The connection between sleep patterns and chronic diseases has been an area of increasing interest, particularly as wearable devices like Fitbit become more integrated into health tracking. A recent study published in Nature Medicine explored how variations in sleep duration and quality affect the risk of developing chronic diseases such as atrial fibrillation, obesity, hypertension, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. This study stands out due to its large sample size and use of data directly from wearable devices, rather than relying solely on polysomnography (PSG) or self-reported data.
Participants whose sleep duration varied significantly were at higher risk for a range of health conditions. The study’s corresponding author, Dr. Evan L. Brittain of Vanderbilt University, emphasized this point, stating, “The more your sleep duration varies, the higher your risk of numerous chronic diseases across the entire spectrum of organ systems. Sleep duration and quality were also important but that was less surprising.”
The study also examined the link between sleep stages—such as REM and deep sleep—and specific health outcomes, particularly atrial fibrillation. Previous studies have shown conflicting results regarding the connection between REM or deep sleep and atrial fibrillation. For instance, one study found that longer deep sleep was associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation, while another found that longer REM sleep, rather than deep sleep, was the protective factor. In this clinical trial, however, researchers found that both REM and deep sleep were associated with a decreased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, though the deep sleep association was more robust in time-varying analyses. This suggests that sleep stages may influence the autonomic nervous system in ways that impact cardiovascular health.
In addition to providing valuable insights into the relationship between sleep and chronic disease, this study underscores the potential of wearable devices to monitor sleep in real-time over long periods. With nearly 30% of the U.S. population owning such devices, the ability to integrate this data with electronic health records could allow for earlier detection of health issues and more personalized care. By advancing our understanding of sleep’s role in chronic disease risk, this research holds promise for improving public health outcomes and refining strategies to promote healthier sleep patterns across populations.
Sources: Nature Medicine, Medscape