Experts have cautioned that people with poor sleep for just three nights may be at an increased risk of developing heart disease.
Researchers from Sweden’s Uppsala University found that even three nights of sleep deprivation, or about four hours per night, can alter the body and raise the risk of heart disease.
The study, which examined how quickly the body can start reacting negatively to poor sleep, involved 16 healthy young men who spent several days in a laboratory, where everything from their meals to their activity levels and light exposure was carefully controlled.
In one session, 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 following high-intensity exercise lasting 30 minutes.
Researchers measured almost 90 different proteins in the blood samples and found that the levels of many of these that are associated with increased inflammation rose when the participants were sleep-deprived.
Many of these proteins have already been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and coronary artery disease, said the researchers in the study published in the journal Biomarker Research.
Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are among the lifestyle factors that affect heart health. A variety of factors, including nutrition and exercise, were regulated in the lab setting to isolate the effects of sleep.
According to the study published in the journal Biomarker Research, “Strikingly, the changes happened even in young, healthy adults and after only a few nights of bad sleep.”
Also, exercise was not enough to completely cancel out the harm caused by sleep restriction.
Jonathan Cedernaes, physician and docent at Uppsala University, who led the study, stated, “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.”
The study authors emphasised that more research is necessary to determine the impacts that short-term sleep restriction can have on older adults and women.
