Short sleep lengths, daytime napping, shift work and even long sleep lengths have been linked to an increased risk of elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
The study, published in Nature Communications, is the first study to demonstrate that independent of other factors including age, sex and Body Mass Index (BMI), circadian rhythm-disrupting behaviours, including shift work, have an adverse effect on blood pressure regulation.
“We found that compromised sleep health or night shift work are associated with elevated blood pressure in both males and females and across all age groups,” said lead author Morag Young, Associate Professor from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
“What we’ve found is that having circadian rhythms out of sync even slightly has an adverse impact on blood pressure,” Young added.
The study found that permanent night shift workers who slept less than five or six hours were most at risk, but those working mixed shifts also showed elevated blood pressure. Interestingly, sleeping for too long a period also had a disruptive effect on circadian rhythms, Young said.