Delaying bedtime by just 90 minutes each night damages cells that line the blood vessels, supporting the hypothesis that poor sleep is linked to heart health, a study among women participants has revealed.
A mild chronic sleep deficit may heighten the risk of developing heart disease later in life.
Surveys of thousands of people have found that people who report mild but chronic sleep deficits have more heart disease later in life than people who get adequate sleep.
A new Columbia University’s study of women, published in the journal Scientific Reports, now shows what’s happening in the body during chronic mild sleep deprivation.
After just six weeks of shortened sleep, the study found, the cells that line our blood vessels are flooded by damaging oxidants. And unlike well-rested cells, sleep-restricted cells fail to activate antioxidant responses to clear the destructive molecules.
The result: cells that are inflamed and dysfunctional, an early step in the development of cardiovascular disease.
