Sleep Deprivation Can Hurt Your Heart

“If you are chronically deprived of sleep your heart is likely to be stressed out and you are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death,” these are the findings of a study presented on Wednesday at SLEEP 2007, the annual gathering of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

There have been several studies on the neurological and behavioural effects that come about on account of extended sleep loss. These studies confirmed effects like lowered concentration and hand-eye coordination to poor mood. The new study however adds further evidence to the theory that insufficient sleep also has significant physiological effects.

The study covering 39 volunteers was conducted by Dr. Siobhan Banks and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. To get an idea about the effects of sleep deprivation on the heart, the researchers first allowed the volunteers to get a single night of 10 hours’ sleep and then cut down their sleep to only four hours a night for the next five nights.

Cardiac functions of all the volunteers were tested twice – once after they had a full night’s sleep and then again after the sleep deprivation period. The researchers found that just five nights of sleep deficit was enough to significantly stress the heart. Electrocardiograms showed a much higher heart beat rate and significantly low heart rate variability in all patients after the period of sleep deprivation.

Heart rate variability is the naturally occurring change in heart rate between consecutive beats. It reflects the body’s adjustment to a host of stresses and stimuli. When this rate variability drops, it can be an indication of impending cardiac trouble and other diseases. It has also been linked to high blood pressure.

“The effect of the sleep deficit was to increase the stress on the hearts of these volunteers,” said Dr. Banks, an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “If our finding is sustained by a larger group and further analysis, it may suggest why short sleep duration is associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.”

The current findings are in tune with earlier studies that have found higher risk of cardiovascular disease in shift workers on account of the fact that their circadian or sleep-wake rhythms are disturbed, resulting in loss of sleep.

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