How having a sleepy teen could save your kid from a future heart attack
Study finds link between teenage sleep habits and adult heart health
- A study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that teenagers with better sleep habits at age 15 showed improved heart health seven years later.
- Healthy sleep habits include falling asleep and waking up earlier, spending less time awake in bed, and having less variability in total sleep time and sleep onset.
- The study, backed by the National Institutes of Health, analysed data from 307 adults, mainly girls, using wrist devices to measure sleep variables at age 15 and assessing cardiovascular health at age 22.
- Cardiovascular health was evaluated based on diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, BMI, and measurements of blood fats, blood sugar, and blood pressure, scored using the American Heart Association’s Life's Essential 8.
- Dr. Gina Marie Mathew, the lead data analyst, emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach to sleep health, highlighting the importance of earlier sleep timing, higher sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower sleep variability for long-term heart health.