Health · Medical Research · 6 hrs ago
Irregular sleep schedules linked to higher heart disease risk
US researchers linked irregular sleep schedules to higher heart disease risk in a study of 10,362 adults.
Participants wore Fitbit devices that recorded their sleep, and researchers tracked heart conditions over a median of 3.7 years.
People with greater changes in bedtime and wake time had 20% to 23% higher risks of several serious conditions, including heart attack, heart failure and ischemic stroke.
Each additional 29 minutes of variation in sleep duration was associated with a 24% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
The findings suggest that keeping sleep times and duration consistent may matter for heart health, alongside getting enough sleep.
The study shows an association, not proof that irregular sleep causes disease, and researchers are due to present the findings at an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago.
Irregular sleep schedules were associated with a higher risk of serious cardiovascular disease in a study of more than 10,000 US adults.
Participants whose sleep duration varied by an additional 29 minutes from night to night had a 24% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers said sleep regularity may be more closely linked to a range of heart and metabolic risks than sleep duration alone.
The study was observational and does not prove that irregular sleep directly causes heart disease.
The findings were due to be presented at the American Heart Association’s 2026 Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
- Who
- A research team led by Minh Tuan Viet Nguyen of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
- What
- Researchers found that irregular sleep schedules were associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk. The study does not prove that irregular sleep causes the disease.
- When
- The findings were reported on November 4, 2026. The team planned to present them at the AHA Scientific Sessions on November 6–9.
- Where
- The study analyzed data from US adults; the planned presentation was in Chicago.
- Why
- The study examined links between sleep patterns and cardiovascular disease risk. The researchers said regular bedtimes, wake times and sleep duration may help protect heart health.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Nautilus reported preliminary findings ahead of the planned conference presentation.
Yonhap reported the study findings and said the researchers planned to present them at the AHA Scientific Sessions.
The AHA Scientific Sessions were scheduled to take place in Chicago.
- Study participants
- 10,362 US adults
- Sleep records
- 1,017,812 Fitbit records
- Follow-up
- Median of 3.7 years
- Variable sleep duration
- Each additional 29 minutes of night-to-night variation was associated with 24% higher cardiovascular disease risk
- Conference
- AHA Scientific Sessions 2026, Chicago, November 6–9
2 sources
What people are saying
Sleep irregularity is often due to weekends
Sleep quality is not something we can control, but the habit of going to bed and waking up at regular times is something we can adjust to some extent
This study suggests that sleep regularity may be an important characteristic for heart health, but it does not confirm a causal relationship between sleep regularity and cardiovascular disease risk