Struggling to Sleep Harms Women's Hearts

There is nothing like a good night's sleep. The evidence that good sleep is critical to good health continues to mount.

Study results recently released by a team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center show that women suffer more damage to their cardiovascular health from poor sleep and struggling to fall asleep than men do.

The study, which was published online in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, suggests that poor sleep measured by the total amount of sleep, the degree of awakening during the night, and most importantly, how long it takes to get to sleep may have more serious health consequences for women than for men, according to lead researcher Edward Suarez.

This study, which included 210 healthy, middle-aged men and women without any history of diagnosed sleep disorders, analyzed blood samples from the participants for levels of biomarkers associated with increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Suarez said that about 40 percent of the participants were classified as poor sleepers, meaning they had frequent problems falling asleep or awoke frequently during the night. While the men and women in the study had similar sleep quality ratings, their biomarkers were dramatically different, he said. Women who were poor sleepers had higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 inflammation biomarkers associated with increased risk of heart disease and higher levels of insulin.

The study also found that for women, poor sleep is strongly associated with high levels of stress, greater feelings of hostility, depression and anger, Suarez said.

Perhaps the most interesting finding is that overall poor sleep quality didn't pose the greater risk, but rather the length of time it takes a person to fall asleep that takes the highest toll. Women who reported taking a half hour or more to fall asleep showed the worst risk profile, Suarez said.