If you live with anxiety, sticking to a regular sleep schedule might do more than help you feel rested—it could also protect your heart.
A new study has found that young adults with chronic anxiety who have irregular sleep patterns may be at greater risk of developing early signs of heart disease.
Published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, the study looked at how sleep patterns affect heart health in people with long-term anxiety.
The findings suggest that going to bed and waking up at the same time each day—and getting about the same amount of sleep—could help lower the risk of future heart problems.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting about one in five adults in the U.S.
They’re especially common among women and young adults. People with anxiety often struggle with sleep, experiencing difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting enough rest.
Previous research has shown that poor sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death around the world.
To better understand the link between anxiety, sleep, and heart health, researchers followed 28 young adults with chronic anxiety.
For one week, participants wore a special device that tracked their activity levels, rest periods, and sleep.
They also kept a sleep diary. At the end of the week, the researchers ran tests to measure blood pressure control, how well their blood vessels functioned, and levels of oxidative stress—all early warning signs of potential heart disease.
The study found that participants with irregular sleep patterns—meaning their amount of sleep varied from night to night or their sleep efficiency (how much of their time in bed they actually spent sleeping) changed significantly—were more likely to show signs of poor heart health.
These individuals had higher oxidative stress, worse blood vessel function, and less stable blood pressure compared to those with more consistent sleep routines.
Interestingly, the study did not find a link between these heart health markers and overall sleep quality or total hours of sleep. This suggests that having a consistent sleep pattern matters more than just how much sleep you get.
There were also no major differences based on how severe someone’s anxiety was, how long they had lived with it, their physical activity levels, or whether they used birth control.
While this study cannot prove that irregular sleep causes heart problems, it strongly suggests that sleep patterns play a key role in long-term health. Whether or not anxiety is the main cause, building a regular sleep routine may help support both mental and physical well-being.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and calcium supplements could harm your heart health.
For more health information, please see recent studies that blackcurrants can reduce blood sugar after meal and results showing how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
Source: American Physiological Society.
