Heart Talks

Insomnia or chronic lack of sleep can stress the heart and raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and consequently lead to death.

Negative effects of long-term sleep deprivation are well known, such as lower concentration and poor mood. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that our physical body can pay high price for not sleeping enough.

In a study of 39 healthy people, researchers found that people who got 5 hours of sleep for 5 nights showed considerably less heart rate variability in their electrocardiograms.

Reduced variability is usually an indicator for cardiac problems and other diseases. It has also been linked to high blood pressure.

“The effect of the sleep deficit was to increase the stress on the heart,” said Siobhan Banks, a lead author on the study.

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