Women With This Sleep Problem Face a 75% Higher Heart Disease Risk

Getting enough sleep is important for overall health, but research suggests that sleep quality and timing may also play a major role in protecting the heart. Recent studies found that people who regularly stay up late and women who experience long-term insomnia during midlife may face a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

How Sleep Habits Affect Heart Health

Sleep is closely connected to many of the body’s most important functions, including blood pressure, blood sugar control, metabolism, and inflammation. When sleep becomes irregular or consistently poor, these systems can be affected, increasing the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease over time. Researchers continue to identify sleep as an important factor in maintaining a healthy heart.

Night Owls May Face Greater Cardiovascular Risks

A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association analyzed health information from more than 320,000 adults in the United Kingdom between the ages of 39 and 74. Participants identified themselves as morning people, evening people, or somewhere in between. The results showed that those who considered themselves definite evening types had a 16% higher risk of heart attack and stroke compared with people in the intermediate group.

Researchers Evaluated Overall Heart Health

To measure cardiovascular health, scientists used the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 score. This assessment includes diet quality, physical activity, sleep duration, nicotine exposure, blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Together, these factors provide a broad picture of a person’s overall heart health.

Lifestyle Plays a Bigger Role Than Sleep Timing Alone

Although evening types showed a greater risk of cardiovascular problems, researchers estimated that roughly 75% of that increased risk could be explained by other health and lifestyle factors included in the Life’s Essential 8 score. This suggests that staying up late is not necessarily harmful by itself, but the habits often associated with that schedule may contribute to poorer heart health.

Why Living Against Your Internal Clock Matters

Sleep experts believe the challenge comes from the mismatch between a person’s natural body clock and everyday schedules. Many night owls still need to wake up early for work or other responsibilities, creating ongoing sleep disruption. Over time, this conflict between biological rhythms and social obligations may affect long-term cardiovascular health.

Women in Midlife Face Unique Sleep Challenges

Sleep problems become especially common during midlife, particularly between the ages of 40 and 65. Hormonal changes associated with menopause often lead to difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, or waking earlier than planned. Research estimates that up to half of women experience sleep-related issues during this stage of life.

A Long-Term Study Followed Women for More Than Two Decades

To better understand the connection between sleep and heart disease, researchers analyzed data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, an ongoing project that began in 1994 with 3,320 women between the ages of 42 and 52. Over 22 years, the study tracked sleep patterns alongside cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and smoking status.

Persistent Insomnia Increased Future Heart Disease Risk

Researchers found that women who experienced persistent insomnia symptoms throughout midlife were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life. About 23% of participants fell into this category, showing that long-lasting sleep difficulties may have important consequences beyond daily fatigue.

The Highest Risk Was Seen With Insomnia and Short Sleep

The strongest association appeared among women who experienced both persistent insomnia and consistently short sleep duration. This combination was linked to a 70% to 75% higher risk of future cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. Short sleep by itself also increased risk, although the effect was smaller than when combined with chronic insomnia.

Healthy Sleep Should Be Part of Heart Disease Prevention

These findings reinforce that healthy sleep deserves the same attention as diet, exercise, and blood pressure management when protecting cardiovascular health. For people who regularly struggle with insomnia or consistently get too little sleep, addressing those issues may become an important step in reducing future heart disease risk, especially during midlife.