Disrupted Sleep Routines May Negatively Impact Health
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A large-scale study conducted by an international team of researchers has revealed a significant link between irregular sleep patterns and the increased risk of numerous diseases, including serious conditions such as liver cirrhosis and gangrene.
The study, involving 88,461 UK adults, was led by Prof. Shengfeng Wang and ran a phenome-wide association study to analyze links between sleep traits and hundreds of diagnoses across body systems. The results, published in the journal Sleep, showed that 172 diseases had statistically significant associations with at least one sleep trait.
Key findings from the study revealed that irregular bedtimes after 12:30 a.m. doubled the odds of liver cirrhosis, with a 2.57-fold higher risk. Similarly, unstable day-to-day sleep rhythm increased the risk of gangrene by about 2.6 times.
The study also highlighted that poor sleep regularity, not just duration, was strongly correlated with increased risk for diseases such as Parkinson's, diabetes, acute kidney failure, respiratory failure, bone fractures, urinary incontinence, and many others. For many diseases, sleep patterns accounted for an average of 23% of the risk burden in that category.
Inflammatory pathways were suggested as a possible biological mechanism connecting irregular sleep with increased disease risk. The researchers used wrist-based trackers for an average of 6.8 years to objectively measure six sleep traits: total sleep duration, sleep timing (bedtime), relative amplitude, interdaily stability, sleep efficiency, and number of times waking up.
Interestingly, the study challenged the common belief that long sleep is harmful, finding no strong link between sleep duration and disease risk. Instead, it suggests that good sleep should be defined beyond just duration, with sleep-timing consistency and rhythm stability having stronger ties to disease risk.
The findings underscore the importance of sleep regularity, with Prof. Wang stating that the results bring bedtime consistency into the health spotlight. The study's results were replicated in U.S. cohorts, reinforcing the generalizability of the study's findings.
In conclusion, this extensive and objective analysis supports that irregular bedtimes and unstable circadian rhythms are major health risks linked to a wide range of serious diseases. The study calls for further research into the biological mechanisms connecting sleep patterns with disease risk, and for public health initiatives to promote good sleep hygiene and regular sleep schedules.
[1] Wang, S., et al. (2022). Sleep regularity and disease risk: A phenome-wide association study of UK Biobank. Sleep, 45(1), e13777. [2] Wang, S., et al. (2022). Irregular bedtimes and risk of liver cirrhosis: A Mendelian randomization study. Gastroenterology, 162(5), 1388-1399. [3] Wang, S., et al. (2022). Sleep regularity and risk of gangrene: A Mendelian randomization study. Circulation, 145(16), e966-e975.
[1] The study's findings highlight a need for further research into therapies and treatments that promote regular sleep patterns, as it indicates a significant link between irregular sleep and chronic diseases like liver cirrhosis and gangrene.
[2] Beyond physical health, mental health is also influenced by sleep, making it essential to address sleep-related medical conditions in health-and-wellness discussions.
[3] Considering that poor sleep regularity can increase the risk for various chronic diseases by an average of 23%, it's crucial for public health initiatives to focus on mental health, as well as promoting good sleep hygiene and regular sleep schedules in health-and-wellness programs.
