without compromise.
The study results were published in the Biomarker Research journal on April 29th. The implications of insufficient sleep on various aspects of human behavior have been examined in previous research, illustrating that it can lead individuals to become more selfish and less inclined to help others.
These findings underscore the critical importance of prioritizing sufficient sleep for overall health and well-being, even amid demands that may tempt individuals to sacrifice sleep for work, socializing, or screen time. Understanding the profound impact of sleep deprivation on health serves as a vital reminder to prioritize adequate rest for optimal physical and mental health.