Being a Night Owl May Increase Your Heart Risk, Study Finds
As it turns out, the early bird really does have its benefits compared to those who stay up late.
Studies have found that being a night owl may increase your heart risk. While staying up late at night is often a peaceful time for many, it can lead to some serious problems.
The study was published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. In the study, it was found that those who naturally stay up late, often described as night owls, are more likely to have poor heart health than those who have more traditional sleep-wake schedules.
The study and biometric data were from more than 320,000 British adults aged 39 to 74. And the findings were particularly strong among women. In the study, researchers calculated each person’s heart health using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score.
Several factors go into this score, including diet quality, physical activity, sleep duration, and nicotine exposure. They also factor in blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar, and blood fat levels.
“These are the factors the American Heart Association has identified as cardiovascular disease risk factors,” Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, specializing in sleep and circadian rhythm research and a fellow at the American Heart Association, told ABC News. “Different people will have them in different combinations, but they are all correlated with one another.”
From the research they collected, the study found that night owls are 79% more likely to have poor overall heart health compared to those that have a traditional sleep schedule. Morning people, meaning those who wake up earlier than the average, did slightly better, with 5% lower risk of having a poor L8 score.
Nigh owls also had a 16% higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke over a median of about 14 years of follow-up.
Knutson gave an opinion on the matter, saying that “it isn’t being a night owl that’s a problem. I think being a night owl who’s trying to live in a morning lark’s world is a conflict between one’s internal clock and their social clock.”
The reason behind being a night owl may increase your heart risk is because of poor heart health habits and factors, especially when it comes to nicotine use and inadequate sleep.
“‘Evening people’ often experience circadian misalignment, meaning their internal body clock may not match the natural day-to-night light cycle of their typical daily schedules,” said lead study author Sina Kianersi, Ph.D., D.V.M., a research fellow in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. “Evening people may be more likely to have behaviors that can affect cardiovascular health, such as poorer diet quality, smoking, and inadequate or irregular sleep.”
However, Kristen Knutson noted that while the study showed profound findings, that doesn’t mean that it’s all bad news for night owls. The study had modified behaviors, such as smoking, but evening types “aren’t inherently less healthy.”
Knutson noted that night owls “face challenges that make it particularly important for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.” For instance, therapies and certain medications work best aligned “with a specific time of relevant circadian rhythms.”
For night owls who want to reduce their risk of heart disease, it’s important to seek out professional opinions from your primary care provider. You can also focus on heart-healthy food or activities to start combating heart risk today.
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