Teen Sleep Habits Linked to future Heart Health

Early to bed and early to rise may make you healthy and wise, especially for teens.

Teenagers who maintain consistent and efficient sleep schedules may be setting themselves up for better cardiovascular health in their early twenties, according to new research. The study highlights the lasting impact of adolescent sleep patterns.

Crucial Sleep Factors

the research, slated for presentation at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting,indicates that several sleep-related behaviors at age 15 correlated wiht improved cardiovascular health scores at age 22. These included earlier bedtimes and wake-up times, spending less time awake in bed, and maintaining consistent total sleep time and sleep onset.

Interestingly, the amount of sleep wasn’t as important as when and how well teens slept. The study took into account factors such as sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, diet, and physical activity.

Expert Insights

“Given the importance of sleep health for physical health and well-being in the short-term,we were not surprised to see a lasting association between adolescent sleep timing,sleep maintenance efficiency,and sleep variability with cardiovascular health in young adulthood,” stated lead data analyst and study author Gina Marie Mathew. Mathew holds a doctorate in biobehavioral health and serves as a senior postdoctoral associate in public health within the department of family, population, and preventive medicine at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine in New York.

However, Mathew also noted, “It was unexpected… that with and without adjustment for perhaps confounding factors, total sleep time during adolescence was not a significant predictor of cardiovascular health during young adulthood. This single null finding, of course, does not indicate that total sleep time is insignificant.”

She added that these findings highlight the intricate nature of sleep health, emphasizing the necessity of considering various sleep dimensions when aiming to promote and sustain cardiovascular well-being.

Recommendations for Teen Sleep

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises teenagers aged 13 to 18 to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep regularly for optimal health. beyond just the right amount, healthy sleep also involves appropriate timing, good quality, regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances.

Study Details

researchers examined longitudinal data derived from sub-studies within the future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The sample included 307 adolescents, with 57% being female. Sleep patterns were tracked using wrist actigraphy over a week at age 15.

At age 22,cardiovascular health was evaluated using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, which encompasses seven non-sleep factors: self-reported diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. These factors were used to generate an average composite score.

Looking Ahead

Mathew emphasized that these results underscore the need for a more holistic approach when examining the link between adolescent sleep health and cardiovascular health.

“future research and recommendations should emphasize the importance of multiple dimensions of sleep health, including earlier sleep timing, higher sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower sleep variability as protective factors for long-term heart health,” she concluded.

The research abstract has been published in an online supplement of the journal SLEEP and will be presented as an oral presentation Sunday, June 8, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle.

According to a 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, poor sleep quality is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (JAHA 2023).