A Sleep Consideration For The Holidays.......

My daughter commented on how low her Oura ring readiness score was this morning after being at a party last night.

She doesn't drink alcohol and didn't stay late at the party but was so wired from the stimulation that she was up 2 hours later than usual.

There'll be lots of opportunities to be off our regular sleep schedule this month so keep in mind that your body and brain like regular sleep habits.

Current research finds a link between irregular sleep schedules and everything from increased risk of heart disease and diabetes to foul moods and premature death.

It's about the irregular sleep pattern--even if you get enough sleep!

😴 A new study recorded the sleep patterns of over 72,000 people without cardiovascular disease for seven days. They were split into 3 groups: most regular, most irregular, and those in between. They were monitored for the next 8 years.

Irregular sleepers were 26% more likely to have a major cardiovascular event. Sleeping longer didn’t make up for the effect.

😴 People with the most irregular sleep patterns — varying by more than an hour daily — had a 34% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those with the most regular schedules.

😴 There's plenty of research demonstrating the benefits of going to bed at about the same time every night.

😴 Each hour of variability in bedtime or time falling asleep was associated with a 27% greater chance of experiencing a “metabolic abnormality,” such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar levels.

😴 Simply keeping a regular sleep schedule was associated with a 39% lower risk of premature death than those with irregular patterns, even taking into account other health and sleep-related factors.

😴 Bad daily moods and an eventual slide into full-blown depression are more likely among people with irregular sleep schedules, too.

Why are sleep patterns so critical?

One theory is that inconsistent bedtimes result in poorer quality sleep. Despite getting enough hours of sleep, you might not get enough deep sleep, the most restorative of the four stages, which occur mostly during the early hours of sleep.

Or it might be microbiome-related. A study of healthy people who got plenty of sleep found that those with irregular sleep schedules had more harmful bacteria in their guts, which can produce toxins that contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and other poor health effects.

Remember this during the holidays......

They come around once a year so enjoy every minute. Just remember that staying up later, whether or not you sleep in the next morning, stresses your body and can affect your mood.

Wouldn't want to lose your Christmas spirit!